THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 13, 1859. 
167 
annual. The seeds of it, and the Lobelia, may he procured of any respect¬ 
able nurseryman and seedsman. So much has been said about it in The 
Cottage Gardener, that many thousands will be grown next season. 
“With us, left to itself in fairish ground, it rose fully two feet or two feet 
and a half. At Lamport Hall, we noticed hundreds not above a foot high. 
We do not like cutting it, as that removes the most curly, pretty leaves at 
the points of the shoots. 
Planting a Rosery (S.F. £.).— No. 1 to be as you say. No. 4 must 
not be white or light Roses; 6 is the bed for the light ones, and 4 for the 
best dark purple Roses. The rest are right, except 5. No Mosses in the 
oval beds. Put Mosses in either 11, 12, or 14, and in 13 put mixed Tea 
Roses. Nos. 8, 9, 10, 15, and 16, well suited for one-half standards, and 
one-half dwarfs, the standards more towards the centre ; but do not 
attempt to have one kind of colour in any of them, to avoid a repetition of 
the plan in the ovals round the centre. 
Spergula pilifera (A Small Gardener). —The weed you enclosed is not 
the Spergula, but Sagina proemnbens, or Pearl wort. 
Names of Apples ( C. A.).— The large Apple is the Winter Pearmain 
and the small one Fenouillet gris. The flower is Justicia speciosa, or 
Showy Justicia. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
December 13th. Newtort (Monmouthshire). Sec., Mr. C. II. Oliver, 
Commercial Street, Newport, Monmouthshire. Entries close Nov. 30th. 
December 28th and 29th. Sheffield and Hallamshire (Fancy 
Pigeons). Sec., Mr. Inman New, Sheffield. Entries close December 12th. 
December 28th and 29th. Poulton-le-Fyldf.. Sec., Mr. J. S. Butler. 
January 2nd and 3rd, 1860. Paisley. See., Mr. Wm. Houston, 14, Barr 
Street. Entries close December 26th. 
January 4th and 5th, 1860. Preston and North Lancashire, £?c.,Mr. 
Henry P. Watson, Old Cock Yard, Preston. Entries close December 
17th, 1859. 
January 7th, 1860. Bradford. (Single Cock.Show.) Secs., Mr. Hardy, 
Prince of Wales Inn, Bowling Old Lane, and Mr. E. Blackbrough, 
Black Bull Inn, Ive Gate, Bradford. 
January 11th, 1860. Devizes and North Wilts. Sec., Mr. G. Saunders 
Sainsbury, Rowde, Devizes. Entries close December 24th. 
January 31st and February 1st and 2nd. Chesterfield and ScAnsDALE. 
Hon. Secs., Mr. J. Charlesworth, and Mr. T. P. Wood, jun. Entries 
close January 11th. 
February 11th to 15tli, 1860. Crystal Palace (Poultry and Pigeons). 
Sec., Mr. W, Houghton. Entries close Jan. 14th. 
February 29th, and March 1st, 1860. Ulverstone. Sec., Mr. T. Robson. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sendmg early copies of their lists. 
BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 
It will be a great satisfaction to our readers to know that the 
late meeting in Bingley Hall was one of the most successful ever 
held there. The receipts were £1126 5s. against £1034 in 1858. 
The number of visitors admitted was 45,952 against 42,389 in 
1858. It is also very gratifying to find the experiment of 
admitting the working classes at a lower rate is eminently suc¬ 
cessful. The increase in this branch was £65 as compared with 
last year. Those who manage this great exhibition with so much 
zeal and intelligence are anxious all should enjoy the treat. The 
children of the different charity schools in the town were gratui¬ 
tously admitted on the Wednesday morning. Those who have 
not seen this cannot imagine the delight of these young visitors ; 
but none seem to take so much interest in it as the deaf and 
dumb children. This year a few of the officials formed a sub¬ 
scription, which enabled them to present every child on entrance 
with a small plum-cake. 
The Meeting at Birmingham has this year fully equalled the 
anticipations of even the most sanguine among the Committee of 
Management; for not only has the general quality of the poultry 
of each variety very considerably improved, but the number 
of visitors far exceeds those admitted on previous occasions. 
Although, as is ever the case, there were parties who foreboded, 
year by year, that public interest must gradually decrease—that 
when once a certain rate of excellence was attained in poultry no 
further improvement could take place—or that the premiums 
falling time after time into the possession of one or another of a 
small knot of successful breeders, the hopelessness of winning 
would prevent numerous entries—each and all of these de- 
spondents have received the most conclusive proofs that the 
Birmingham Exhibition still holds its high position ; and, that so 
far from waning, the interest taken in all that pertains to it is 
even greater than heretofore. 
It is most gratifying also to find that the more useful breeds 
of poultry seem to have improved most rapidly. When before 
has it been possible to direct public attention to pens of poultry 
so extraordinary, as miracles of careful breeding, as the suc¬ 
cessful ones, whether Turkeys, Geese, or Ducks of all varieties, 
just exhibited at Birmingham? Turkeys 34lbs. a bird ; Geese 
above 30 lbs. each ; and Ducks from 7 lbs. to even 8| lbs. a piece, 
were to be found in the principal pens; and this great advance in 
size attained, too, without any deterioration of plumage whatever. 
But still another peculiarity of the Show just closed bespeaks 
most powerfully how great and widely-spread is the interest now 
taken in poultry culture; for although some few of our well- 
known exhibitors appear, from too much confidence of success, 
to have this season fallen considerably in the rear, great numbers 
of the most prize-taking amateurs this year at Birmingham were 
hitherto unknown to poultry fame. 
All the principal varieties of fowls at the present time are in 
the hands of many amateurs ; they are continually to be met with, 
and that in districts of the United Kingdom in which, until 
lately, they were unknown. This general diffusion gives oppor¬ 
tunities of testing the advantages of different localities on existing 
breeds, whilst careful crossing for table purposes has not been 
untried by agriculturists in most districts. It is remarkable how 
strongly these agencies have not only improved every description 
of fancy breeds, but certainly not less so those intended ex¬ 
clusively for customary market purposes. The hardiness of young 
broods as to constitution, and the comparative ease with which 
they are now reared, have tended to increase to an enormous extent 
the supplies at most of our market towns ; consequently, num¬ 
bers of parties to whom poultry was formerly an almost pro¬ 
hibited viand, simply from being “ too expensive for a large 
family,” are now in the almost daily enjoyment of this essential 
requisite to the comforts of the dinner-table. 
Such, then, are some few of the many public advantages arising 
from the institution of Poultry Exhibitions. Emulation once 
engendered inevitably produces a better article, as much so in 
poultry as in manufactured goods ; and thus progressive improve¬ 
ment takes place, whilst the demand keeps well up with the 
supply. 
As I find your report fully describes most of the leading 
features in the late Show, it is only intended on this occasion to 
allude, very briefly, to some few incidents connected with it that 
may tend to direct the attention of its, supporters to matters 
that otherwise might escape notice. 
To any reflective amateur the immense amount of entries in 
the Dorking, Game, Cochin-China, and Spanish breeds would 
naturally suggest a proportionate improvement in the number of 
premiums allotted in coming years to these classes. Now, if 
the present revenue of the Society will scarcely admit of increased 
calls upon its coffers, surely the railway companies, to whom 
such a meeting is so profit-producing; the tradesmen of Bir¬ 
mingham, who derive so greatly-increased a sale of their goods 
during its continuance; and lastly, though by no means least, 
the licensed victuallers, to whom it is a perfect hay-time, would, 
I think, most willingly give a hearty support by the gift of pre¬ 
miums of higher value; or, what would encourage exhibitors 
still more, by offering a greater number of prizes. There can¬ 
not possibly be any sufficient reason assigned why there should 
not be a licensed victuallers’ piece of plate for the best Game; a 
tradesmen’s cup for the best Dorkings; or a first-rate premium 
from the railway companies generally for the best collection of 
poultry sent by one exhibitor, and so forth. Such premiums 
would inevitably arouse still greater competition among the rivals 
themselves, and at the same time conduce immeasurably to the 
interest of the public to examine for themselves the relative 
merits of the poultry competing. I firmly believe that none 
would be the losers by the experiment; for improved attendance 
of visitors would to all such benefactors bring only still more 
grist to their mill, for the benefit would extend itself to all. 
It may be said, all these parties may equally support the 
institution by simply adding their names to the annual sub¬ 
scription list. Many of late have doubtless done so, as the 
greatly-augmented amount of subscriptions testifies ; but there 
are those whose energies would be far more positively aroused 
by the plan now suggested, from a spirit of emulation, that the 
premiums offered by their profession should not fall short in 
actual value to those proffered by other tradesmen. 
A succinct review of some few of the best classes may be accept¬ 
able. No doubt the Spanish were excellent specimens; but, in most 
instances, the lack of condition was far greater than customary— 
the effect, no doubt, of the late variable weather. It is most 
gratifying to state that “ trimming” was scarcely to be met with 
