1G2 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Fcluniary 15, 1872 



of a perfect form, so that tlie loss of a single feather would i 

 break the evenness and show the deficiency. The less lined | 

 with the coloured feathers the hood is, the more admired. 

 The veil or upper part of the throat should be of the colour of 

 the head, and should extend weU backward to the side of it, 

 but not behind it ; the veU should also be quite even on each 

 side of the thi-oat, of good round form, and should not extend 

 too far down. The head should be thrown back, and the neck 

 be smaU, and gracefully enlarging untQ it be lost m a fuU 



There should be from eight to ten coloured flight feathers in 

 each wing, but ten we consider the best, as it causes a more 

 evenly cut hue than any other number, and when the two 

 wings are brought together upon the back, they form a most 

 perfect saddle. The upper and under tail coverts should also 

 be as even as possible. The legs should be clean, and of a 

 bright red colour, which contrasts so well with the white thighs. 

 The claws should be black. 



When the specimen is black, the whole of that colour should 



be deep, glossy, and intense, and the flight and tail feathers 



free from a bronze, blue, or mousey appearance. 

 As the size of a Nun is such a material point we may say 



that the weight of a good specimen should not exceed 10 ozs. 



when in high condition.— BiKsiiNGHAM Columbaeian Society— 



J. W. Ludlow, Secretary. 



WHITEHAVEN POULTRY SHOW. 

 The Show held in the Riding School, Whitehaven, last week 

 TTas very successful, and the improvements made by the Com- 

 mittee in the general arrangements desei-ve especial mention, 

 for on no previous occasion has the Ught been so generaUy good, 

 nor the space for the accommodation of visitors so ample 

 although the enti-ies at this year's meeting exceeded those ot 

 last season by nearly a hundred pens. ,^^.^ „ , • 



A sti-iking portion of the Show was theentiTof White Cochins, 

 and we speak advisedly when we say that never before in tins 

 kingdom has so good and numerous a display of this valuable 

 breed been witnessed. These birds were mostly shown m truly 

 exquisite condition, and they were of much larger size and more 

 marked character than usual. The Buff CocMuii were remark- 

 ablv eood and extensive entries, though some of them were quite 

 overshown, and the Pai-tridge-feathered, though few m number, 

 were reahy good. In Dark Brahmas the hens showed to some- 

 what greater advantage than the cocks, as they evidentiy endure 

 continuous exhibition' much better than their male companions. 

 Strange to sav, throughout the whole Exhibition not a single 

 pen of Light Brahmas was entered, not even m the Selhng class. 

 There was a very gi'and display of Dorkinqs, mcluding the 

 most choice specimens from Messrs. Lionel Patton, Holt, and 

 Dickenson. The Silver-Grey Dorkings proved also exceedingly 

 good, and were, therefore, a strong and superior class at Wlute- 

 haven. Spanish were most exceUent, and Mr. Charles Brierley 

 secm-ed the silver cup for this breed with a truly gi-aud pen. 

 The Gavie classes were not only very superior, but most ot tue 

 birds -were shown in exti-aordinary condition. The pnucipai 

 winners in this division were Messrs. James Fletcher, William 

 Barnes, H. Julian, and E. Ackroyd. In the Extra Variety class 

 Golden and Silver-spangled Polands were first and third, and 

 Black Haniburghs took the second prizes. 



Game J3a H<a7iis, though vei-y extensive classes, were mostly 

 quite out of show trim, £i-om having been almost continuously 

 of late in the exhibition pen; the prizetakers were admirable 

 specimens. The SeUiug class, from the fact of an exceUent 

 sewing machine bemg offered as the fli-st of five prizes, was re- 

 markably large, nor can we call to mind any class of the same 

 description proving so generaUy good from end to end, the lact 

 being scarcely a pen of inferior birds of any kind could be 

 pointed out. The pen of Black Spanish that were the winners 

 of the sewing machine were evidently weU worth seven or eight 

 times the restricted price that is usuaUy the limit of SeUiug 

 classes ; but as by a prudent regulation of the Committee aU the 

 birds in the SeUing classes were to be sold under the hammer 

 on the second dav of the Show, the excess, if any, beyond the 

 entry price, if sold, having to be equaUy divided between the 

 Society and the exhibitor, no coUusion in "claiming" by the 

 owners could be put in practice, and as a great number of pens 

 of very high value would thus be offered, no doubt a very 

 spirited and remunerative result would ensue. We have not, 

 however, heard any particulars of the sums reaUsed, but con- 

 sider this regulation to be one that has long been needed at the 

 majority of shows in the SeUing classes. 



Geese and Turkeys mustered only six pens m the classes com- 

 bined, but aU six were superior exhibits. 



We have pm-posely left the mention of the Hamburgh classes 

 to the last, having, as faithful journaUsts, to aUude to no less 

 Hhan thi-ee discovered instances of " trimming" m this division 

 of the Show alone, one of these, at least, being, we ai-e sorry to 



say, of the most heartless and cruel character that can -weU be 

 imagined. We must preface om- remarks by saying only seldom 

 have the classes for Hamburghs contained so many perfect 

 birds as those on view at Whitehaven. There being a distinct 

 rule against the " cUpping " of plumage and " trimming " gene- 

 raUy, the Committee very properly withheld in all three of 

 these instances the ill-gotten positions previously granted to the 

 respective pens, and we cannot but express a most hearty wish 

 that the open exposure of the names and practices resorted on 

 this occasion may prove, at least for a time, some httle deter- 

 rent to actions so grosslv cruel and palpably dishonourable. 



As these were very serious charges, it was, quite requisite they 

 should be supported by the strongest evidence, and our readers 

 wiU look with grave anxiety to the mode adopted to ascertain 

 the truth of the accusations. To this end a full meeting of 

 the Committee was caUed for an early hour on Friday morning, 

 the 9th instant, and although, unfortunately, Mr. Teebay had 

 been compeUed to return home on the previous afternoon, 

 having been summoned to give evidence in a court of justice, 

 Mr. Hewitt was luckily stiU on the spot, and the examination of 

 the pens in dispute was openly carried out in the presence not 

 onlv of aU these gentlemen, but also of a few of the principal ex- 

 hibitors, so that not a single doubt could be entertained by any- 

 one as to the facts about to be stated. We wiU first aUude 

 to pen 216, being the pen of Golden-spangled Hamburghs to 

 which the silver cup for the best pen of Hamburghs was 

 awarded, exhibited by Mr. John RoUinson, of Lmdley, near 

 Otley Yorkshire, in which the plumage of the hen had been 

 most 'cleverly "cUpped" to take away the white tips to the 

 general pluniage, with which no smaU portion of her feathers 

 had been " flecked." On taking her into a good Ught it was 

 obvious that a gi-eat portion of her feathers had been tampered 

 with though it must be admitted it was scarcely visible in a 

 moderately dark pen. One feather was carefuUy di-awn from 

 the back, and another from the breast of the hen that had been 

 the least cleverly manipulated, and these feathers were per- 

 manentiy taken into the possession of the Committee as stand- 

 ing proofs ; nor must it be imagined these were the only two, as 

 scores of feathers more or less dexterously " cUpped " stdl re- 

 mained, and could have been produced, it wanted, m confirma- 

 tion of the extent of the deception that had been practised. 



The case next in order was pen 239, SUver-penedled Ham- 

 burghs In this instance a considerable portion of the 

 sickle feathei-s of the cock were dyed black. This pen was ex- 

 hibited by Mr. David Lord, of Daisy Cottage, Stacksteads. By 

 means of a chemical appliance the colour- was discharged m 

 those portions of the feathers that had been operated upon, 

 whilst no change whatever took place in such parts of the 

 same feathers as were naturaUy black. The Committee, and, 

 in fact, every bystander, could only express their thorough con- 

 viction, but as the bh-d would have been iujm-ed by the extrac- 

 tion of the sickle feathers, it was returned to the pen vnthout 

 the withdi-awing of a single feather. ^, ^ 



The last case was, beyond question, not only a gross attempt 

 at deception but one of such unpardonable torture to the bird 

 operated upon, as to urgently demand the interference of the 

 Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This pen 

 stood in the catalogue as 230, Golden-peucUled Hamburghs the 

 property of Mr. Joseph WaUcer, of Bristwith, Ripley, lurkshire. 

 It was noticed that the cock in this pen threw its head about in 

 a very distressed and unusual manner, and that at intervals it 

 raised its foot, apparently with the intention of touching its 

 comb but every successful effort seemed to produce gi-eat suffer- 

 ing On taking this cock to a sti-ong Ught, not only could it be 

 perceived that the comb was evidentiy inflamed, but also that 

 the exta-eme point of a pin or needle projected over the nostrils. 

 It was most firmly embedded, and would not di-aw through even 

 with tweezers, but was at last, after some considerable piUhng, 

 extracted by the opening at which it had been forced through 

 the whole of the comb. It now proved to be a strong pin, with 

 the head stiU perfect, but the shank somewhat cankered, a cir- 

 cumstance which no doubt increased not only the difficulty of 

 extraction, but also produced the iuflammatory symptoms before 

 noticed. This poor bird was returned to its pen evidently 

 much reUeved, but the pin is stiU in the safe keeinng of the 

 Committee. By the conclusive means used for conviction the 

 Committee were perfectly satisfied and the respective ownei-s 

 lost a silver cup, a second prize, and a high commendation. 



In the Pineon department Mr. Ord's pen of weU-known Dun 

 Cai-riers were the winners of the silver medal for the best pen. 

 of Pigeons in the Show. Perhaps a greater novelty m Pigeons 

 has not been seen for years past than a pair of qmte a new 

 varietv, sent by Mr. A. Prosche, of 6, Fagdiveg, Dresden, at a car- 

 riage expense alone of over 16s. to their owner, qmte u-respective 

 of the eitiv fee, and which, fi-om then: singularity, were, at the 

 suggestion-of the Judges, awarded an extra first prize. These 

 strancre Pigeons had much of the general character of small 

 forei^i Blue Owls, being perfectly friUed on the crop, w-hikt 

 immidiately under the thi-oat was a weU-defined semicircle of 

 feathers tiu-ned upwanls, the points extending to behind the 



