THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, November 25. 1850. 137 
abundance of clay and chalk. Temporary remedies are mulching over 
the roots of your crops, and making trenches by their side, to be filled 
with house sewage occasionally. This would prevent Cabbages clubbing, 
and Parsley bolting, and most of the other gardening ilis of which you 
complain. Bletia Tunkervillice is a synonyme of Phaius grandifolius. 
Various {Cynthia). — For your east wall Thompson's Pear will do. 
Of Strawberries, the best for preserving, and for ice creams, are the Old 
Pine and the Roseberry. The art of spinning sugar may be learned 
of Mr. Gunter, Lowndes Street, Lowndes Square. 
Peerage (S. H.). —If you can call at our Office you will obtain the 
information you need. 
Names of Plants (A Lover of Ferns). — 1 . Aspleninm bulbiferum. 
2 . Davallia Canariensis. 3. Drynaria pustulata. 4 . Cystopteris 
fragile. 5. Aniemidictyon, or Anemia fraxinifolia. 6 . Polypodium 
effusum. 7- Lycopodium cuspidatum. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Birmingham. December 2 nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Sec., J. Morgan, 
jun., Esq. Entries close November 1st. 
Crystal Palace. January 10th, 12th, 13tli, and 14th. Grand Ex¬ 
hibition of Poultry, Pigeons, and Rabbits. Secretary to the Poultry 
Exhibition, William Houghton, Esq., Crystal Palace. Entries 
close December 13th. 
Essex. At Colchester, December 31st, 1856, and 1 st, 2nd, and 3rd of 
January, 1857. Secs., G. E. Attwood and W. A. Warwick. Entries 
close December 17 th. 
Gloucestershire. Nov. 26 th and 27 th. Sec., E. Trinder, Esq., 
Cirencester. Entries close Nov. 1 st. 
Nottinghamshire. At Southwell, December 17th and 18th, 1856. 
Sec., Richard Hawksley, jun. Entries close November 19 th. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 13, 14, and 
15. Hon. Sec. Frank Bottom. Secretary to the Canary Department, 
Jno. Hetherington, jun., Sneinton. 
Preston and North Lancashire. January 21 st and 22 nd, 1857. 
Sec., Ralph Leigh, Esq., 125, Church Street, Preston. Entries close 
December 13th. 
N.B.— Secretariesviill oblige us by setiding early copies of their lists. 
THE COMING EXHIBITIONS. 
The accumulation of important Shows for the month of 
January proves that all parties are arriving at a knowledge 
of the time most advantageous, in many respects, for hold¬ 
ing them. The birds are then in the best feather and 
the best health; they are, consequently, well able to sup¬ 
port the fatigue of travelling, &c. Their moulting is well 
over, their breeding-time is not come on, and in many 
kinds the chickens, arrived at maturity both of size and 
plumage, show to greater advantage than at any other 
period of their lives. One reason why there are so many Shows 
in January is, that December, by common consent, belongs 
to Birmingham, and if they continue as they have begun, 
Colchester and Preston will have their allotted periods. 
The Crystal Palace Company is now on the lists, having ad¬ 
vertised an Exhibition for the 10th and following days. They 
have issued a liberal prize-list, and, as we believe, they pur¬ 
pose, if tolerably well supported by the public, to have two 
Shows annually : we hope both entries and attendance will 
be numerous. We cordially give our adhesion to one of 
their rules, which merely stipulates that the birds shall be 
the bond fide property of the exhibitors, without mention of 
any period. This is an improvement; and it is one of the 
Birmingham rules, also, for this year. The old rule was 
always evaded even by the most scrupulous. Powls fell ill 
or moulted badly, and others were bought to replace them. 
In some cases they were borrowed, which was a great in¬ 
fringement. The object sought to be obtained was, that 
people should not, by purchasing expensive birds, beat those 
who bred; but it has long been known that it is almost im¬ 
possible at any price to buy a pen of birds that is sure of 
success at a large Show. 
If report speaks true, we are to see at Birmingham Cochins 
as they were in 1852, Spanish such as were never before 
seen, and Dorkings in perfection. 
A few years since and pieces of plate were not dreamed 
of; now we hear of schemes for 1857, where even the 
smallest prizes shall be silver, and cups for collections 
worth £30 each. We have no doubt these will be carried 
out, and we congratulate beforehand the owners of good 
birds on the treats in store. Let not, however, the future 
make us unmindful of the present, and, by a full attendance 
at Birmingham, let us prove to committees that their exer- 
ions are appreciated and acknowledged by amateurs. 
INFLUENCING COLOUR.—AGE OF EGGS FOR 
sitting'. 
I can fully corroborate the testimony of “ Chanticleer ” 
as to the great influence the male bird possesses in the pro¬ 
duction of the colour of the chickens. I have tried the 
experiment several times, and the chicks almost uniformly 
follow the colour of the male bird. I have matched Gold 
Poland cocks wdth Silver liens, and vice versa; also White 
Poland cocks with pure Black hens, and pure Black cocks 
with pure White hens. Also, I have matched the Gold and 
Silver Sebrights together, and the young ones, with scarcely 
a single exception, have taken the colour of the cock bird. 
I tried one cross last summer, which had a totally opposite 
result. I coupled a White-crested Black cock with three 
hens, and, although I hatched a great many chickens from 
them, there was not a single White-crested Black one. They 
were generally either all Black or White. 
I also made several experiments as to how long eggs may 
be kept for hatching purposes, and I find that, although 
some of them will hatch when kept six weeks before being 
placed under the hen, yet a month is the greatest age at 
which you may rely upon for the eggs producing strong 
chickens, and plenty of them. 
My experience with Toulouse Geese excels that of your 
correspondent, the Rev. W. Mousley, for from two geese, 
about ten months old when they commenced laying, we 
have had sixty-four young ones reared. 
I have a Polish pullet, which is a near approach to the 
Black-crested White. She is a very light grey on the body, 
with a white tail, and a full, well-formed black crest. Al¬ 
though this is not the bird which is so much wanted, yet 
she is the nearest approach to it which I have yet seen, and 
is a very handsome fowl.— George Boothby, Louth. 
FACTS INJURING OUR POULTRY EXHI¬ 
BITIONS. 
Our Poultry Exhibitions afford much interest, instruction, 
and actual benefit wherever they have been fairly estab¬ 
lished, and also judgmatieally carried out. As with all other 
institutions, however, their efficiency, perpetuity, and general 
advantage depend exclusively on “ the management ” displayed 
by the superintending committees; whilst not the shadow 
of a doubt rests upon our minds that the final results are in¬ 
fluenced far more by preconcerted measures than by the actual 
fulfilment, by each committee-man, of his respective duties 
during the period the Exhibition is opened for public inspec¬ 
tion. It is quite as obvious that the interests of all such 
meetings are identical, and that success is only attainable 
by the adoption of measures very closely assimilating in all 
such cases. The following are necessarily indispensable; 
for it is only by the combination of these circumstances 
that present success can be hoped for, or anticipations of 
future meetings indulged. 
First, then, there must be an extensive collection of good 
poultry, or the interest of the public will not be excited; 
and secondly, if the interest is not produced, the “ entrance- 
money ” will certainly not pay the compulsory expenses of 
the Show, and necessarily the losses to its projectors will 
be not only considerable in amount, but also inevitable. 
Our intention, on the present occasion, is not to enter into 
any detail on minute matters, that, in the aggregate, no 
doubt, do tell most impressively on the eventual receipts, 
but to point out simply a few of the major points that in¬ 
fluence, for good or for evil, the balance-sheets of the society. 
A first-rate entrance, and of first-class birds too, is now 
everywhere attainable where the prize-list is a liberal one, 
and rectitude is betokened in the engagements entered into 
by the committee ; for in these days good birds form rather 
the majority than otherwise of those Shows that can boast 
of such an inducement as plate or high cash premiums. 
Strong competition is the invariable result; indeed, we could 
not, in our extended experience, point out even a single 
failure. This desirable feature once attained, a good attend¬ 
ance of poultry amateurs and the public generally is fully 
assured ; whilst, as the sequence, the admission-monies are 
influenced in exact proportion. These indispensable 
characteristics all committee-men have at their own dis- 
