April 24. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 49 
we should have reluctantly urged in the early periods of the neighbourhood, and avoid clashing with any of 
our leading exhibitions, or the districts whence birds 
the Poultry movement. 
Let u's presume a suitable district, and a body of 
gentlemen anxious to secure for it the benefit of a 
Well-Organized Poultry Society. The appointment of 
an efficient committee is the first step. The numbers of 
this body will depend on the anticipated number of 
pens; but our advice would suggest a limited number, 
as more effective for working purposes. Three, five, 
or seven would meet the requirements of most ex¬ 
hibitions, and the duties of this body would thus be 
probably better performed than if they had been en¬ 
trusted to any larger number. But really active gen¬ 
tlemen alone are implied in this calculation; not those 
persons who desire the publicity of their names ap¬ 
pearing in the list and the little consequence that the 
position may give them, but hard-working, zealous men, 
who have the good of the Society at heart, and who 
scruple not to give their time and thoughts, and to 
undergo fatigue and vexation, that the undertaking 
may be carried out successfully. Subdivision of their 
labours follows. One is to bo entrusted with the arrange¬ 
ments and fitting up of the building or tent; another to 
act in concert with the Secretary in all the details of 
advertising, and other preliminary arrangements; while 
the Chairman should be responsible for the onerous 
duty of appointing the Judges. In the present state of 
the question respecting these officials, and the mode in 
which their labours are performed, it certainly appears 
the wisest plan to confide their selection to a single 
person; division of opinion in the Committee on this 
point would be fraught with many evil consequences, 
and it is at least prudent that the names of Judges 
should not appear till after their awards are published. 
There are, probably, few instances where the services of 
a paid Secretary are not well worth the outlay, since 
it rarely happens that those to whom the office is given 
without emolument, possess both the requisite habits 
of business and leisure. As the time comes on, the 
superintendence of the birds when sent in, their dis¬ 
tribution in the pens, feeding, and general supervision, 
with the management of the sale office, and the re¬ 
packing and sending off, are charges to be previously 
allotted to those who appear most competent for them. 
But one of the most serious questions for the com¬ 
mittee of a new Society refers, unquestionably, to the 
season at which their exhibition should he held. 
Summer and early autumn will bring more visitors, 
but are less favourable to the appearance of the birds, 
and the main objects of the exhibition. Before June, 
old and young birds alike are unfit to leave home; the 
former beng commonly occupied with their young, the 
latter being as yet too juvenile for such excursions. 
In July, the chicken-pens fill well with creditable speci¬ 
mens ; but the plumage of their seniors is at least on 
the wane; noi’, speaking generally, are they in condition 
again till November, which month, with December and ; 
January, are decidedly the most appropriate for a 
Poultry Show. But beyond the mere season, the day 
for the meeting will require consideration, so as to suit 
may be expected. Two, or, at the most, three days, should 
be the period of its continuing open to the public; and> 
as regards the period set apart for the-Judges’ labours, 
we would refer to what was said with respect ter that! 
point iu a recent impression, viz., that sufficient time is 
rarely allowed these gentlemen, and thus it is that their 
duties cannot be so well performed, either with a crowd 
around them, or the Committee reporting to them the 
clamorous cries for admission at the doors, when the 
appointed hour for opening has arrived. As before 
observed, our comments on Poultry Shows are no longer 
influenced by the previous necessity of encouragement 
to a novel experiment. They have now attained an 
advanced stage of growth, and great evils would 
inevitably follow, if, wherever faults exist, they were not 
plainly spoken of in terms of condemnation. 
Committees, likewise, cannot now he permitted to 
shelter themselves, in case of pi'oved error, under 
the plea of ignorance or inexperience, either as 
regards the organisation or practical working of 
their several societies. Information on all points 
is within their reach ; the difficulties and drawbacks 
on their plans are matters of notoriety, so that if 
with this full knowledge the responsibility is still 
assumed, blame, in nine cases out of ten, can only 
fall on their own shoulders where failure may occur. 
Let it be first ascertained that the district in which it is 
proposed to establish a Poultry Show really requires it ; 
and let this be tested by the evidence of a satisfactory 
subscription-list; and when these points have been 
duly determined as settled iu the affirmative, liberality in 
the prize-list, with a good system of general management, 
may safely be trusted to for what remains. 
FLOWER-GARDENS. 
PRIMULAS. 
Every flower-garden in the country, from the highest 
to the lowest, ought to possess such plants as the follow¬ 
ing:—Ten distinct kinds of border Auriculas, including 
“ seifs,” or alpiues; ten Polyanthuses; and some few 
varieties of hybrid Cowslip: all for “ spring flowers,” in 
single rows along the borders, just behind the Crocuses; 
or in little beds, using three kinds only in each bed, that 
is, two of the most distant, or distinct colours, to mix iu 
equal numbers and in good contrast; and oue kind of 
self, or one colour all over, to border the bed all round. 
The very prettiest bed of them I ever saw was thus 
planted, in 1820 , about half a mile out of Beauly, iu the 
garden of John Fraser, Esq., then Factor over the 
Beaufort Castle estates. Mr Eraser was then the most 
tastefid amateur flower-gardener to the north of Edin¬ 
burgh; at least, Mr. Niveu told me so at the time, and 
he ought to kuow, for he himself was then looked upon 
as the most promising young gardener in Scotland, and 
who had seen the most distant parts of the country. 
Mr. Niven’s own spring border flowers at Belladrum 
were the next best arranged I ever saw. He, too, made 
use of vast numbers of Auriculas and Polyanthuses, 
Daisies, Crocuses, and other bulbs. I kept to the old 
tune myself all through life, till I came here. I never 
wanted “new seedlings” in Polyanthus, at any rate; 
