NoTombar 27, 1873. 1 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDEKEB. 



427 



POULTET, BEE, AND PIGEON OEROKEOLE. 



STANDARD CHARACTERISTICS. 



As I find that Mr. Wripiht and some others have misunderstood 

 whut I have written on this subject, I would, with your permis- 

 sion, be more exphcit. What I have said is that the *' Standard " 

 should be " recognised by the judges." I would not make a 

 standard and force it on the judges ; on the contrary, I would 

 have the standard made and agreed to by the " competent " 

 judges. Nor did I ever intend that they should add the values 

 of the points ; anyone who could not decide without such a 

 process as that, might be ranked fairly amongst the " incom- 

 petents." I look on the values of the points as but relative, and 

 consequently instructive. This leads me to remark that Mr. 

 "Wright, or the judges from whose decisions he has compiled 

 hia " Value of Defects in Judging," and also the " Eds." in note, 

 page 321, set too high a value on " condition," and for this 

 reason — viz., condition is no part of a bird ; it is the easiest point 

 to attain, and consequently of the least value, and so I do not 

 think the judges should pass by birds simply because they have 

 been " overshown," when a fortnight's care would make them 

 all right again ; but very old birds, no matter what they may 

 have been, should not have prizes awarded to them. 



Mr. Wright, again, tells us that " all the competent judges 

 refuse to ha bound by a uniform standard." I wish he would 

 give their reasons for refusing. I can understand why they 

 voald not like to be bound by a standard agreed to by a com- 

 mittee or clubs, but why they should not publish a standard of 

 (heir own I cannot, unless the mere fact of committing it to 

 paper would leave them open to critical overhauling, and deprive 

 them of the little elasticity they at present enjoy. Would not 

 M:!ssrs. Hewitt and Teebay read over Mr. Wright's " Schedules 

 for Judging" and "Value of Defects," and alter any points 

 from which they differ'? — O. P. H. Z. 



[We have omitted the conclusion of your letter because whole- 

 sale libelling is always unjust and never beneficial. — Eds.] 



BIRMINGHAM CATTLE AND POULTRY SHOW. 



The twenty-fifth annual Exhibition will open at Bingley Hall 

 on the 29th inst., and from the highly satisfactory nature of the 

 entries in every department there will, we doubt not, be such a 

 display of stock and poultry as will maintain the prestige of 

 these meetings. The amount of money at the disposal of the 

 fudges (i,'"2G0U) is larger than on any previous occasion, and the 

 competition for the four ClOO prizes and the 100 guineas Elking- 

 ton Challenge Cup is expected to be unusually interesting. The 

 entries of poultry and Pigeons are considerably over the average. 



We sincerely trust that all classes throughout the district wiU 

 cordially unite in supporting the Council in their disinterested, 

 indefatigable, and laudable endeavours to maintain the pro- 

 sperity and usefulness of one of the most popular of our local 

 institutions. 



The railway companies have acceded fully to the wishes of the 

 CuUQcU, and have announced excursion trains from Bristol, 

 Glou'-ester, Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Uttox- 

 eter, Derby, Burton, Banbury, Leamington, Stratford, as well as 

 from all the large towns in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Notts, &c. 



TliB judging will, as usual, be in public, when life members 

 are admitted ifree, and others upon payment of IDs. 



Amongst other improvements, arrangements have been made 

 with the printers for a full supply of catalogues for sale on the 

 day of judging. 



Permanent telegraph and postal offices have been erected, and 

 the Secretary is instructed to inform any exhibitor, who may 

 desire it, the result of the awards, as regards his own exhibits, 

 oa the day of judging. 



MALAYS. 



I AM glad to find Mr. Hinton is pleading for Malays some 

 attention by poultry committees. From my experience of com- 

 mittees I find that they generally consist of men of some under- 

 standing, but few of them are what you can term men of the 

 fancy, the result is that they copy from other prize lists — so the 

 Malays are left out. I have written to the secretaries of two 

 ebows, not a hundred miles from Durham, offering to get entries 

 for Malaya, bat have not been successful. The Oxford test shows 

 that if good prizes are offered the entries are not inferior to some 

 of the other classes. 



And now I must have a word with you. Tou promised last 

 year you would do your best for the benefit of the Malay classes, 

 but your remarks on them at the Oxford Show were so poor that 

 one might think that they had been but poorly represented. A 

 word from you would do much to bring them into note, and I 

 trust your next comments will give some description of the 

 qualities of several of the best pens, say at the Palace. Is it not 



too bad of the Manchester Committee to name almost all varie- 

 ties of poultry and not the Malays ? Burslem has issued its first 

 schedule, but nothing for Malays. Bristol has been more con- 

 siderate, and I trust the Malays will muster strongly enough to 

 give every satisfaction. — H.^wkins. 



[We do not interfere with the notes of our reporters. We do 

 not say to what extent we admire or considerugly Malays. — Ens.] 



CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW. 



(From our Beporter.) 



TuE Show of 1372 was generally admitted to be the most 

 extraordinary and successful exhibition of poultry and Pigeons 

 ever brought together, and many thought it so near perfection 

 that they not only pronounced it the best ever held, but pro- 

 phesied that it was greater than any that " ever would be lield." 

 We have now to chronicle a still greater success. It will be 

 remembered that five years ago the inauguration of a poultry 

 and Pigeon exhibition took place in London, and the first Show 

 was held in one of the Terrace drawing-rooms at the Crystal 

 Palace, the total number of eutries being under fourteen hun- 

 dred. When the entries closed for the second Show the num- 

 bers had so increased that it was found necessary to provide 

 further accomraodiition for them, and the Directors of the 

 Crystal Palace kindly placed the nave of the building at the dis- 

 posal of the Committee. This almost illimitable space, together 

 with the magnificent light, enabled Sir Chanticleer and Dame 

 Partlett to be seen and shown to an advantage which no other 

 building in the world could do, and hence we have now a great 

 national Show which has in the short space of five years reached 

 3S00 entries. It appears likely to still increase, for we find on 

 looking over the list of exhibitors this Show has had its eHect 

 upon the suburban districts of Loudon, that the residents are 

 gradually increasing their contribution of birds, and that many 

 who simply associated Fowls with new-laid eggs for breakfast, 

 Geese with Michaelmas day, and Turkeys with sausages, have 

 been struck with the marvellous creations of beauty displayed 

 in the different varieties of fowls in the Crystal Palace, finding 

 that in addition to their usefulness it is gratifying and instruc- 

 tive to be able to take some share in the culture and development 

 of the feathered creatures which were so much admired and 

 reigned so triumphant at Sydenham last week. 



The arrangements were in every way satisfactory, and helped 

 wonderfuUyto contribute to the success of the Show. "We so 

 frequently see in a show the pens bundled together after the 

 fashion of old egg-boxes in a cheesemonger's warehouse, that 

 we call particular attention to this matter, in the hope that the 

 example set in our national Show may be followed as far as 

 possible in shows of less magnitude. The pens were arranged 

 in two tiers, and great care was taken to place the different 

 varieties together, the one end of the building being devotea to 

 the Dorkings, Brahmas, Cochins, Spanish, French, and Uam- 

 burghs, and the other to the Game, the Game Bantams b^ng 

 placed above them and affording an amusing contrast. Ihe 

 next avenue was given up to the Ducks, Rabbits, and belling 

 classes, the centre of the building being set apart for the Pigeons. 

 The shrubs, &c., which are so plentifully distributed, and other 

 accessories of the Palace, served to produce the most charming 

 effect, and helped to cheer the spirits of the enthusiast who had 

 determined to labour through a complete inspection of aU the 

 different varieties. , , . , -, 



The Dorkinq classes contained a fine lot, showing a marked 

 improvement on last year. The Eev. E. Bartrum won in the 

 Coloured class for cocks with a grand fellow; the second prize 

 also went to a good bird and shown in splendid condition. In 

 the class for hens the competition was very close. A number of 

 genuine birds were to be found. The winners we thought rightly 

 placed. In classes for cockerels and pullets, Mrs. Arkwright 

 took five of the ten prizes offered for competition, including the 

 two cups. The Silver-Grey appeared in greater force than last 

 year, and we hope to see them again popular in the south of 

 England. The Whites were greatly admired, and the Cuckoos 

 are gradually making their way in public favour. 



The Cochin classes contained some grand birds, but we ewre 

 surprised to see only eight entries in the class for old cocks. T he 

 cockerel class also was not so large as might have been expected 

 considering the popularity of this variety; here we liked the 

 second-prize bird much better than the winner. The pullets 

 were a fine lot and properly placed. In Partridge cocks Mr. 

 Shrimpton won easily; the hens were very deficient in pencil- 

 ling, the best bird being out of condition and not noticed. The 

 young classes were not so good as those of last year. The \V hites 

 were a charming lot; we know of no bmls lately which have 

 advanced so much in public estimation. The Blacks astonished 

 us in numbers, but they were very poor. -,.,■, 



The Brahma classes wore a show in themselves. In the class 

 for Dark cocks many of the birds were not over their moult, 

 which doubtless influenced to some extent the Judges awards ; 

 the class for hens was the best in the Show, a more magnificent 

 lot could not bo coUected, Mr. Lingwood winning with a 



