July 10, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



bable that the two would match. Even the large breeder finds it 

 difficult to match his birds. How must it be, then, with the 

 majority, who are not large breeders ? The small breeder has 

 plenty of disadvantages in competing with the lar^e breeder, 

 without the difficulty of matching. We should have more 

 -fanciers, too, who buy birds simply to exhibit, because it would 

 require less capital. Another important item — carriage, would 

 be decreased. Judging, too, would be less difficult with one bin! 

 in a pen. Those who possess one good bird would not be ex- 

 cluded from showing. At many of our leading shows the single- 

 bird system is adopted with, I believe, great success, and I hope 

 it will soon become universal. — W. I. Peace, Driffield. 



H-wisG seen the letters by " Imp.uiti.u, " and " Tyneside " 

 in your Journal, I and many others are of the same opinion, that 

 where the single-class system is carried out, it greatly tends to 

 improve the show. Take, for instance, Thorne. Last year the 

 entries for poultry under the double-class system were 165 ; 

 this year, on the single-class principle, the entries were 27ti. 

 The single class gives those a chance of exhibiting who perhaps 

 might be unable to do so in the double class, whilst, on the other 

 hand, it does not interfere with those who would enter in the 

 iatter. — Clericos. 



COTTAGE POULTEY-KEEPING. 



In your excellent paper of June 2Gth there is a short article 

 npon the consumption of eggs, and you remark, "Anyone who 

 traverses the bye-roads and lanes of Susses, and sees how they 

 are fringed with hen-coops belonging to the cottagers, learns a 

 beneficial lesson, and would impress it as we do upon all our 

 cottage friends." I am residing as rector in apm-ely agricultural 

 village, and often and often have I spoken to my poorer friends 

 upon the beneficial results in every way of keeping poultry. I 

 quite believe that if only they had some such innocent and 

 profitable little hobby as this, it would keep many a young man 

 from evil company and the pubUc house, &c. Many of them go 

 lounging about, or worse, all these lovely evenings, because they 

 have no occupation or amusement. Old Dr. Watts says, true 

 «noagh — 



"And Satan linds some mischief still 

 For idle hands to do." 



Bat, now, what is to be done? Every person I speak to on 

 the subject says, " Well, sir, I should very miach like to keep 

 poultry, but the farmers wo'n't let us, and we should be turned 

 out of our cottages if we went against them." Now, something 

 like this has been the answer of several this week, to whom I 

 spoke after your article upon the subject. Can anyone suggest 

 a remedy ? — Rector. 



P.S. — My head gardener, who is my tenant, keeps poultry, and 

 finds it pay. 



[The farmer who is so destitute of correct feeling as to forbid 

 a labourer keeping poultry, is a character we are so fortunate 

 as never to have known. In the southern districts of Sussex 

 almost every cottager is a poultry-keeper, and the farmers allow 

 the poultry to have the free range of the fields so soon as the 

 harvest is in-gathered. At other times they are restricted to the 

 road-sides. It may be objected by the farmers of your district 

 that they might then trespass on the growing corn, to which 

 the reply is that of a Sussex farmer, " They never does any 

 injury." The most selfish and flinty of farmers might make a 

 contract with his labourers, that he should have a per-centage on 

 all chickens reared. — Ens.] 



BOSTON POULTRY SHOW. 



The general arrangements of this Show were excellent, and 

 the promptitude with which the birds were penned on their 

 arrival, and at the close of the Show despatched to their owners, 

 merits the highest praise. The tent was very spacious, and con- 

 tained specimens so diverse in character as to greatly add to the 

 general interest of those visitors whose single object was sight- 

 seeing. Besides a good collection of both poultry and Pigeons, 

 the tent also contained a very great variety of Cats, Parrots, 

 Canaries and other singing birds, whilst many e.xcellent classes 

 of Rabbits, and a few cages of black-and-white rats and white 

 mice were not without their respective admirers. Another 

 equally large tent contained the dog show, and as the weather 

 proved fine, an extraordinary attendance of visitors was secured. 



Biit to the poultry. Although some of the classes were ex- 

 ceedingly small in numbers, they were generally composed of 

 specimens sent by the most noted breeders, and hence visitors 

 at the Boston Show had the opportunity of seeing most of the 

 best fowls of the day, without having to examine the accumula- 

 tion of second-class birds, that often tends rather to perplex than 

 benefit an inexperienced amateur. Mr. John Robinson exhibited 

 the only pen of Dorkings in the exhibition ! They wore a really 

 good pair, but it is difficult to say what is the reason of the com- 

 petition of late in this most useful variety of poultry having so 

 sadly fallen ofl. Messrs. Lacy and Ansdell sent some remarkably 



fine Buff Cochins, but the generality of the others betrayed that 

 fatal objection — " mealy wings." Light lirahmas were de- 

 cidedly poor in quality, whether as to colour or conformation. 

 Messrs. Ausdell and Lacy sent the only two entries in the class 

 for Dark Brahmas. Both (hese pens are well known to be excel- 

 lent. It was generally regretted that the cock in the tirst-prize 

 pen betrayed evident symptoms of falling oil from the high con- 

 dition iu which the owner usually exhibits his poultry. The 

 prize pens of Spanish fowls were perhaps as closely competing 

 as any class in the Show, and from their high merit attracted the 

 attention of almost everyone. Both Golden and Silver-spangled 

 Sninhurghs proved first-rate, but the Pencilled ones were vei-y 

 deficient in quality. The Game fowls were certainly some of 

 the strongest classes at the Boston Show. Mr, James Fletcher's 

 cup pen of Black Reds were admirable, being shown iu faultless 

 condition, and certainly the truest in feather that have been 

 seen for some time past. Some of the Brown Reds and Duckwings 

 were likewise especially well shown. Not by any means without 

 a -vigorous competition, however, Mr. Entwisle held his own 

 against all comers in the Game Bantam classes ; his cup pen of 

 Red Piles being the most faultless in colour and character that 

 have been shown for many years past. Class 48 was exclusively 

 appointed for French fowls, and the Creves were singularly 

 perfect. From some cause not easily to be accounted for, a pen 

 of the very best White Cochins iu the fancy made their appear- 

 ance in this class, but as a matter of course were disqualihed as 

 being wrongly entered. In the Variety class. Golden Polands 

 were the successful winners of both prizes. A newly-appointed 

 class, " for the heaviest couple of live fowls, cock and hen, any 

 breed," to the perfect astonishment of everyone present failed to 

 enlist a single entry. 



Aylesbury and Rouen Ducks were very superior, and in the 

 Variety class one pen only of very well-conditioned Whistling 

 Ducks constituted the entry. Botia the Geese and Turkcijs were 

 very fine. 



The Pigeons were unusually good, some of our principal ex- 

 hibitors and dealers running very close races in nearly every 

 class. The Carriers were, without exception, classes that would 

 add much to the credit of any show. The Pouters were a most 

 praiseworthy class, nearly every bird being in fine show condition. 

 The classes for Barbs, Turbits, and Antwerps were such as con- 

 stituted an exhibition even of themselves. 



Babbits. — The show of these was quite a success as regards 

 their quality, as most of the noted prize and cup-winners were 

 present. The lirst-prize Black-and-white was a doe of extra- 

 ordinaiy properties, with ears nieasuriug 21i( by 5 inches ; the 

 second was a nice Black-and-white buck,22J by 5 J inches; third 

 a young buck, 21J by 4? iuches, that will much improve with 

 time. The very-highly-commended doe exhibited line proper- 

 ties, but the ears were only 20 J by inches. A high commenda- 

 tion was awarded to a nice doe. In this class was shown a good 

 Grey-and-white doe, 21f by 5J, which, had she been in her 

 right class, would undoubtedly have taken the second prize. 

 Only two animals were shown in the Blue-and-wliite class, but 

 both were of rare quality. The first prize went to a doe 

 22J inches by 5J ; the second to a doe 22} by 5} in ear-measure- 

 ment. So close was the competition that the l>est-matured 

 Rabbit won. The Yellow-aud-white was the grand class of the 

 Show. The first honours were taken by a doe with ears 22J by 

 5.J inches, and which has a very fine eye, good colour, nicely 

 marked, poorly lopped. The second award went to a splendid 

 Lop doe, 22j by 5i inches, flue in shape. The competition was 

 so close that condition alone decided the prizes, the winner 

 being shown in the highest possible condition. Third came a 

 doe of good properties, and closely foUowing it a very-highly- 

 commended buck, ears 21J by SJ inches. Of Grey-and-whites 

 there were two entries ; the first prize went to a fine buck, 

 22^ by 53 ; the second, from want of merit, was withheld. In 

 Tortoiseshells, the first place was taken by a magnificent doe, 

 22| by 54 in ear-measurement, shown iu grand condition, taking 

 the cup lor the best Lop iu the Show. The second prize went to 

 a grand young buck, 23 by 5} inches, very bad in colour, said to 

 be only six mouths old. If no older he will make au extra- 

 ordiuarj' animal in time. 



The Self-colours, the largest class, contained only three Rab- 

 bits of merit, the first of which was a Blue buck, the longest- 

 eared Rabbit in the Show, measuring the extraordinary length 

 of 233 by 5} inches, good in size and shape, aud perfect lop, poor 

 eye and colour, and in bad condition. The second prize went 

 to a buck, with ears 22 J by 5 J inches ; the third to a doe 22 J by 

 Scinches. Himalayans were a fair class ; first came a buck of 

 that evenness of shade so desirable ; second, a very nice buck; 

 third a buck. All the commended Rabbits were good, and their 

 competition very close throughout. Silvcr-Greys were an extra 

 good class. First came an immense doe, beautifully silvered, 

 taking the gold medal for the best Rabbit in the Variety classes ; 

 second, a remarkably fine young buck, both having beautifully 

 silvered heads; the third-prize Silver-Grey followed closely, 

 being in grand condition. The highly-commended and com- 

 mended were good, but a little dark on the head, with beau- 



