THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, 
children, and therefore joyfully did as she wished. We gave 
her the account of the Lord Mayor, &c., going in state to 
present an address of congratulation to Her Majesty on the 
birth of a princess. Then we were questioned in every way. 
“ How was the Lord Mayor dressed, and who went with 
him?” We told her the sword-bearer, who carried the 
sword; the mace-bearer, who carried the mace ; and the re¬ 
membrancer. “What is he for?” said our young friend. 
“ To remind the Lord Mayor of anything he is likely to 
forget.” “ A very useful man,” said the little girl; “mamma 
is my remembrancer. I forgot my handkerchief this morn¬ 
ing, but mamma brought it. Do you ever forget?” said 
she, looking up. “ Sometimes,” said we; and then we 
recollected we had promised ourselves and our readers to 
give notice when the entries would close for the Crystal 
Palace, and the time was at hand. We gave due notice last 
week that they would close on Saturday, July 11th. We 
thus assumed the office of remembrancer, and our respon¬ 
sibility ceased. We hope we shall not at the Exhibition 
hear one lament that he did not send because he was not 
reminded; another that his entries were too late; a third that 
he meant to send, but he was haymaking. It has been 
amply advertised, and we have now done our part. Like 
the brazen head of Friar Bacon we said, “ Time is,” and we 
now say, “ Time was.” 
Apart from our duty we confess to a liking for Chicken 
Shows in the summer. They offer rewards which are well 
merited for those who by skill or care have forestalled 
nature, and who have produced early birds. A Show of this 
nature is a valuable book for the amateur, and he has 
opportunities of comparison which are not to be found later 
in the season. In the winter the chickens, if hatched early, 
show like old birds, but at this season their youth is evident. 
With a catalogue the different ages may be noted, the birds 
compared, and knowledge acquired. 
The liberality of the company and the straightforward¬ 
ness and punctuality of Mr. Houghton at the last Show 
afford a strong claim on amateurs, which we hope they will 
respond to. The building itself and its accessories make it 
one of the most luxurious Shows in England. Each class 
may be viewed separately, and intervals filled up with music, 
promenades, flowers, paintings, &c. The spectator may 
leave the Poultry Show of 1857, and in five minutes be deep 
in le dernier des Abencerrages, with all the scenery about him. 
In some shows it is difficult to take children with comfort, 
because they have no resting place. Ladies who wish to 
see all classes are often physically unable to remain the four 
necessary hours afoot, but this is essentially a treat for 
them. The beautiful gardens offer a resting place for the 
body; and the eye, when tired with critically examining a 
class, may rest on beautiful beds of flowers. Being some¬ 
what of enthusiasts in poultry we may be pardoned if we 
mount our winged steed, and, wrapped in the anticipation of 
a great treat, invite all our readers and friends, promising 
them a “ glorious day.”—B. 
THE CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW AND A NORTH 
COUNTRY AMATEUR’S LETTER. 
I take great interest in all Poultry Shows, and consider 
that, next to Birmingham, the Crystal Palace Shows deserve 
most support. At the winter Show several matters were 
overlooked that I trust will be remedied at the approaching 
summer one. First, with regard to the pens. Mr. Hewitt 
very properly describes them as sufficiently roomy. They 
are, however, capable of improvement. The greater number 
of them formerly belonged to the Anerley Committee, who 
are not unknown to fame, and were intended to be placed 
in one row out of doors; consequently they were made eight 
or nine inches higher in front than behind, the top,therefore, 
forming a sloping roof from front to back. These additional 
inches are a great disadvantage when, as at the winter Show, 
the pens were placed one above another. The trestles, also, 
were full high, so that a very imperfect view only could 
be obtained of the birds in the upper tier. The remedy 
is easy. Let the pens be made the same height in front 
as at the back. I trust the authorities will be able 
to allow a greater space for the birds than they did at the 
July 14, 1857. 243 
winter Show. It was very close and warm even then, and 
large additional space and ventilation will be absolutely 
necessary now, when the weather will be so much hotter, 
and so many more visitors may reasonably be calculated on. 
In a first Show several errors are excusable. I allude to 
them now solely because I wish to see them rectified. 
With such an establishment as Messrs. Bradbury and 
Evans’s at command, a railway connected with the building, 
and a possibility of sending a messenger by any train with¬ 
out cost, there is not the slightest reason why the catalogues 
should not be ready by the time the Show opens. Catalogues 
yield a good profit, and by all the rules of good manage¬ 
ment their sale ought to be encouraged in every way. 
At the last Show I could not obtain a catalogue till towards 
noon, and while waiting had full time to observe how 
assiduously Mr. Houghton worked, and how very slowly 
his subordinates did. I longed to set four or five of those 
straight-backed gardeners in their abominable uniform 
(which, if arranged by Sir Joseph Paxton, would prevent his 
being engaged at Stultz’s) to work, nailing up the tickets 
and sweeping out the place. I watched for a long time, and 
was driven from my “ look-out ” by the approach of a man 
wheeling a large barrow full of excrement, collected from 
the different pens. The quantity surprised me, and I ascer¬ 
tained that this was the first time the pens had been 
cleaned, the birds having been in them two nights and a day. 
The dirty appearance of most of the birds was thus easily 
accounted for. Reddish sand was used to sprinkle the 
floors of the pens : good “ sharp ” gravel or bran ought to be 
used. If the doors be sprinkled with the latter before the 
birds are penned they will be cleaned much easier. 
I was very glad to see the letter of the “ North Country 
Amateur.” I agree with him that more than one Judge is 
desirable, solely for these reasons. I think, in the hurry of 
examination, it is possible one Judge may overlook a good 
pen. Again, I consider no one amateur has a thorough 
knowledge of every breed. To make a good Judge requires 
one who has bred every variety, and that, too, in large num¬ 
bers. A man may judge old birds much easier than chickens. 
He cannot, I feel convinced, judge the latter properly, 
exhibited as they are of all ages, without he has bred them. 
As an exhibitor of several years’ standing, I am, of course, 
not ignorant of the insinuations that have been made 
against Judges. I never heeded them. I know nearly every 
Judge, and consider I should be paying them no compli¬ 
ment if I thought it necessary to defend them. We have 
had these imputations circulated for some years: they ought 
now to be proved or not indulged in. Mr. Hewitt has publicly 
reflected on one or more of a small body of gentlemen ; he 
is in all honour bound to make his charge specific, or, in 
his own words, make “ an open accusation .” The quotations 
of the “ North Country Amateur,” to my mind, leave no 
alternative except to withdraw his letters. I have no 
curiosity to be gratified, and I think “ gratification ” is an 
unfortunate word for the “North Country Amateur” to 
have used; but the result of his letter must be beneficial if 
Mr. Hewitt exposes the parties who “pertinaciously ad¬ 
hered ” to their “ flagrant decisions.” So much the better; 
they will meet their reward. On the other hand, if Mr. II. 
“ shrinks from the application of his own remedy,” which 
has yet to be proved, the inference will be that the disease 
never existed, and such insinuations will be put a stop to, 
and Poultry Shows in consequence be made more pleasant 
even than they are now.— Justice. 
PRESCOT POULTRY SHOW! —July 9th. 
The arrangements were very good. The Judges were 
Mr. Challoner, of Chesterfield, for general poultry; Mr. j 
Woodcock, Sutton, Game ; Mr. Chandler, Liverpool, 
Pigeons. 
Dorkings, especially the chickens, first-rate. Spanish, 
good. Game, first-rate, and as good a lot of single Game 
cocks as ever were put together. A notice was put up which 
gave great satisfaction—that the Judges’ decisions would be 
final, and no appeal would be heard. I particularly wish to 
draw your attention to this new feature in Poultry Shows. 
The constant fault-finding and appeals against the Judges’ 
