August 4. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
345 
! 
set up into stooks, or shocks, containing ten sheaves 
each; and, as a general rule, the corn should not be cut 
uuless it is dry enough to tie up in sheaf. The manner 
of setting-up the stooks is of some consequence ; and, to 
provide against wind and rain, the sheaves should be 
set in a sloping position, by placing them wide apart at 
the bottom; the ears will then settle well together at 
the top, and, in a great measure, prevent the access of 
rain into the sheaves. Some parties prefer setting up 
the sheaves in a small circle, each top leaning to the 
centre, and then take a sheaf, spreading it out in a 
reversed position over the pile of sheaves in the form 
of a hood, which serves to keep off the rain, and make 
the pile stand firmer against the wind. But this method, 
unless carried out with great care, is of but little service, 
and it being more expensive is not likely to come into 
general use; besides which, the wet harvests, which 
render any unusual precautions necessary, do not occur 
oftener than once in seven years, upon the average 
of seasons. 
In carting Wheat to the stack, or barn, I believe many 
parties are not aware how soon this may be done with 
advantage, after being cut and set up into stook. Should 
the crop be free from weeds, and the weather hot and 
dry, the sooner the Wheat is carted to stack, or barn, 
the better, provided the straw is sufficiently ripe and 
dead, so as not to heat in the stack. When the sun 
shines, and the weather is hot, without rain, the Wheat 
will be fit to carry to stack about the third or fourth 
day after cutting, provided it is free from weeds, and 
has not taken rain. 
It is not necessary, as some farmer imagine, that the 
grain should be quite hard before it is stacked. I have 
often carted Wheat in dry, hot weather, when the grain 
has been comparatively soft, and have thrashed and 
delivered the grain to the miller at the end of twenty 
days from the time of carting, the corn being in a hard 
and brittle state, and the weight of the grain being 
greater than at any after period of the year. The fact 
is, that Wheat, by remaining in the field after it is once 
fit to cart, if the weather be ever so fine, receives 
damage by the action of the sun; it loses its bright, 
blooming colour, becomes thick in bran, and weighs 
light; in proof of which, if a sample is taken from the 
inside of the sheaf, where it has never been exposed to 
the sun, it will prove much better than one selected 
from the ears on the outside of the sheaf. I would 
here observe, that carting of Wheat is often delayed 
unnecessarily, from some circumstances in the business 
of farming, such as the sowing of backward Turnips, 
and other comparatively unimportant work; and it is 
often delayed by waiting for a large quantity, or the 
produce of a particular field to be ready at the same 
time; but to show the bad policy of this manner of 
proceeding, I would call attention to the seasons of 
1848, and 1852, in both of which, after the rains began, 
tho whole crop of Wheat not carted was seriously 
damaged; and I remarked, in both seasons, that some 
farmers got into stack and barn a large portion of their 
Wheat crop before rain set in; whilst others, upon ad¬ 
joining farms, never carted any Wheat without being 
greatly injured. These circumstances show at oucc 
the propriety of carting Wheat as soon as it is ready, 
without regard to other comparatively trifling farm 
operations. 
I prefer stacks of a moderate size—those containing 
about thirty or forty quarters of grain are best, they are 
easier got in or thrashed out on a short winter day, and 
i the corn is not so likely to heat in the stack. Stacks 
made round are generally best, and when intended to 
be kept or held over a year, should always be built upon I 
a stand to secure them from vermin. 
Joseph Blundell. 
LONDON ANNUAL SUMMER POULTRY SHOW. 
This first Summer Metropolitan Exhibition of Poultry 
was held on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of July, at the Bazaar, 
King Street, Portman Square ; and whether we view it with 
reference to the aggregate amount and merits of the birds, 
or the excellence of the arrangements, we have no hesita¬ 
tion in pronouncing it to be the best summer poultry show 
that has yet been field. Nor will we pass over, in this 
tribute of praise, the Secretary, Mr. Catling; and most sin¬ 
cerely do we wish that all secretaries of similar institutions 
would not only imitate his unweariable industry, but his 
undisturhahle good-humour and courtesy. We hope that 
i the attendance throughout was good; but, however nume¬ 
rous the visitors may have been, they will be .still more 
numerous next year, when the cabmen’s strike will not 
prevent many from visiting the Bazaar who were so pre¬ 
vented on the present occasion. 
Our praise must not be withheld from the attention paid 
to supplying the birds with food, dry, moist, and green ; nor 
from the sedulous care bestowed upon removing and break¬ 
ing the eggs as soon as laid. Praise is equally merited for 
restricting the show to three days, and for avoiding alto¬ 
gether exhibiting by gas light These humane considera¬ 
tions for the comfort and health of the birds we yet hope to 
see imitated at Birmingham, for they are far more worthy 
of consideration than the increase in the value of the 
prizes. 
The Silver Champion Cup was fairly won by Mr. G. C. 
Adkins, of Birmingham; for, according to the terms upon 
which it was offered, he was “ successful in carrying off the 
greatest number of prizes in classes 1 to 48.” Another 
year, we think, those terms should be somewhat modified ; 
and as the object is to encourage the breed of the most 
serviceable kinds of poultry, it might be offered to “ the 
winner of the greatest number of first and second prizes in 
Spanish, Dorking, Shanghae, Game, Turkeys, Geese, and 
Ducks.” A smaller cup might be given upon the same 
terms for “Hamburghs, Polands, Silks, Bumpless, Drizzled, 
Guinea fowls, and Bantams.” 
Let us now pass on to the Exhibition Rooms, and in the 
first place give a few comments on the Distinct Breeds. We 
hoped to find conviction here that our first impression rela¬ 
tive to the Bramah Poutras was erroneous, but the pens ex¬ 
hibited rather confirm us in that impression, and we still 
think them a mottley mixture, or mixtures with the Malay. 
The chickens vary from their parents, and the parents are j 
not uniform. Mr. Rawson’s widely differ from Dr. Gwynne’s, 
and Dr. Gwynne’s chickens are neither like their parents, 
nor like those exhibited by Mr. Sheehan. We are told that 
the eggs are larger, and the breasts more fleshy than those 
of the Shanghae, which Dr. Gwynne’s much resemble. If 
these characteristics are inherited, then so far the breed is 
an improvement. 
The greatest novelty here were the Ptarmigan, or Grouse¬ 
footed Polands, exhibited by Dr. Burney. The old birds are 
almost as small as Dumpies ; white, with slightly yellowed 
hackle, white top-knots, and remarkably short slightly- 
feathered or booted legs. The combs are cupped, and the 
cocks tail well sickled. The chickens exhibited of this 
