360 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November G, 1873. 



and a half, the ground gradually ascending, I came on an old 

 Roman or Danish tumulus, and thereby was suggested to my 

 mind that some interesting Roman remains had been lately 

 found there, but I could gain no information on the subject, and 

 imagine I must have been mistaken. As I had recently seen 

 the fine collection at Yorli and Cirencester, I consoled myself 

 with the belief that there waa nothing likely to surpass what 

 I had Been there. 



Woodland Hall stands upon an eminence overlooking a wide 

 fcreadth of woodland and pastoral scenery. The house is a 

 modest, unpretending, but comfortable structure, and the ap- 

 pliances of the place were evidently brought to bear on the rear- 

 ing and management of the poultry. Mr. Wood breeds Creve- 

 Coeurs, Houdans, and Brahmas, but it is for the two former that 

 he has become so famous. Who has not admired the marvellous 

 specimens of gaUic beauty that he has exhibited at the Crystal 

 Palace, Birmingham, and elsewhere ? He has attained this per- 

 fection, as every breeder must do, by a process of selection, not 

 leaving the work touaturalselection, which I lookupon as a myth, 

 for it is not always the strongest that makes the most desirable 

 parent. Other qualities may be wanting, but the careful breeder 

 marks those birds which exhibit good points, and by a system 

 of crossing and recrossing attains his object; audit is no difficult 

 matter for him to say from what parents his chickens are pro- 

 duced. Mr. Wood adopts no expensive plan in breeding his birds. 

 The houses are plain ; the runs are of some length, divided- 

 off by wire netting, while as the fowls grow they have some 

 fine pastures to roam over. Like many breeders this year, his 

 birds were not so forward as in former seasons, but I saw many 

 of gi-eat promise amongst the cockerels and pullets, and some of 

 his old birds were m fine condition. Here were heroes that, if 

 they had not been in a hundred fights, had at least carried all 

 before them wherever they had been engaged ; while in some 

 cases it would be told how either the odd" fancies, or more pro- 

 bably hurried labours, of judges had passed by birds which in 

 other places had won the highest honours. In connection with 

 these breeds Mr. Wood holds the opinion, I believe now very 

 widely entertained, that no fowl surpasses, if indeed any equals, 

 the Houdau in general exceUencies. Leaving aside its beauty, 

 which I know many say is analogous to that of a Scotch terrier, 

 and ugly brutes " is one of the mildest terms I have heard 

 sorue apply to both— leaving this question on one side, they are 

 in the first place very hardy ; second, they lay a large quantity of 

 eggs ; third, they never sit ; and fourth, they arrive at maturity 

 very early, and do not become after four or five months' care 

 like the Dorking, coarse and disagreeable. This rapid growth 

 jn their early stages is very desirable. To get good Dorkings 

 for exhibition, breeders try for the very earliest birds, and unless 

 they can hatch in February think they can do nothing. Now 

 Mr. Wood says, " I don't care about these very early chickens 

 m the French breeds. The beginning of April is time enough, 

 and chickens hatched then will be in capital order for poultry 

 ■shows in November." This is a great advantage, for it is hard 

 ^A? w°*^?" young chickens through the cold March winds. 



Mr. Wood IS a youug man ; and as he has already done much 

 lor the French breeds, so much as to astonish Frenchmen them- 

 selves, so I beUeve he may yet do more. We are sure to hear 

 of him again, and I hope to see his birds at our gi-eat Show at 

 the Crystal Palace, and shall be very much surprised if he do 

 Dot take a very high place both with Crcve-Cceurs and Houdans. 

 — D., Deal. 



THE NAERAGANSETT TURKEY. 



This is one of the largest and hardiest of all the Iireeds of 

 1 urkeys. It is raised in the greatest perfection in south-eastern 

 Connecticut and Rhode Island, a region famous for its fine 

 poultry. Turkeys do remarkably well along the sea-board, and 

 almost every farmer remote from the village has his flock. It 

 IS not at all uncommon to find flocks of from one to two hundred 

 birds, the product of about a dozen hens, under the skilful 

 management of a poultry woman or boy. Of course they do some 

 damage to the grain ; but this evil is counterbalanced by the 

 enormous destruction of insects secured. From June to Sep- 

 tember they subsist mainly upon grasshoppers, crickets, and 

 other insects, ranging for the most part in the pastures and 

 woodlands. 



They are fattened in Octoljer and November, and it is not 

 uncommon for a lot of early chicks to reach the average weight 

 of 14 lbs., dressed at Thanksgiving or Christmas. The common 

 run of Turkeys sent to the New York market do not average 

 more than 8 or 9 Iba. The Narragansett is a very large healthy 

 Uird, and has been bred for size for many generations. Most of 

 the birds sold in the Boston and Providence markets under the 

 name of Rhode Island Turkeys, or Extra No. 1, are of this breed 

 Ihe farmers are careful in the selection of their breeding stock 

 taking young gobblers that will weigh from 22 to 28 lbs. and 

 hens that will weigh from 12 to 16 lbs. Where the birds are 

 kept over, gobblers will sometimes dress 32 to 34 lbs. For 

 making poultry for market the Narragansetts have no superior. 

 Ihe prevailing colours are white and black, with a large patch 



of white upon the wing-bow, giving the general impression of a 

 grey bird. They are not uniform in the shading, but with suffi- 

 cient painstaking could be bred to a feather. — W. Clift. 



{American Poultry World.) 



OXFORD POULTRY SHOW. 



The second annual Exhibition was held at the Town Hall 

 and Corn Exchange, on October 29th and 30th. 



■The good management of the first Exhibition, combined with 

 a liberal prize list, produced a very large entry, aud an unusual 

 number of exhibitors from all parts were present, doubtless 

 from believing that they would here see many of the birds that 

 would be brought against them at the two great shows that are 

 so quickly to follow, and to calculate their chances of success. 



The Dorking classes were satisfactorily represented in num- 

 ber and quality. In the Coloured class one or two pens well 

 worthy of commendation escaped notice. The Spatiish class 

 contained seventeen entries, but we thought them a poor lot. 

 The cockerels were very backward, and we saw no bird of any 

 great promise. We liked two or three pens better than the 

 winners, but the difference was not suflicient to give any violent 

 cause of complaint. In the Buff Cochins Mrs. Tindal, an almost 

 new exhibitor, had an easy victory ; and the veteran breeder of 

 Partridge Cochins, Mr. Tudman, came as clearly to the front in 

 his variety. We are sorry the endeavours that have been made 

 during this season to improve Black Cochius have not resulted 

 in greater success ; they were a miserable burlesque of Cochin 

 fowls. Had they competed with the other varieties not one pen 

 could possibly have obtained a commendation. There is no 

 reason why they should not be raised to the same standard of 

 excellence as other Cochins, and we trust that breeders will not 

 be discouraged. Some good birds have been seen, and there is 

 no doubt that with judicious crossing they can be produced 

 again. The Dark Brahma class was a good one, but we did not 

 Uke the awards of the prizes. The comb of the second-prize 

 cock was very faulty, and with so many birds equal in all other 

 properties, we think this must have escaped the Judge, or he 

 would not have placed him in such a position. We thought 

 Mr. Lingwood's pen should have been first, the first-prize pen 

 placed second, and a highly-commended pen belonging to Mr. 

 Bennett third. A very promising cockerel was also shown by 

 the Hon. Mrs. Baillie Hamilton, but it should have been kept 

 at home until more developed. The birds in the Light Brahma 

 class we thought showed a general improvement on those 

 exhibited last year, and here we consider a greater mistake waa 

 made than in the Darks, the best pen remaining unnoticed by 

 the Judge. The Game classes were moderate, but condition 

 being of all importance here, we have little doubt that many of 

 the first-class exhibitors would not risk their best birds, but 

 that they are reserving them for the great shows that are coming. 

 The Houdan class was almost the largest in the Show, Mr. 

 Dring, who showed the best cockerel, winniug, closely pressed by 

 Mr. Quibell, who had a little the advantage in the pullet. In 

 the Game Bantams the Black and Brown Reds competed to- 

 gether, making a very large entry. A lot of handsome birds 

 were to be found in this class, and an extra third prize was 

 awarded. Some pretty neat birds were also to be seen in the 

 Black Bantam class, and we were pleased to see an extra prize 

 awarded to Mr. Brannd in the Sebright class. This variety has 

 BO long been in the hands of Mr. Leno, that it is gratifying to 

 find some one occasionally rewarded for contesting the honours 

 with him. The Bantam " Any other variety " class was an un- 

 usually pleasing collection. 



The entries in the Duch classes were large, especially the 

 Rouen, and we think when the Judges arrived here they must 

 have been exhausted, and hurried over the Blacks, for the 

 awards were not here received with satisfaction, a very noted 

 exhibitor feeling so much hurt as to offer his entire stock for 

 sale. 



Some good bargains were to be found in the Selling classes, 

 which were quickly caught-up, the sale office being besieged 

 immediately it was opened. 



The Pigeon collection was a very fine one, many of our most 

 successful exhibitors competing for the prizes. Mr. Fulton 

 cleared the board in both classes of old Carriers. In the class 

 for young, which was, perhaps, the most interesting in the 

 Show, Mr. Ord obtained the first and second prizes, an extra 

 Recond being judiciously awarded to Mr. Massey. Some superior 

 birds were exhibited in the Pouter classes. The first and second 

 prizes for Barbs again fell to Mr. Fulton. The first-prize birds 

 were a grand pair well matched. They also most deservedly 

 obtained the additional honour of a cup over four classes. The 

 second-prize pen contained a splendid cock, but the hen was 

 unworthy of him. Both classes of Tumblers contained some 

 pretty birds. The Dragoons, a variety that is daily becoming 

 more popular, mustered in great force, the first prize going to a 

 superb pair of Yellows. A hen in the second -prize pen was also 

 greatly admired. lu the class for Owls, a pair of foreign suc- 

 ceeded iu obtaining the first prize ; au extra first being given to 



