338 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ April 18, 1872. 



meal be used for the morninfr, and the best ^h^at or small 

 maize for the evening feed, the fowls being fed ^.th ]«lgment 

 according to the occupants of the pen and aU l^emg fed la ner 

 sparingly than otherwise. Above all, let the water be looked to 

 unfailingly throughout, that thirst may not occur and catise 'he 

 birds to drink to excess, which always causes purging as weU as 

 other evUs ; and if a Uttle can be given four tmes a-l'iy 't wiU 

 be much better than fiUing the vessels twice. I repeat, in nine 

 cas"s out of ten it is mismanagement in the water supply wliich 

 does the mLchief, joined pirhaps with E^sty sloppy ood^ 

 The latter should always be very stiff or Sry, and that is one 

 .-reat advantage in using oatmeal over barleymeal, as it gets 

 drier after it is mixed, while barleymeal does not. 



If a small turf, even 2 inches square, can be put in each pen 

 dailv it has a wonderful effect, and at smaU local shows this 

 "an always be done. In large ones, the best plan is to give daily 

 a sUce of tarnip, beet, or mangold, or a few shreds of the same 

 as delivered by a cutter for sheep. Cabbage is not safe foi 

 many fowls, being too much of a purgative, and is also more 

 trouble, but not to give some fresh vegetable food at any large 

 ■show is absolutely inexcusable. ^ . ,, ii ■ 



A poultry club might do much good in this as m other things, 

 (by printing a few plain rules for show-management and sending 

 to committees, with an inquiry whether they would be followed, 

 .or what other system would be adopted. Then aU exhibitions 

 which were stated to be fed and conducted as authorised by the 

 -oocietv would so far have a claim to the confidence of exhibitors, 

 and would find it worth while to state the fact. It is m such 

 ways, rather than by any direct pecuniary quid pro quo, thut i 

 think the members might receive fuU value for their subscrip- 

 rtions, while thev had the consciousness of conferring substantial 

 .benefit on all.— L. Weight. 



JUDGING BABBITS AT NORTHAMPTON. 

 I NOTICE in your Journal of the 4th inst. a letter from Mr- 

 S G Hudson, Hull, on the above. I have personally investi- 

 .^ated the matter, as it affects not only the honoiu- of two 

 Individuals, but also collaterally the welfare of our show for the 

 ifnture ; and I say once for all, that if I had found, or had had the 

 least suspicion of any improper conduct on the part of any one 

 of the Committee, I should at once have demanded his expulsion 

 ■ox withdrawn my name from the Society, and should have pub- 

 lished in the London journals my reasons. It is perfectly true 

 one of the Committee who was also an exhibitor did assist the 

 Judge, not in the way insinuated by Mr. Hudson's letter, but by 

 taking the Rabbits from the pens for Mr. Eayson's inspection, 

 and to assist him in measuring when that was required. I admit 

 this was wrong, being an act which would no doubt tend to fan 

 to a flame the spark of dissatisfaction in the minds of some un- 

 successful exhibitors when once it was known ; but as far as Mr. 

 Rayson is concerned I am perfectly satisfied he was not biased 

 in his judgment by the person who assisted him, and I would 

 stake a largo sum on the honour and integrity of the person 

 who is accused of having succeeded in making the -Judge alter 

 his opinion. I have a letter from the Judge, with whom I have 

 <;ommtmicated, and he flatly denies he was in any way interfered 

 -with. I have seen his assistant, and he likewise states that he 

 not only performed his duties in sUence, so far as the judging of 

 the Rabbits was concerned, butdenieshavLngboastedin the words 

 .alleged by some one unknown at present. Now, to this I will 

 ^add my testimony, which is, that the Babbits were fairly and 

 equitably judged by the Judge himself, and no one else, and I 

 iurther believe he would at once have appealed to me if any 

 rattempt had been made to bias his opinion. 



So much for that part of Mr. Hudson's letter, and now we 

 ■oome to something which is not true. The man in the clouds 

 (for all we know at present), says, " Those of the Committee who 

 exhibited, and Northampton folks, seemed to monopoUse the 

 prize Ust." Thi.? I flatly deny, and as the proverb has it, " "What 

 ES written stands." I refer Mr. Hudson, the exhibitor who 

 wrote to him, and the man in the clouds who talked to the ex- 

 hibitor, to the Ust of awards published in your Journal, and they 

 will then see that what has been said is untinie. I find only 

 three second prizes and two third prizes were taken out of eigh- 

 teen, one three-guinea cup, one two-guinea cup, and one silver 

 dnedal. 



In conclusion, I leave the matter in the hands of the exhibi- 

 tors of Rabbits at our show, and feel assured they will not join 

 vnih Mr. Hudson in the suspicions he has raised, but do believe 

 they will join with me in an expression of sorrow that he has 

 been so undoubtedly misled by something which somebody over- 

 heard and communicated to somebody else, and, what is still 

 worse, was made the means of advertising that which is not true. 

 — ^W. HusiPHBEYS, Secretary to Northnynpton Show. 



DEAGOONS. 



In you- Journal of the 4th inst. Mr. G. South gives us his 

 opinion upon the standard of a Dragoon, respecting which I beg 



to differ from him. In the first PJace, the colour of tbe beak 

 entirely depends upon the colour of the bird An mch and a half 

 's too short for the'length, and the wattle should be almost ml. 

 The eye wattle should not be pinched but even smooth cir- 

 cular, and always of a fleshy colour. The i>'^<^k sh^^lt shoi^fl 

 the length of a Carrier, and of equal carnage The bars nhould 

 not be broad, but as narrow as you can possibly get them and 

 in both Blues and Silvers raven black.— John G. Dunn, A en - 

 castle-upon-Tyiie. . 



r-We have omitted all your critique on " C.iBRiER. He is 

 entitled to write anonymously if he pleases, and 1"^ ?P">^^^ 

 may be approved or disapproved as other Dragoon fanciers may 

 estimate them. — Ens.] 



FROSTEELEY POULTEY AND PIGEON SHOW. 

 The annual Exhibition of poultry and Pigeons at Frosteriey, 

 Durham, was held on the 14th Considering tlieprizes offered 

 the entries were numerous, and m some classes the birds were 

 good The Committee intend to make the schedule a more 

 attractive one for the future. „„„i;f.r 



The two winning pens of Spayiish were of excellent a^ahty, 

 in fact quite up to the standard ; and the class for Blue Spanish 

 (Andalusian) v^as also noteworthy. Dorkmgs -""^.f 8°°*' as a 

 with the exception of the first-prize birds, not Y<^U jl^™'^' ^^^. 

 rule a Silver or HaH-silver cock being mated Y^tl^/ "^tv 

 coloured Dark Grey hen. The Cochins were of fan quahty, 

 and the Brahmas good. There was also a moderate show of 

 Game, and the cup for the best pen shown by a lo^^l e?iA.tor 

 was awarded to a perfect pair of Brown Reds I^^ ^uokwmgs the 

 colour was all that can be wished for, but they were iiot neaily 

 so sound in hand as the Beds, and the only other notewoithy 

 bird was a Brown Bed cockerel of very promising ^'^.^litjeS: 

 In all the classes of Hamburghs the winners were very good 

 and in fine condition, and the whole of the Folands were noticed 

 in the nrize and commendation Ust. . , ,, l- „ 



Game Ba^toms were the largest class but with the exception 

 of the winners, they were poor. In the class or hens a pair 

 of Brown Red Game were first and Dorkings second, ihe 

 Guima Fowls were uniformly good, as also the Ay esbury I^«cis, 

 and the winning Rouens were Tery large and good in jolo^r- 



There were but four classes ior Pigeons, and with tbe excep 

 tion of the first-prize Carriers, the Blue Pouters, and Red 

 Turbits in the Variety class, they were but poor in quauty. ^ 



°G7ME.-Cocfe.-l, R. Cbariton. 2, .T. Fenwick, Staahope. Cocl^erel.~l, T. 

 ^'hISborgot -«oli«r^pS.-d"-ll knd -/w.'w. milfield. Fence Houses 2 

 W AttSTson Sih'.r-v<''n,.il,:,l.-), J. Feu^ylek, Stanhope. 2, Buglasj and 

 y;,-„- ^ h Til, I. 1. ill • a Hoil"son, Evenwood. 

 ■Wmiamson. i> , I .'■ ' m, ,; _] G. English, Frosteriey. 2, T. Preston, 



Bistop Aucki;,,, . ,(I«J.-1, J. Pearson, Bishop Auckland. 2, J. 



Taylor, fcc, Ji. i. i; - ' ■ ■ ;- I'); B,j,,„g3 & -svini^mson. i>!i<-, P. Swindle, 

 A,^?'-''^T;l5,',.Vai\Cwili;msonTjT. Proud. Bishop Auckland. ^ 



^gSb BA^Ss-iBta'w YrS'a'ii other Eed,.-l. W. Atkinson. 2, W. 

 Gre^Tow Law. he. C. E. Morgan: R. MUburn ; W. Brown. Any other 

 ''?of4'i;^V/ Hi'l-\"f. V,ckSs°°2. waller & Wilkinson. /,., B. Morson ; 

 Mrs Wilkinson. BucWcrwade ; J. Taylor, BolUhope. -^ i„t 



GiiNErBlEDS-l, J. Gihson, Stanhope. 2. J. Dohson, Sunnyside. he, J. 

 Vii.keri Froslerley. W. Wilkinson, Frosteriey. „ „.. t- . , r,, 



n,?r^\-Mesbimi -I. Waller & Wilkinson. 2, T. Gibson, Froaterlej, he, 

 n Gard^T FrosTerley: J. Eobson. Batts. Frosteriey. Kou«l.-l, Miss J. 

 ?iin?30D2'T V.Johnson. Frosteriey. )ic. W. Simnson ; J. Bewley. Froster- 



ITi.J.^okf. Sny-othcrrarictu:--l, WaUer 4 Wilkinson, Stanhope. 2. J 

 Young, he, C. E. Morgan. 

 Mr. E. Hutton, Pudsey, Leeds, was the Judge. 



SILVEE DEAGOONS' BAES. 



As vet not one word has appeared why the precedent I quoted 

 in my former letter should not be upheld. In addition to the 

 shows I then named, the second-prize birds at Northampton 

 and the first at Walsall had brown bars. ,, . , ,. 



Unquestionably no one has been so successful m breeding 

 and exhibiting Silver Dragoons as Mr. PercivaU, for, out of the 

 shows I have named, this gentleman was first at Birmingham 

 18e7_8-9 ; first at Manchester in 18G7, and bred the birds wnth 

 wliich Mr Graham was first at Birmingham in 1870, Mr. Per- 

 civaU also exhibiting Silvers that year, the whole of these birds 

 having brown bars. As Mr. Graham says Mr. PercivaU has 

 Ion" since expressed his opinion that Silver Dragoons shoiUcl 

 undoubtedly have black bars, I should be glad if he would in- 



