October 31. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
73 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
W 
Weather near London in 
1853. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon's 
Age. 
Clock 
af* Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
D 
M 
OCT. 31—NOV. G, 185-1. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
31 
1 
Tu 
29 . 957 — 29.879 
57—45 S. 
_ 
51 a 6 
34 a 4 
0 50 
10 
16 15 
304 
W 
All Saints. 
29 . 913 — 29.788 
60—41 S.E. 
— 
50 
32 
2 13 
11 
16 16 
305 
2 
Tb 
November Moth. 
30.007—29.816 
60-36 S.W. 
02 
57 
30 
3 34 
12 
16 18 
306 
3 
p 
Drab Day Moth. 
30.076-29.973 
56—36 E. 
— 
59 
29 
4 54 
13 
16 18 
307 
4 
s 
Laburnum leafless. 
29-944—29.854 
53—45 E. 
— 
VII 
27 
rises. 
4 a 46 
© 
16 17 
308 
5 
Sun 
21 Sunday after Trinity. [Gun- 
29.835—29.773 
50—44 i El 
10 
3 
25 
15 
16 16 
309 
G 
M 
powder Plot 1605. 
30.050—29.851 
53—45 S.E. 
4 
23 
5 10 
16 
16 14 
310 
iUvtforoi OGY OF the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-seven years, the average highest and lowest tem- 
peratures of these days are .*>3.2°, and 38.5°, respectively. The greatest heat, 02°, occurred on the 31st, in 1833; and the lowest cold, 
the 3rd, in 1845. During the period 90 days were fine, and on 99 rain fell. 
20 °, on 
We beg our readers not to forgot that the British 
Pomological Society's First Exhibition of Fruits will be 
at their Rooms, 20, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, on 
the 6th of November. We are informed that the 
collections of Fruits then exhibited will be very nume¬ 
rous and excellent; and every one will do well to con¬ 
tribute and to attend who feels how desirable it is, not 
only to have our best Fruits more generally known, 
and correctly named, but genuine information diffused 
relative to their most appropriate localities and culture. 
We have received the Prize Schedules of the following 
Poultry Societies:—■ 
“Devon and Cornwall'' (second Exhibition for 1854), 
at Plympton, on Friday, November 3, 1854. 
“ Norfolk and Eastern Counties," at the Corn Hall, 
Norwich, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the 
14th, 15th, and 16th of November, 1854. 
“Reading” at that town, on Wednesday and Thurs¬ 
day, the 29th and 30th of November. 
At Plympton, we observe, that but one class is allotted 
to “ Dorkingsso that coloured and white must com¬ 
pete together. We think it would have been better 
otherwise; as, also, that admission should have been 
given to the several varieties of “ Bantams,” not in¬ 
cluded in the “ White,” “ Black," “ Gold,” or “ Silver ’< 
pens. The Shanghaes are limited to the “ Buff or 
Cinnamon,” and “ Brown or Partridge.” If, by this 
deviation from the usual form, an opinion is advanced 
that these colours alone severally represent the true 
features of the breed, we should be far from offering a 
distinct contradiction; but many breedors, wo imagine, 
will consider that the evidence in support of this view is 
hardly, as yet, conclusive. The birds of the year are to 
be shown as “ three chicken,” irrespective of sex. The 
regulations are clearly announced, and the form of entry 
provides for all necessary details. We are glad, also, to 
observe an announcement, that the Railway Companies 
are liberal, and that the prizes may be taken either in 
money or medals. 
At Norwich, the prizes are on a liberal scale, and the 
I schedule generally well arranged. Our disapprobation, 
i however, of “ Brahma Pootras” being placed in a posi¬ 
tion distinct from Shanghaes, will, of course, have been 
anticipated; and we may here add, that nothing has 
recently been brought to our notice that in any way 
opposes our previous conviction that these birds are, at 
the best, but “ Grey Shanghaes.” 
The same observation with regard to Bantams applies 
here and at Reading, as at Plympton; but a class for 
“ any other variety” can hardly be better bestowed than 
in this instance, more especially when wo remember 
the beautiful specimens of the “ Game Bantams," that 
have of late attracted such well-deserved noticed. 
The “Norfolk” Turkeys are to be shewn separately, 
and“ Committee-prizes” are wisely offered for the best 
male birds of the “ Shanghae,” “ Spanish,” “ Dorking,” 
“Game,” and “Hamburgh" breeds. The schedule is 
concluded with an offer of cottager’s premiums for “the 
best collection of useful Poultry, not less than six in 
number." A statement of the relative numbers of each 
variety, and a fixed proportion of sexes, would, pro¬ 
bably, have produced a better exhibition, and certainly 
have lessened the labours of the judges. The rule that 
imperatively requires an exact statement of the age of 
chicken, as “ in that class a wrong statement of age 
will he held as a disqualification,” will rack the brains 
of many a conscientious exhibitor, even among those 
whose poultry-book minutes have been most accurate; 
in such cases, at least, as the numbers bred have been 
considerable. It is, doubtless, desirable for the judge 
to be acquainted with the various ages of competing 
pens; but, hitherto, the information that has been 
proffered on this head has seldom been satisfactory, and 
awards, based on such individual statements, even 
where there has been an entire absence of all intention 
to mislead, have rarely been found practicable. Positive 
evidence, moreover, of incorrectness in the returns, and 
of the consequent liability to disqualification, will be 
often difficult to obtain. We apprehend, therefore, that 
in all ordinary cases, a better system is simply to require 
an assurance of the birds being “ above” or “ under," 
one year old. 
At Reading, the “ White" Shanghaes are invited, but 
the “ Black” passed over; the latter, certainly, are far 
more justly consigned to the ignominy of the bar 
sinister than the former; but our knowledge of the 
family is as yet far from complete. 
We must remind the officials of this society, that 
“ Hamburghs” should always be arranged according to 
their markings—not their colours. Thus, the Silver 
and Gold Pencilled should follow each other, and then 
the Spangled in their varieties. Their position in this 
list separates an universally-admitted connexion, and 
No. CCCXVHI., Von. XIII. 
