August 7, 1S73 ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



109 



in the adult class, and not a single entry in that for pairs of 

 Spanish pullets, nor, again, in the class for a single cockerel. 

 Having pa.33ed the two breeds just named the entries changed, 

 so as to include a large competition of such chickens as have 

 not been seen for a number of years in almost every other 

 vai'iety throughout the Show. In the Brahm.i pullet class the 

 severity of competition was such that the Committee permitted 

 an extra premium ; the Light Brahma pullets of Mrs. WilUam- 

 sou, of Leicester, than which even her highly-reputed yard 

 never turned out a better pair, taking the precedence. A lovely 

 pencilled pen of Dark-feathered ones, shown by Mr. Edwari 

 Kendrick, of Lichfield, ran an unpleasantly close second. Many 

 grand pens of both cockerels ami pullets were also entered, the 

 exceptionably good (juality of the winners causing great in- 

 terest, and the general conviction that, with care, for months to 

 come few can beat them. Mr. Woodgate's White Cochins, and 

 the Partridge-feathered ones exhibited by the Honorary Secre- 

 tary, Mr. Sheppard, were equally faultless. Six pens of this 

 year's chickens were shown by the latter gentleman, all so 

 wonderfully well matured that most of them were laying. Being 

 both well marked and well selected, besides being entered at 

 very low prices, the whole were quickly announced as sold, and 

 well they must have paid the lucky purchasers, the six pens 

 having previously had awarded them three first prizes, a second 

 prize, and the remainder high commendations. Eouea Duck- 

 lings showed weU, but the Aylesbury ducklings with the ex- 

 ception of one pen were deficient in purity of bill. Whistling 

 Ducks were the winners in the Variety Duck class, a whole host 

 of capital Muscovy Ducks being also shown. 



Turkeys and Geese, though so few, were excellent show birds. 



There was a very good entry of Pigeons, many of decidedly 

 first-class character; the Pouters, Fantails, Barbs, and Variety 

 class being more particularly praiseworthy throughout. 



As beautiful harvest weather marked the proceedings as a 

 success, it is probable that an extended prize schedale will be 

 issued for next season's exhibition. 



Mr. Edward Hewitt, of Birmingham, was the Judge, and his 

 awards were given in our pages last week. 



A CLASS FOR BELGIAN HARE RABBITS. 



I THixK, now that Belgian Hare Rabbits have become more 

 known and are in general favour, it would be advisable for com- 

 mittees of shows to give them a separate class. Boston has set 

 the example, and I beheve the entry was a very fair one for a 

 first attempt There are, to my knowledge, many breeders of 

 this handsome variety of Rabbit who would be inclined to exhibit 

 were there classes for them, but who do not care to show in the 

 variety assortment, which is generally the conclusion of a Rabbit 

 as weU as a poultry and Pigeon schedule, and so run the risk as 

 to which kind may take the fancy of the judge. 



It would be a matter of surprise to find a class for Dorkings 

 omitted on a prize list; equally so should be the omission of 

 Belgian Hures from one for Rabbits, as in a commercial point of 

 view as meat-producers they are the best to keep. Hardy, pro- 

 lific, of rapid growth, and excellent for table purposes— these 

 are qualities, in the present time of a high-priced meat supply, 

 of no mean value. 



It is, I beUeve, generally known that this variety is a foreign 

 introduction, and though in character they very much resemble 

 the Hare, their properties are in no w.iy indebted to a cross 

 with it. Though frequent attempts have been made, no such 

 cross, owing to the entire difference in disposition and habits of 

 the breed, has been accomplished. A simple microscopic exami- 

 nation of the hairs will show the difference of the species. 

 Belgian Hare Babbits of a good breed with liberal feeding will 

 easily attain 8 lbs. or 10 lbs. weight when the same number of 

 months old. Should there be a Rabbit show, as last year, at the 

 Crystal Palace, and this variety be allotted a class, I shall be 

 happy to subscribe towards a cup to meet its claims. — W. Massey. 



FIRST-FE.\THER CANARY SHOWS. 



TuESE interesting exhibitions seem to be gaining ground in 

 the northern circuit. They are prevalent enough in some di.^- 

 trict.i, and perhaps more so among Lizard breeders than any 

 other branch of the fancy. One would think that a good show 

 once in the season would satisfy tlie most ardent fancier, but it 

 seems not so. No sooner is the breeding season closed or closing 

 than breeders are anxious to compare notes, and the natural 

 outcome is a nest-feather show. Such shows must to a very 

 great extent be local, as very youn^ birds would not bear much 

 travelling, nor would it be desirable they should be exposed to 

 unnecessary risks if their owners have any regard for their 

 future. On this account — that is, on account of their local cha- 

 racter, any detailed review of such shows can hardly be expected 

 to possess such interest as to be deemed worthy a place in the 

 columns of the -Journal. Still, it m^ty interest breeders gene- 

 rally to know that both in South Stockton and Darlington, where 

 I was judging last week, there has been a tolerably successful 



season. Each of these places has held its nest-feather show, 

 and, judging from the quality of the stuff, each ^11 be able to 

 hold its own in the forthcoming exhibition year. The young 

 Yorkshire birds are remarkably tine, and the Lizards promise to 

 sustain the fame of the district. 



At North Stockton a splendid open Show was held in con- 

 nection with the brass baud contest under the patronage of the 

 Licensed Victuallers' Association, the chief features of which 

 were the beautiful specimens of Norwich birds exhibited by Mr. 

 Simpson, the Whitby veteran, and the grand Yorkshire birds of 

 Mr. Rowland and others. Mr. Simpson has bred a very superior 

 evenly-marked Jonque Norwich which will take some beating. 

 It is a bird full of colour and quality, has two well-pencilled eyes, 

 and wings " made to order." The marking on the right wing 

 runs up a little too high, though the defect is as frequently 

 hidden as exposed, but it is there. In some hands no doubt it 

 would soon vanish; but as Mr. Simpson said, "I have been 

 among them for fifty years, and I'm not going to begin now." 

 I may add that this was one of a nest hatched early in January 

 this year. On the whole the prospects in the north are cheering. 



— W. A. BLAIiSTON. 



Cbuelty to Pigeons. — John Marsh, a lad living in Union 

 Street, Swindon, was charged with cruelty to two Pigeons, on 

 the 22nd June. Mr. Tombs appeared for the Society for the 

 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Cirencester and district, 

 and stated that the case would not be pressed if it had not ap- 

 peared to be an usual pastime on Sunday afternoons. He said 

 that two birds were tied tail to tail and thrown up in the air, 

 then falling helplessly to the ground. Police Constable Piper 

 substantiated Mr. Tombs' statement, proving that the birds 

 were treated as described three times, and each time falling 

 helpless to the ground. Fined 30s. including costs.— (Worift 

 Wilts Herald, July 12th.) 



THE HONEY HARVEST OP 1873. 

 It is time that our friends should send in their reports of the 

 honey harvest of this year. I much fear they will prove gene- 

 rally discouraging. In my own case -I must say that I have 

 never known a worse year in aU my English experience of bee- 

 keeping. Last year was bad enough, and the year before not 

 much better, but what has beoo;ne of the honey I cannot imagine. 

 What is Mr. Fox's experience in the rich pasturage about Exeter, 

 and what that of our Scotch bee-keepers ? My hives were gene- 

 rally very late. Oat of twelve stocks which survived the winter, 

 but which had to be fed quite up to May, some of them far into 

 the month, only one swarmed to my knowledge on the 7th of 

 June. This gave me a cast on the Kith or 17th. I left home 

 for a fortnight on the 8th of July, and it is possible I may have 

 lost some swarms since then. Honey being my object this year, 

 I gave them abundant room in supers, which they took to very 

 kindly, building many combs, but filling them with brood and 

 not with honey. The white clover has been very abundant, and 

 our orchards and gardens were filled with blossoms that have 

 produced vast quantities of fruit ; but for all that honey is 

 nowhere. Barely have I had such splendid stocks of bees all 

 through June and July, cramming up super upon super, but 

 with the most miserable result as regards honey. I doubt if 

 some of my hives will not starve in September, nor is there a 

 single super I dare plunder for fear of ruining my bees ; so that 

 I may write down nil, nay, rather a minus quantity, as the 

 result of this year's bee-keeping. Will any of your readers 

 account for it on any other theory than that the ground was 

 chilled past recovery by the long-continued rains of winter, while 

 the sun has had little power to cure the sourness of the soil ? 

 — B. & W. 



SILKWORM-CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 



It has always appeared to me that one of the great hindrances 

 to the successful production of silk in this country is tlie diffi- 

 culty of so winding the thread from the cocoons as to give the 

 article a commercial value. A correspondent of this Journal 

 speaks of it as a comparatively easy matter to oonnect the 

 thread of ten cocoons (it is more usually, I believe, the product 

 of from five to eight that is brought together), but this has not 

 been the experience of others, who have found that the mani- 

 pulation is most troublesome ; and in those countries where 

 silk forms an article of commerce it is acknowledged that to 

 wind the silk requires special training. There may have been 

 some machine invented which would facilitate the process of 

 uniting the threads ; if so, it has not been made generally 

 known. The common silk-winders sold in the shops are not of 

 much utility. To produce silk to advantage, it is evident that 

 we must not have to expend much time and labour on the pre- 

 paration of it for the loom. 



Another drawback to silkworm-culture has been this : that 

 the emergence of the worms from the eggs only takes place 

 annually, so that the rearer of silkworms has an over-busy six 



