192 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, June 23, 1857. 
bility for the faithful carrying out certain appointments 
allotted him, there would be scarcely an instance on record 
where they were not actually completed, and thus an endless 
amount of recrimination would be avoided, that would un- 
| doubtedly have transpired where each laid all shortcomings 
on his fellow in hope of individual exoneration. 
Rigid adherence to the rules and regulations as they 
! appear on the printed prize-list ought never to be deviated 
from even in the slightest particular; indeed, the members 
of the Committee themselves, where exhibiting, should be 
held equally amenable to these provisions with the most 
distantly situated and personally unknown competitor. 
Such plans, regarded as positive rules, leave no room for 
even the disappointed to quibble and dispute; whilst it 
cannot be too strongly urged on all societies that charges of 
unfairness, when preferred, even if without any real cause or 
foundation, tend to future disadvantage, and sometimes to 
very considerable individual annoyances at the time being, as 
the rule may be considered almost invariable that “trumped- 
up charges ” against a Committee by the disaffected are those 
most pertinaciously adhered to, particularly where a loose 
screw can be found to hang appearances of injustice upon. 
Therefore, prudence dictates that in all cases the managers 
should be able to fall back upon their printed regulations 
as having been strictly adhered to, and as the only and all- 
sufficient rejoinder to every complainant; in fact, this is 
the only really safe ground they can occupy. 
By all means secure the most efficient Judges that can be 
procured; even if entailing a little extra trouble the event 
will fully convince that such a step was certainly the most 
advisable one, alike conducive to future interests and present 
comforts. As, undoubtedly, where all is intended to be fair 
and above board, it is the wisest policy to avoid suspicion, 
let hotel accommodation be theirs, at least until after the 
awards are completed. My reason for thus peremptorily 
speaking on this subject is the time-proved fact that, if the 
really innocent and well-intentioned hospitalities of any 
Committee-man are accepted, and the following day pre¬ 
miums happen, however deservedly, to fall in that direction, 
there will certainly be no lack of invention displayed by 
some who really “ cannot lose ” to connect and identify the 
two incidents as the natural results of cause and effect. 
I at once admit it is a matter of regret that it should be 
so; but, as human nature is frequently constituted, unless 
the plan I have suggested is complied with, not unfrequently 
very unseemly inuendoes will certainly result, and ofttimes be 
urged so intemperately as to lapse very closely on a positive 
outbreak of those rules that are everywhere admitted as the 
bulwarks of respectable society, and which can never be 
infringed without permanent injury to order and goodwill. 
As in the generality of instances the Judge or Judges are 
strangers to the locality, not only ought proper inn accommo¬ 
dation to be previously engaged by the Committee for them, 
but, in all cases where the show is held at considerable 
distances from a public mode of conveyance, means ought 
to be adopted to meet this emergency. To exemplify my 
meaning I will mention a case or two that, during my 
poultry career, occurred to myself, proving to me where the 
“ shoe sometimes pinches,” and, all the circumstances con¬ 
sidered, with most unpleasant severity. I will not, of course, 
mention localities, as I have not the most distant desire to 
hurt the feelings of any one, but simply to prevent the 
repetition of such disasters upon those who may officiate in 
future, and to spare them unforeseen inflictions, of no very 
trivial character I can assure them, should they meet with 
the same mischances as I have done. 
I received an intimation from the Secretary of the- 
Show that a bed was bespoken for me at the-Arms, and 
that it would be very advisable I should commence duty as 
early as possible the following morning, as, being connected 
with an Agricultural Society, the Committee anxiously hoped 
that there would be no delay in the time of opening to the 
public. To save expenses to the Committee and the loss 
of time to myself I journeyed to my locale by the “ last 
train ” of the evening, and, taking a cab from the station, 
was soon at the door of my inn. A waiter quickly was in 
attendance, with the at first disregarded intelligence that 
they were quite full, and that there could not be a bed got 
anywhere. On, by request, seeing the landlord, and pre¬ 
senting the Secretary’s letter as a credential, I was assured 
that no bed had ever been spoken for to himself or wife on 
my behalf; and Mr.-, the Secretary, was at the Show 
yard, two miles away. It was raining in perfect torrents, and 
I was assured by the landlord that I could not get a bed in 
the town, nor could he procure me one for love or money. 
In this dilemma I candidly admit that, could I have returned 
that night to my own home, I should have certainly done so, 
which I feel I should have been justified in doing, leaving 
a brief note explanatory of my reasons for returning; but 
I could not until six the next morning—seven hours and 
a half to come ; and, whilst considering what was to be done, 
after having already travelled nearly one hundred miles, I 
was agreably surprised by the breathless return of a servant- 
maid, who had overheard the conversation whilst waiting to 
be served at the bar. She, it seems, had briefly explained 
to her mistress what had taken place, and her employer, as 
I afterwards found, being rather a poultry enthusiast, offered 
me the then most acceptable and unlooked-for accommoda¬ 
tion ; nor was his kindness unreturned. Still, for expenses 
of travelling and other incidentals I never received myself 
one farthing, the Secretary calmly stating that their funds 
were exhausted, and that, as there would not be any future 
meetings of the society, it could not be expected he should 
pay money out of his own pocket. His explanation of the 
affair was that he intended to have ordered a bed for me 
when he wrote to me that it was done; but afterwards, in 
the bother of business, forgot it, for everything lay on him¬ 
self. This I. believe, for after inquiry proved pretty clearly 
that the Secretary and Committee were “ rolled into one,” 
or very nearly so. 
Again, on another occasion, I was by letter, at my own 
especial request, informed that an omnibus would meet the 
half-past nine p.m. train, the last arriving there that night, 
at the-Station, being six miles from my final desti¬ 
nation, and would bring me direct to the-Hotel. I 
obeyed orders as forwarded to me, and was conveyed to 
certainly one of the most secluded stations I ever in all my 
travelling met with by the train specified, and was the only 
passenger who alighted. On giving up my ticket to the 
policeman on duty I inquired for the omnibus, and found 
its next attendance would be “ at eight in the morning! ” 
The official was evidently very ill, distressingly so, closely 
approaching prostration, and, after refusing me admission, 
although any gratuity he wished for was oflered him, to his 
solitary house (for no other could be seen anywhere), and 
explaining briefly but courteously that it was contrary to 
orders, and would get him dismissal, quietly wished me 
good night, and said he hoped some one might pass that 
could take me on. Sitting alone on my portmanteau, with 
heavy clouds flitting incessantly between myself and the 
moon, disturbed only by the sudden start of an occasional 
wild rabbit springing quickly across the lane, and listening 
despondingly to the mournful cries of the lapwing and 
curlew at the distant river-side, I passed two hours and 
upwards in what might with justice be called “ an initiatory 
lesson ” of the sufferings of an emigrant when first located. 
I felt, I admit, as though sitting on the box of Pandora, 
without any hope in its bold. “A night at it” seemed 
certain. An effort, by raising both arms and crying out 
lustily, to stop a luggage train proved futile ; and I confess 
to the expression of an audible “wish” that the cause of 
my misadventure and I should change places, and then see 
how far it would meet his approval as self-applicable. At 
length an empty maltster’s cart came by, and for a douceur 
the man in attendance agreed to take me the six miles to 
the hotel, and, sitting on the “cratch” of this homely 
vehicle, I at length, to the downright “ astonishment of the 
landlord,” reached the inn, where a very comfortable ac¬ 
commodation, the least not being a warm room, soon made 
me forget my former uncovetable position. To explain: it 
seems no inquiry had been made expressly by any member 
of the Committee, and the expectant omnibus had for weeks 
before “ ceased running ” to the train I was ordered to 
proceed by. It is simple justice to state emphatically that no 
Committee, individually or as a body, could possibly express 
greater regret than they did for my unforeseen mishap, nor 
would I thus even anonymously allude to it but in the hope 
of preventing the like annoyances to others. 
I will not lengthen by detail of other instances of the 
carelessness of Committees, the subject being to all alike 
