280 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( October 9, 1873. 



little different to what they were five years ago, on what ground 

 are we to forbid it doing so? And yet again, so far as opinions 

 differ, they certainly exist, and while they do exist, how are 

 the holders of them to agree ? I have an opinion as to how a 

 fowl ought to be bred, and another man has another, what right 

 have I to make him " agree " with me, or what right has he ? 

 If two out of three agree with me, at present, on a rough average 

 birds of my type will get the majority of the prizes, but not all, 

 while the minority will get some, and thus prevent my notion 

 being carried to excess, as it might be if it were unopposed. I 

 do not see, until all amateurs can agree as to the comparative 

 merits of two given prize pens, how it is either possible or even 

 desirable for even those two pens to be always judged in pre- 

 cisely the same order. Such an opinion may seem rank heresy, 

 but thoughtful minds will see its truth. 



Lastly, I would very briefly put the matter in a point of view 

 which seems to have been altogether overlooked, but which is 

 in my mind the most important of all. Finite faculties cannot 

 fashion " a fixed ideal." No such thing as regards human con- 

 ception of it can possibly exist. Take what is, perhaps, the 

 nearest approach we have ever attained to — the ideal of beauty 

 as regards the human form. As regards the main features of 

 this ideal, the Greek have, perhaps, solved the problem for us, 

 and produced the highest forms of ideal beauty the world has 

 ever seen. As regards these main features, no artist has any 

 real doubt as to the direction and general form, at least, of the 

 perfection which he seeks ; and yet look at the face of, say, 

 Baily's Eve at the Fountain, and then at that of a bust of 

 Ariadne. What a difference! and yet how is it to be decided 

 which is the most perfect face ? or how, in spite of the under- 

 stood ideal, how shall it ^be decided who, in a large company, is 

 the most beautiful woman ? To state such a question is to see 

 its difficulties ; but this variety of beauty runs through all 

 nature, and is its deepest and most mysterious charm. We 

 make all otir castings in one mould, but God does not ; and as 

 rightly and reasonably might a fond mother wish for all her 

 hoys and all her girls to be exactly alike, as we too wish for a 

 " fixed " standard for fowls. Let us once get it, and the tin- 

 defined charm of breeding them would be gone. The art of 

 man would attain it, or so near to it, that there would be 

 nothing more to do, and that endless variety of comparative 

 imperfection, each unit of which adds a beauty of its own, 

 which helps to inspire and adorn the whole — all this priceless 

 gain would be lost for the dead uniformity of a set of iron 

 castings, one of which we gladly treasure for the stamp of 

 beauty which it bears, but a hundred of which round the room 

 would be simply intolerable. — L. Wkight. 



A VISIT TO WORCESTEB AND ITS SHOW.— No. 2. 



On the second day of the Show was the annual hop fair, and 

 "the faithful city" — I judge that to be its designation, for 

 " Floreat sctnper fi delis ciuitas" is the inscription over the door 

 of its Guildhall — was full to overflowing with agriculturists of 

 the three varieties, the gentleman farmer, the farmer proper, 

 and the humbler yeoman ; while hop-factors mingled with the 

 crowd. The Show had been wisely fixed, in order to catch the 

 attendants at the fair. N.B. — Take a hint in this. Committee 

 of Devizes Show. To avoid a crowd {I hope there was one after 

 I left) I am at the Show early, and, after carefully noticing, I 

 must say that the arrangements seemed excellent, and the birds 

 were well looked after. A few food-pans for the Pigeons with 

 heavily-wattled eyes — I mean the Carriers and Barbs — would 

 have been well, as these bii-ds cannot see to pick their food 

 from the bare floor. 



I now stand before the poultry. Class 1, Dorkings, any variety, 

 cockerel and puUet of 1873. The first prize and cup went to 

 Mr. J. Martin for a well-matched pair of the old Linton Park 

 strain, rose-combed. The Rev. E. Bartrum secured both second 

 and third prizes. The pullets in both pens were too rosy on the 

 wing, but they were good birds. The Spanish were good, as is 

 proved by the fact that the Bristol birds (Mr. Jones's) had to be 

 only " highly commended." Mrs. AUsopp had the first prize 

 and cup. The Cochins surprised one from their number and 

 goodness — thirteen pens of Cinnamon and Buff, and eight of 

 them noticed. Twenty-two pens of Cochins, any other variety, 

 and sixteen noticed. Lady Gwydyr's Buffs were in their right 

 place — viz., first ; Mrs. Allsopp's second will do after a time, but 

 they are not full-grown yet. The Cochins, any other variety, 

 showed a large number of Whites. All three prizes went to 

 White birds. There was one pair of Blacks, but sadly small 

 and weedy-looking. The Dark Brahma class had some grand 

 birds in it. Mr. Horace Lingwood took first and cup with the 

 finest birds of all, but heavily hocked ; the third prize, Mr. 

 Unsworth*8, was a nice pen. The Light Brahma was he 

 largest class of all, having twenty-six pens. The first-prize 

 thoroughly good, the second-prize very pretty; the third, Lady 

 Gwydyr's, had a big but terribly yellow cock. The Game did 

 not, I own, please me ; there was not the gamey look, that in- 

 deBcribable something, which, like the look of a gentleman, we 



all recognise, but cannot easily describe. I own I preferred 

 the birds that took only the third prize among the Black- 

 breasted Reds. Silver-pencilled Hawhurghs but two entries, 

 let me add and most excellent too ; Mr. Beldon first and cup. 

 The Golden-pencilled six entries ; the first-prize birds neat but 

 small. The Silver-spangled very nice ; a pity that the cock in 

 No. 121 was wry-tailed, for they were a neat pen. Gold-spangled, 

 one pen only! The Polands were everyone noticed; seven 

 entries, but two pens empty. The French fowls seem still to 

 be popular, as they show everywhere strongly. The Any other 

 distinct variety class contained a beautiful pen of Black Ham- 

 burghs, Mr. Beldon's ; they were first. A good pen of Malays, 

 Mr. Hinton's, second ; and a pretty pen of quaint-looking Silkies, 

 Mr. Woodgate's, third ; and another pen of Silkies was com- 

 mended. 



Of the Ba77tams I must speak in high terms. The Black- 

 breasted and other Reds were, as usual, numerous. The cock 

 of the second prize pleased me best, and a commended pen of 

 Mr. Martin's, No. 161, consisted of a very stylish-looking pair 

 of birds. Of the other Game Bantams, a pair of Piles first, 

 and Duckwings second, both belonging to Mr. Entwisle. The 

 White Bantams were not much, but the Blacks were excellent. 

 Sebrights, only one pen of good ones, Mr. Leno's, and an odd 

 pair of, I suppose. Yellow or Nankin Bantams, the cock hen- 

 tailed. 



On the whole, in looking at this Show I may echo the words 

 of an eminent writer on poultry who was present, *' It was the 

 best chicken show seen in the provinces." 



The Pigeons. — I must first state that these were few, far too 

 few — only about seventy pens ; and many birds, especially the 

 Pouters and Almond Tumblers, were in heavy moult. The 

 Carriers came naturally first. Mr. Fulton's Crystal Palace 

 champion bird for two seasons, took, and rightly, the first prize 

 and cup; and Mr. Yardley's second was a good second. The 

 Carrier hens were only four. The Pouter cocks were choice 

 in the extreme. The first-prize bird, Mr. H. Pratt's, measures 

 19Hnches in length, and 7^ inches in limb; it has, too, that 

 great beauty narrowness of girth, which in a White, as this was, 

 is particularly elegant. The second-prize bird, also White, 

 measures ISJ inches in length and 7 inches in limb. AH the 

 birds in this class were noticed. The hen Pouters were also 

 good. Mr. H. Pratt secured a second. The Barbs were not, 

 except the first-prize cock, of the highest excellence ; he is a fine 

 bird, but very aged. The Almonds were but three pens, but 

 such a three ! The first-prize birds were rich in the extreme, 

 with tails and flights showing the three colours, and the hen 

 specially rich for a hen. Among other Tumblers were as good a 

 pair of Agates as were ever seen by me, Mr. Yardley's. Mr. 

 Cresswell's first-prize Fantails contained a most splendid cock ; 

 in Mr. Fulton's second was a lot of Scotch blood, with which I 

 was pleased, for the Scotch birds are much the most elegant. 

 There was a commended pen of Blues, No. 271, which will be 

 wonders, at present they were too young for show. The Dragoons 

 were a superior class. Mr. Graham showed two pens of his 

 Yellows, one of which was first. The Yellow is the most difficult 

 colour to breed good, so that it rightly has the pre-eminence. 

 The soundness of colour throughout in this pen was most satis- 

 factory. In the second-prize birds the cock (a Blue) was very 

 good, so was No. 280. So also a pen of Whites ; indeed, 

 all the birds shown were good. The Autwerps were a poor lot. 

 The Jacobins, on the contrary, excellent ; the hoods of the 

 first-prize birds being beautifully flat on their heads. The 

 Trumpeters were hut two pens. The Nuns call for no marked 

 notice, save that they were too few. In the Any other variety, 

 a pair of White African Owls were first, and a pair of excellent 

 Magpies were second. 



Such were the Pigeons ; but seventy strong, still a picked 

 seventy. I shall bear in my mind a remembrance of Worcester 

 Show, being the best of chicken shows, and of a small number 

 of excellent Pigeons. 



I must speak of the politeness and kindness of all the Wor- 

 cester officials, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Committee. I 

 also made the acquaintance of Mr. AUsop, the Pigeon judge, 

 and a very able judge he is. 



I must now in conclusion say something of Worcester itself — 

 a noticeable and remarkable city ; no mushroom growth of a 

 recent day, but old and historic, and therefore very interesting. 

 It is a red-brick city, the houses built of that material, which in 

 time and with stone facings has a handsome look. Some of the 

 streets are very fine, principally the Foregate, a stately and 

 lengthened avenue, which running straight on east becomes then 

 High Street, at the end of which comes full and clear to view 

 the whole north side of the cathedral, which stands in a fairly 

 ample piece of greensward. Various streets branch north and 

 south. Below the west end of the cathedral, deep down, the 

 Severn rolls a broad stream. Few prospects that I ever looked 

 upon were as noticeable as that from the west of the cathedral 

 — immediately under me the Severn and its fine five-arched 

 bridge ; the rich meadows just across ; and far, but not too far, 

 the line of the Malvern Hills, more peaked than most English 



