THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, August 18, 1857. 
321 
A double white Geranium, to be of any value, should be a stiff, close 
grower, an abundant bloomer, and continue in bloom from May to 
September or October, so as to make a border plant, if not a bedder. 
Scores of a most beautiful double white Geranium have been sold for the 
last two years by the Messrs. Jackson, of Kingston, at the same price as 
common sorts. We had one of them last year gratis, and considered it 
too dear even at that rate, as it only bloomed for a month or six weeks, 
and the plant was a loose, straggling grower. If you could get up your 
kind in good time for the Crystal Palace Show next month its real value 
would be stamped there. 
Various (Margaret N. B. Clough ).—The Golden Sedum is only a 
variety of S. acre. We have it now. The leaf is that of one of the Austra¬ 
lian Gum trees, Eucalyptus species. It requires a great deal of room, 
to be kept from the frost, and all the beauty is in the leaves and style of 
growth. Stocks are very difficult to strike from cuttings, and very useless 
when they do strike, as one seedling plant is worth six got from cuttings. 
Your porch is the worst place about the house for a Camellia without 
roots, being too dry and draughty for it. It should stand in a sheltered 
place out of doors till the middle of September, and not see the sun but 
morning and evening. The pot should stand on two bricks a little 
asunder, and two sticks should be driven in the ground close to the pots 
and opposite, the top of the plant to be tied to both sticks. A moderate 
watering will do. The soil to be of sandy loam and turfy peat in equal 
parts. 
• 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
August 26 th. Bradford. Secs., M. Brooksbank and H. Beldon, 
Esqs., 12 , Queensgate Street, Bradford. Entries close August 18th. 
Aug. 29 th. Calder Vale. Sec., YV. Irvine, Esq., Holmefield, Halifax, 
Entries close August loth. 
September 2nd. Dewsbury. Sec., Harrison Brooke, Esq. 
September 4th. Soweeby Bridge. Sec., F. Dyson, Esq. Entries 
close August 26th. 
September 7 th. 8 th, 9 th, 10 th. Gloucester. Sec., Mr. H. Churchill, 
King’s Head Hotel. 
September 9 th. Heckmondwikk. Secs., Mr. G. H. Rhodes and 
Mr. Fred. Brearley. Entries close August 31st. 
October 1 st and 2 nd. Worcester. Sec., Mr. G. Griffiths, 7, St. 
Swithin Street, Worcester. Entries close Sept. 19 th. 
October 7th. South West Middlesex Agricultural Society. 
At Gunnersbury Farm, Ealing. Sec., J. Gotelee, Hounslow. 
November 30th, and December 1 st, 2 nd, and 3rd. Birmingham. 
Sec., John Morgan. Entries close the 2 nd of November. 
December 1 6 th and 17 th. Nottinghamshire. Entries close No¬ 
vember 18th. Hon. Sec., Mr. R. Hawksley, jun., Southwell. 
December 30th and 31st. Burnley and East Lancashire. 
Entries close December 1st. Secs., Mr. Angus Sutherland and Mr. 
Ralph Landless, 
January 4th, 1858. Kirkcaldy Poultry and Fancy Bird 
Show. Sec., Mr. Bonthron, jun., Thistle Street. 
January 9 th, 11 th, 12 th, and 13th, 1858. Crystal Palace. 
January 19 th, 20 th, 21 st, and 22 nd, 1858. Nottingham Central. 
Sec., Mr. Etherington, jun., Notintone Place, Sneinton, near Notting¬ 
ham. 
February 3rd and 4t’n, 1858. Preston and North Lancashire. 
Secs.. Mr. R. Teebay and Mr. H. Oakey, Preston. 
N.B. —Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW. 
Our notice of this beautiful Show was, of necessity, some¬ 
what hurried last week, for that notice was obliged to be 
printed before the Show was concluded. It closed on 
Wednesday, and our paper was issued, as usual, on Tuesday. 
The progress of poultry would seem to justify us in 
saying that, however a prize-list may be framed, and what¬ 
ever its requirements may be, if time be granted to amateurs 
they will fill up the classes with excellent specimens. There 
was but one weak class, and that was the Golden Poland. 
It was almost difficult to walk round the pens and believe 
we were only in the early days of August, and that all the 
birds were the produce of this year. 
The Spanish chickens were excellent, but the difficulty of 
finding two forward pullets was apparent in many pens. 
Exhibitors should remember that a falling comb is now-a- 
days a disqualification in a Spanish cock : there were several 
in the single class. The Dorkings were not only the most 
numerous, but they were the best class. They alone would 
have formed an exhibition, and here all the great names 
met. The Eev. Stephen Donne sent four pens, all of which 
figured in the prize-list.* He was hard run by Capt. Hornby, 
who sent the finest young cock we have seen this year : his 
pullets lacked condition. The weight of the chickens hero 
was quite equal to that of adults a few years since, and a 
perusal of the names of those distinguished in this very capital 
class will be a guarantee that we do not overrate it. The 
"White Dorkings were very good, but the single cock class 
* We may here mention that when an exhibitor takes a prize we do 
not mention his being commended in the same class.— Ed. C. G. 
was inferior to the others. "We looked with pleasure at the 
Cochins. Every colour was represented by birds such as we 
have not seen of late, and we anticipate great things from 
the winners if they redeem the promise of their youth. They 
were large, good in colour, and sent in very fine condition. 
If we were to particularise among good birds we should name 
the Kev. G. E. Hodson’s Grouse, Messrs. Stretch and Ivelle- 
way for Buff, and Mr. Fowler and Mrs. Herbert for White. 
The Judges were compelled to declare the Brahmas an 
unusually good class. Mr. Botham was deservedly successful. 
We have never seen Game sent in better condition, and 
that is saying a great deal. Mr. N. de Rothschild’s White, 
Dr. Sewell’s Black-breasted Reds, and Mr. W. Cox’s single 
cock were all perfect. Mr. Marriott also took two prizes 
worthily with excellent birds. Another pen of unusual 
merit was also shown by Dr. Sewell, but the cock had a 
large tumour extending the length of his breast. 
The Golden-pencilled Hamburghs were very good, and the 
first prize pen found a purchaser at ten guineas. Mr. 
Clayton took two prizes. 
The Siller-pencilled Hamburghs afforded another triumph 
to Mr. Archer ; his three pens took first and third prizes, and 
a high commendation. Mr. Botham and the Hon. W. W. 
Vernon also showed beautiful birds. We never saw these 
two classes surpassed at an early show. 
The single cocks were not so good, but we think exhibitors 
do wisely to send their best birds in the general classes. 
The Game were the only classes in which exhibitors seemed 
to have plenty of perfect cock birds. 
Mr. Thompson, of Windsor, took his old place deservedly 
among the Spangled Hamburghs , taking two first and one 
second prize. They were excellent birds, and superior to 
their Silver brethren. In this latter breed clear tails have 
become essential, and the penalty of getting them is being 
paid in a loss of body colour. The moons or spangles are 
not accurately defined, and the hackles are too white. Mr. 
Carter’s were good birds. 
The next was an unusually attractive and meritorious 
class —Black Polands. Here the old stars faded, and Mr. 
Fox, of Wellington, won the first and second prizes easily 
with perfect birds. 
The Silver Polands maintained the improvement we have 
noticed of late, and Messrs. Jones and Adkins will be hard 
to beat at the later shows. 
The Malays were again a wonderful class. The first 
prize chickens were beautiful, as were many of the others. 
There was here a trifling oversight of the Judges—one of 
the pullets had five small claws on one foot. It was dis¬ 
covered by a close competitor for the second prize, and 
we are bound to do him the justice of thanking him for the 
liberal way in which he privately mentioned it, admitting 
the birds formed a beautiful pen, and saving the defect, 
which he said would escape any one, they richly deserved 
their honours. 
We were surprised to see so many good Bantam chickens. 
The Hon. W. W. Vernon took two first and one second prize ; 
Messrs. Spary and Leno also took first prizes. The Game 
Bantams formed the best class we have yet seen, and they 
threaten to become the most important of these breeds. 
The Judges declared that they deserved a “ general high 
commendation.” 
The Ducks and Geese were very good, but, as their time 
has been evidently devoted to growth instead of flesh, they 
did not weigh as well as they will later. The Geese weighed 
43 Jibs., 40 lbs., and 39 lbs. the pen, and the Ducks 18 lbs. 
and 17 lbs. The Rouens were very numerous and good. 
They did not weigh so heavy as the Aylesbury. The various 
class was well represented, and the first prize Black were 
excellent. 
This brings us to the end of our remarks on the birds 
shown. It only remains for us to say that the Show was 
every way successful, and reflects the greatest credit on Mr. 
Houghton. While we congratulate him we tender our 
thanks for his courtesy. 
KEEPING POULTRY PROFITABLY. 
There is a prevalent idea now, and one I saw expressed 
in a letter a short time back in your columns, that poultry- | 
keeping is troublesome and unprofitable. I have often heard 
