October 2, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



201 



I find the Com Exchange, a good-sized skylight-voofed build- 

 ing. The poultry pens arranged around and across, and — also 

 a good plan — a refreshment stall plain to yiew, and not hidden 

 away in some adjoining room. This should always he, for a 

 modern refreshment bar with its neat-dressed and pretty damsels 

 is always a pleasing sight. And now for a first peep at the 

 poultry, next week for criticism. Poultry about iiO pens, and 

 of Pigeons about 70 — not a large show, but a show of, what at a 

 glance I perceive, choice birds. The arrangements seem good ; 

 a solid zinc back to each poultry pen, which not only prevents 

 the tails being injured, but in addition shows off the birds to 

 adTantage. 



The Dorkings are a fairly good lot ; the Spanish very good, 

 and the Cochins extremely good and numerous. The Dark 

 Brahmas contained some grand birds. The Light Brahmas 

 were strong and remarkable as a class ; while the Game must, 

 alas ! be marked down as few and not good. Hamburgh breeders 

 missed a chance in not sending their birds, for in the Silver- 

 pencilled there were but two entries, in the Gold-spangled but 

 one. Few but very nice, must be the verdict as to the pretty- 

 plnmaged Hamburghs ; while there were, on the other hand, 

 more Polands than of any class of Hamburghs. The French 

 fowls showed well. Any other variety few and good. Game 

 Bantams very strong, and good too ; but Mr. Entwisle left every- 

 body else to whistle for the prizes, he carrying off all. Among 

 the Black Bantams there were many very good birds, but, alas ! 

 few Sebrights and none Silver. Among the Aylesbury Ducks 

 were Mr. Fowler's, which is saying enough in their praise. The 

 Bouens were nearly all noticed ; and among the Blacks were the 

 peerless ones from WUtshire, those of Mr. Sainsbury, of Devizes. 

 The Selling class was large, and the first prize was for the best 

 cock and hen, but it was given to a Duck and drake. Bather 

 funny this, though no doubt the Duck and drake were the best 

 birds. Of the Pigeons I will speak nest week. 



Up comes friend Martin, and soon 1 am in the thick of a 

 number of kindly committee-men, while the friendly Vice-Ghair- 

 man makes himself known to me, and the Hon. Secretary shows 

 me every attention. But I want my dinner, and am recom- 

 mended to the Crown Hotel close by, a recommendation tho- 

 roughly deserved — a wide-extending, pleasant old hostelry. 

 Here I leave off my account for a while, merely adding that the 

 prize list, which, to the infinite credit of the managers of the 

 Show, was out in good time on the first day, was given last 

 week. — 'Wii-TSHXBE Rector. 



BUCKWHEAT FOB FOWLS. 



Havino seen several intiulries and answers lately about this 

 grain, I think it may be well again to state my experience of it 

 directly in your columns. I am quite puzzled to tell why it is 

 so constantly affirmed that it is not good food, and that the 

 birds do not like it, for my experience is the direct contrary ; 

 and not only so, but I have during the last few years recom- 

 mended it to many scores of persons, and in no one case have I 

 foand their experience different from my own. I always find 

 that fowls prefer it to any grain they can have, and if a mixture 

 be thrown down containing all grain, the buckwheat will always 

 be picked up first, maize nest, and then other corn. Fowls 

 that have never had it will sometimes stare at it the first time, 

 but they quickly begin to pick it up. I cannot see that it is at 

 all stimulating or forcing diet, and the mere fact that it is the 

 common poultry food in France, and even here for Pheasants, 

 should be enough to dispel such an 'dea. It requires, however, 

 to be given with common sense, not owing to its qualities, but 

 simply on account of its colour. If it is thrown upon grass the 

 fowls cannot thrive, for the simple reason that the buckwheat is 

 so nearly the colour of the ground that it can hardly be found 

 by the birds, and they are really starved. It has sometimes 

 struck me that perhaps this may be the reason of our poultry 

 editor's ill success with it. But if it be thrown on a bare 

 place where it can be seen, there is no difficulty, and I 

 have constantly given it to fowls which have never seen it 

 before. 



Buckwheat is also capital food for chickens. They will eat it 

 at three weeks old, when other grain must be cracked for them, 

 and they, too, will eat more of it than of any other grain except 

 whole grits. Some years ago I fed on buckwheat meal ground 

 up with husk and all for one season, and the chickens did well, 

 and grew very large. I should have repeated the experiment 

 but for the difficulty of getting the buckwheat ground. Of late, 

 indeed, the grain itself has been very scarce and dear, owing, 

 nodoubt, to the late war; hence it is not at present so relatively 

 cbexp a food as formerly, but even now I think it as cheap as 

 barley, being a heavier grain. — L. Wbioht. 



are fourth and even fifth prizes in some of the classes. All the 

 prizes are liberal, and in addition there are sixty-two silver cups. 

 The entries close on the 20th instant. 



Cbtstal P.U.ACE Poultry, Pioeos, an-d E.abbit Show. — Great 

 improvement appears here. The Judges' names are published, 

 anu, for the most part, the single-bird system is adopted. There 



BAKTAM COCK BROODY. 



In reference to the Bantam cock I mentioned in my note to 

 you (page 225), I would say in answer to the query, " Is he the 

 father of the brood ? " Undoubtedly so. I had the little hen 

 four years ago, and the cock I bought two years ago— a cockerel, 

 and I have had no other Bantam cock. I have a large Cochin 

 cock, but the Bantams are the Black-breasted Game, and there 

 is no doubt about the brood nor yet about the cock, for he is 

 very attentive to his hen. I set her upon seven eggs— she 

 hatched six. 



I would add that he continued to sit until I prevented him by 

 taking the nest away. I almost regret I did not give him some 

 eggs. Since I prevented him from sitting he gets every night 

 the hen and chickens into a nest bos, and they all huddle-up as 

 close as possible. The hen had quite left the chickens before, 

 and had laid again. I have been to look this evening, and they 

 are all in the nest closely huddled-up. He always roosted high 

 before.— G. C. 



COMMITTEES AND JUDGES OF POULTBY 

 SHOWS. 



I AM residing some distance from the turmoil of the " busy 

 city," and not in a poultry-show district, nevertheless I take an 

 interest in the question, and am not without the laurels of 

 former days, now somewhat faded. I will try to take a common- 

 sense view of it, and should your space allow, wUl visit your 

 columns from time to time. 



Two subjects seem to be on the boards at present — one, the 

 publication of judges' names before the entries close ; and the 

 other, the continual scolding of committee-men. This latter 

 backed by threatening letters. 



As a rule, the committee-men of a poultry show work very 

 hard, and when all is wound-up, they have to be losers of money. 

 Most of them are real amateurs working for the love of the pur- 

 suit, and content to do so, with only one certainty in view— viz., 

 that under no circumstances can they be gainers. I believe, 

 with the exception of one or two shows which are speculations, 

 this is true of nearly every show in the kingdom, and that the 

 committee-men will bear me out. Two scoldings appear last 

 week ; one blames because the men who have to handle the birds 

 are not adepts at it. Not one man in a hundred could do so, 

 and that man is very seldom of those who wiU take employment 

 for a day or two. 



Next,'if the judges' names are not published, the public is 

 advised not to send their birds to the show. If I were a com- 

 mittee-man, this threat would not disturb my slumbers. Who 

 would be the sufferer if the show did not take place ? Certainly 

 not the committee-men or honorary secretary. They would 

 save time and money. The sufferer would be the exhibitor. 

 His birds are useless, and still worse, valueless unless thev can 

 be shown ; and instead of throwing difficulty in the way of the 

 hard-worked and unpaid official, he should in most cases thank 

 him for the trouble he takes, and make his labour as light as 

 possible. 



I believe shows are profitable only to the exhibitor, and that 

 he cannot do without them. — X. W. Z. 



MISREPRESENTATIONS AND JUDGES' NAMES. 



RuMOUK has erroneously stated that E. Hewitt, Esq., has de- 

 clined to judge at any more shows for the present. I am enabled 

 to contradict at once this statement, for he has promised to 

 officiate at the Ipswich Show, October Idth. 



In reference to pubUshing the names of judges, there is con- 

 siderable difficulty in so doing. What committee would like to 

 publish an array of names as judges, and at the last moment, 

 perchance, not have sufficient entries for one ? A great deal has 

 been said about the judges knowing Mr. A's or Mr. B's birds ; no 

 doubt such is the case sometimes. Then, why not place every 

 exhibitor's name upon his exhibits prior to the judges making 

 their awards ? for, if we have confidence in our judges, what 

 signifies their knowing to whom the specimens belong ?— W. B. 

 Jeffries, Ipswich, 



KiLMABMOCK Show.— This has the merit of offering good prizes 

 for poulti-y. Pigeons, and Canaries, but Rabbits had better have 

 been omitted rather than have only two classes-" Any fancy 

 variety " and " Common." No judge can do justice to exhibits 

 in such a classification. We think that there is equity lu re- 

 quiring an extra shilling from exhibitors who wish to contend 

 for the special prizes, but we agree with a correspondent in sur- 

 prise that of those twenty-seven special prizes twenty-five are 



