261 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, January 13, 1857. 
do quite as well as others, only see if the roots have heen coiled round 
the sides of the pots, and if they have gently break the balls, and 
have the coiled roots gently drawn out as straight as possible before you 
cover them with the soil. Strong canes of Vines without roots, if coiled 
round a pot and covered with soil, will produce roots and grow, but 
will not bear fruit the first season. You would be just as soon, and have 
far better plants, if you were to put in a few eyes next month, and grow 
them on rapidly during the summer. 
Peach-trees ( Rusticus ).—Your Peach-trees throwing up suckers is 
j not right, and ought to he checked immediately. Remove the soil from 
the roots wherever you find the suckers appearing, and cut them off from 
their origin. You may also remove any roots which show a disposition 
to send up suckers. Although your Gladiolus would have been better 
planted earlier, you may still do so with fair prospects of success. 
Pomological Society (A Gardener in South Wales). —It is not 
, necessary to be present when elected. You need only write to the 
Secretary expressing your wish, and he will arrange for you. 
f? 
A.i 3 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Ckkwe. February 3rd and 4th, 1857. Secs. S. Sheppard and D. 
Margelts, Esqs. Entries close January 15th. 
Kendal. At Kendal, February 6 th and 7 th, 1857. Sec. Bfr. T. 
Atkinson. 
Liverpool. January 2Sth, 29 th, and 30th, 1857. Secs. Gilbert W. 
Moss, Esq., and William C. Worrall, Esq., 6 , Lower Castle-street. 
Entries close on the 10 th of January. 
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 21st and 22 nd, 1857. 
Sec., Ralph Leigh, Esq., 125, Church Street, Preston. Entries close 
December 13th. 
South East Hants. At Fareham, January 26 th and 27th, 1857, Sec. 
Sir. James James, Entries close January 14th. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
THE RESULTS OF J856 AND THE HOPES 
OF 1857. 
The fact of a thing occurring hut once in a year would 
appear to he considered a sufficient apology for any deviation 
from the beaten track. Those who live in London are 
familiar with boxing-day. They know the incessant rapping 
all round the hours of the 26 th of December. This year we 
had a new claimant on our generosity—“ Please, sir, the 
men, sir, who does the sewers, sir; very unpleasant trade; 
underground all day, sir. Hope you will be so kind as to 
remember us.” Now, we were tired of giving, giving, giving 
all day long, and we remonstrated. “ Sir,” said the man, 
“ it is only once a year.” So says the grotto boy when he 
extends his oyster-shell in August, the sweep when he holds 
out his shovel in May, and the real London boy when, on 
the 5th of November, he steals for a time one of his mother’s 
spare rush-bottomed chairs, and stuffs his everv-day suit with 
straw, surmounts the whole with a cocked hat, decorates the 
hands, one with a dark lantern, the other with a bunch of 
matches (by the way, we expect the latter article will soon be 
superseded by a box of lucifers; the old brimstone match, 
which used to explore the recesses of the tinder-box till it 
found the congenial spark, will soon rank with phoenixes, 
hackney-coaches, salamanders, and watchmen), and claims 
your contribution, for it is only once a year. 
Friends, patrons, contributors, and readers, we wish you a 
hearty welcome in the New Year. May it come to you all 
under happy auspices, and may the blessed feeling of hope 
be strong in your hearts. Forget all that cau be painful in 
the recollection of the past year, and, retaining only the 
wisdom and experience which you have, perhaps, bought as 
it hurried on, use them to insure the success that awaits 
honest and persevering effort. This is not our usual strain, 
but recollect the occasion, kind friends ; “ it is only once a 
YEAR.” 
We cannot proceed on our New Year’s progress without 
some note of it. Last week’s shows belong to last year, and 
chickens of the past month are now to be classed with 
adults, except in especial cases. 
The year 1856 opened gloomily to the minds of many 
people who wished well to the poultry movement. Some said 
the thing was wearing out, others said shows were on the 
decline. One thought the whole thing must be given up, 
because Cochin-Chinas only made three guineas each, and his 
neighbour, acting like those who every now and then, on the 
strength of the assertion of some obscure prophet, forbear 
to make any provision for April because the world is to end 
in March, sold off valuable birds for a trifle. He believed, 
had he not done so, that there would have been no sale for 
them. He has since discovered his error, and finding he 
cannot re-purchase them, he works hard to persuade himself 
and friends that the whole pursuit is at an end. 
Articles written at this time lastyear will show that we never 
held these opinions. We then stated that we believed the 
pursuit to be in a healthy state. We said we thought the 
number of shows should decrease, and that three or four 
held in one county should amalgamate, and form one large 
one. We do not alter our opinion now; we think our first 
expectation has been realised, and we look to the advent of 
the other. 
It cannot be expected that all shows will be uniformly 
successful, even with everything in their favour. How much 
less can it be looked for when two or three occur on the 
same days, and this at a time of year when fowls will not 
bear much fatigue ! 
The demand for poultry has never been so great as during 
1856, and the prices have been well sustained. In some 
instances 1856 will stand alone. At Liverpool Mr. Davies 
sold two pens of Spanish for <£200. Mr. Moss refused T40 
for a young Spanish cock. Dorkings were sold from TIG to 
£20 each, and the sale has maintained itself up to Birming¬ 
ham, where Mr. Davies sold his Spanish, and Mr. Donne 
his Dorkings, for T10 10s. each. We will, however, say a 
few words on each of the principal classes. 
So many good Spanish fowls were never seen as in 1856. 
The birds that were imagined and desired in 1851 are com¬ 
mon now, and perfect combs and faces are the attributes of 
a class, rather than the distinguishing marks of a first-prize 
pen. The competition has been excessive. Mr. Davies has 
been uniformly successful; Mr. Rake re-appeared with his 
usual good forLune at Birmingham ; and, although Captain 
Hornby has not yet assumed his old place, it has been 
rather the condition than the quality of his birds that has 
made him run second on some occasions. 
Dorkings still improve. There were at Birmingham hens 
that weighed 8f lbs. each. This will be best appreciated 
when it is recollected that 9 lbs. is an unusual weight for a 
cock. The principal prize takers in this class have been 
Mr. Wright, the Rev. S. Donne, Captain Hornby, Mr. Botham, 
Mrs. Fookes, and Mr. Loder. 
Of the Hamburghs it may be said that the Golden varieties, 
both Spangled and Pencilled, have outstripped their Silver ' 
brethren. The latter can hardly be said to be stationary; j 
they have retrograded, while the Golden have much advanced. 
Messrs. Worrall, Archer, Thompson, Fellowes, Botham, and I 
Dixon have been the most successful with them. 
No birds have more improved than the Polands. We may 
say of these as we did of the Spanish, “ certain things were 
desired, and they are accomplished.” Combs have dis- j 
appeared, beards have become general, and the topknot, ! 
which at one time was the chief, almost the only point looked 
at, must now be allied to perfect plumage. Mr. Coleridge, 
Mr. Green all, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Edwards have signalised 
themselves much in these classes during the year. 
Our old friend, the Cochin, is quietly settling down on a 
deserved popularity, but the value of good birds has certainly 
doubled during the past year. There is a growing demand 
for them, and those who have them may depend on a sale at 
remunerating prices. Lord de Blaquiefie was very successful 
at the summer shows. Mr. Punchard, the Rev. Mr. Gilbert,and 
Mrs. Fookes have shown beautiful Buff birds. The honours 
of the Grouse have generally fallen to the Rev. G. Hodson ; 
hut Mr. Punchard, Mr. Bridges, and Mrs. Ford have all had 
their share. Messrs. Peters and Chase have shared the dis¬ 
tinction of White birds with Mrs. Herbert, and Mr. Fowler 
has monopolised the chicken honours. 
And the Brahma Pootra, the vexed question which, like 
the standard so graphically described in Scott’s account of 
Flodden Field in Marmion — 
“ Advanced, forced back, now high, now low, 
The Brahmas sunk and rose.” 
Encouraged by offered prizes, they have made a goodly 
display; discouraged by prizes withheld, their numbers have 
decreased. Mr. Davies’ celebrated old bird died three days 
