452 



JOUENAIi OP HORTIcaLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



t December 4, 1873. 



especially bad in this respect, showing much bro-mi in the wing- 

 bar, and still more on the secondary quills, besides a bad back. 

 The first was very good and secured the cup ; third was rather 

 squirrel-tailed. Among the cockerels the first was a beauty, but 

 too small ; second and one or two others again showed the 

 squirrel-tail, which seems creeping into this breed. Hens and 

 pullets struck us as being worse in colour than we hive seen 

 them. Blacks and Brassy-winged were, on the whole, a bad lot. 

 First-prize cock was a Brass-wing, very clumsy in legs, and we 

 must say we liked second best, but nearly aU were soft-looking. 

 The first-prize hen was in bad condition, and appeared to have 

 been broody, having lost her breast feathers, but we heard she 

 handled well and do not question the award. The first-prize 

 Pile cock was a beautiful yellow leg, far ahead of all compe- 

 titors ; he was all but perfect in symmetry and condition, but a 

 little faulty in wing-bar, and a good streak of green-black in the 

 tail ; no other bird came near him. In the hens the first-prize 

 was a very good gamey bird, but second again out of condition. 

 Bantams. — The first prize in Sebrights went to good Golds, 

 the second to bad Silvers, the cock's hackles being striped instead 

 of laced. In Whites we need not say who won ; but the same 

 gentleman's second-prize cock was very bad in comb. In Blacks 

 the winning pen contained a wonderfully neat cock ; third was 

 also good, but second had ear-lobes much stained. In the general 

 class, first was taken by Japanese, and second by Mr. Wood- 

 gate's White-booted birds. We are not sure we should not have 

 a little changed some of the awards in the Game Bantams ; but 

 we must say that all were given to good pens. The number of 

 good old cocks, so rare a few years back, was specially notice- 

 able. In the first class, that for Black-breasted Red birds, 

 the third-prize pen contained a cock very neat, but decidedly 

 dull in colour, and fourth-prize contained one rather poor pullet ; 

 and all three birds were too short in face. In the Brown Reds, 

 second-prize cock was an old bird gone very coarse and stocky. 

 In the Any variety, the first-prize (Duckwings) contained one 

 exquisite pullet, but the other was rather clumsy ; and the cock, 

 though very neat nnd gamey, showed signs of more " manual 

 labour " upon him than we liked to see. The third prize pen 

 of Piles also contained one good and one bad hen. The Black- 

 breasted Red cocks were the best class of all; good birds 

 abounded — richly abounded; and while we would perhaps have 

 changed one award, we must say the judging was both good and 

 fair, every prize-bird being an ornament to his circle, or rather 

 pen. In the Any variety class for cocks, first and third were 

 won by Piles, the second by a Duckwing, which should, we 

 think, have been placed first. We must say, in conclusion, that 

 we have never seen Game Bantam classes better filled than at 

 Birmingham in 1873. 



Ducks. — Aylesburys showed some falling-off in weight, as will 

 be seen from the following table ; — 



1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 

 lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. 



1st prize 17i .. 17J .. 18i .. 17 12 .. 18 12 .. 17 6 



2nil prize _ . . 17i . . 183 . . 16 12 . . 18 1 . . 17 



■Srd prize — .. I7I .. 175 .. 15 4 . . 17 4 .. 16 14 



4'1' prize _ . . _ . . 18} . . 18 10 . . 16 11 . . 16 12 



The weights of the Rouen prize birds are as follows, one Duck 

 and one drake constituting the pen in each instance: — 



1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 

 lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. 



1st prize 19i .. 18J .. 191 ..19 5 . . 19 10 .. 19 10 



and prize ISi . . 17| . . 18^ . . 19 1 . . 19 12 . . 18 14 



or.l prize I7J . . 17J . . 1«J . . 18 15 . . IS 7 . . — 



4tli prize 16} . . 17l . . 17| . . 18 10 . . 18 2 . . — 



-5th prize — . . 16| . . 17i . . 18 8 . . 22 2 . . — 



6th prize — . . 16J . . 17} . . 17 10 . . 21 . . — 



There was a class provided this year of Rouen Ducks, to be 

 Bold at a price not exceeding two guineas the pair. The weights 

 in these cases, for the four prize pairs respectively, are 

 15 lbs. 2 0Z3., 12 lbs. 12 ozs., l:J lbs. 2 ozs., and 13 lbs. 6 ozs. These 

 are probably about the weights at which we may expect to find 

 Eouen Ducks when in a condition for the table. 



In Black East Indians we thought the judging (and we ex- 

 amined this class carefuDy) very fair, the winners being good 

 both in colour, size, and points. Mr. Sainsbury would easily 

 have secured at least second had he matched his birds differ- 

 ently, but they were very badly paired, particularly in size, and 

 in attempting to score two prizes (what a common mistake this 

 is) he lost a chance of either. Mandarins and Carolinas had 

 each classes to themselves, which classes proved a great attrac- 

 tion, being thronged all the time. Mandarins were a very even 

 lot, but Carolinas were more easily judged. Good drakes were 

 in every pen, but Ducks were scarce, and the rare lustre on 

 those in the prize pens determined the awards. Call Ducks 

 also were a nice class, first going to Mr. Gladstone's Whites, 

 and second to Greys. In the Any other variety of Waterfowl, 

 first-prize were Mr. Leno's pet D. AutumnaUs (he also showed 

 a pair of Viduatas), and second prize to Ruddy Sheldrakes. The 

 feature of the class was, however, pen 1788, a beautiful pair of 

 purple Gallinules, an African waterhen. The absence of web 

 to the feet seems to have puzzled the Judge, and, perhaps, by 



"Waterfowl" swimmers were really intended; but both the 

 rarity and surpassing beauty of plumage in these bii'ds should 

 have brought them some notice. 



Geese. — These birds showed faUing-ofE both in numbers and 

 weight. Thirteen entries competed for eight prizes, so that 

 most of the exhibitors were "in luck." The following weights 

 will enable comparison to be made : — 



1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 



lbs. lbs. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. 



^VMte— Old birds.. 1st 53i . . 58|.. 66 9 .. 56 2 .. 66 6 



2nd ....52 .. 56}.. 56 9 .. 6112 .. 88 



Goslings.. 1st 50}.. 49}.. 48 6 .. 50 12 .. 46 



2nd .... 42 .. 49 .. 44 .. 41 8 .. 45 



Grey— Old birds ..1st 57}.. 62}.. 60 .. 63 .. 62 



2nd .... 58} . . 53I . . 61 . . 50 12 . . 60 



Goslings.. 1st 48|.. 5)}.. 47 .. 47 8 .. 42 12 



2nd .... 46} . . 49 . . 37 . . 46 12 . . 42 8 



In these classes the weights of the young birds are decidedly 

 below the mark. 



TuBEEYs. — Mr. Lythall of course won in Turkeys in every 

 class in which he showed. In the other (old cocks) Mr. Ken- 

 drick won with an American bird. The weights subjoined will 

 show a falling off in most of the prize cocks, and a gain on the 

 hens. All the Turkey classes were well and creditably filled. 

 18G9. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 

 lbs. lbs. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. 



Old Cirda— Single Cock .... 1st.. 34J.. 86}.. 86 4 . . 88 5 .. 37 4 

 2nd.. 32 .. 36|.. 32 8 . . 35 6 . . 85 10 



Pail-oIHens Ist .. 37}.. 35 .. 3812 .. 32 8 . . 88 6 



2nd.. 82}.. 34 .. 85 8 . . 28 4 . . 88 2 



Bred this year— Single Cock 1st . . 28^. . 243. . 23 . . 29 . . 24 12 

 2nd.. 23*.. 28S.. 23 4 . . ,28 10 . . 23 4 



Pair of Hens 1st.. 2.9i.. 84}.. 28 10 .. 31 . . 31 6 



2nd.. 27|.. 29 .. 27 2 . . 30 10 . . 28 14 



It only remains to speak of the general features of the Show 

 The total entries show a slight falling-off, being this year 1350 

 of poultry, and 11)1 of Pigeons, against 19% of poultry, and 389 

 of Pigeons last year. Most varieties of poultry have decreased ; 

 but the all-devouring Brahma has increased by some sixty pens, 

 and Pigeons by a hundred. The most disappointing classes 

 were the Dorkings. The rest were mostly up to the mark. The 

 Light had been again improved, and there are now very few 

 really Dark pens. It is also worthy of remark that the gallery, 

 which last year was so stiflingly hot as soon as the gas was lit, 

 was now thoroughly ventilated. On this point we felt very 

 anxious, and took particular pains to ascertain, late in the even- 

 ing, how the case then stood ; but with all these improvements, 

 the accommodation is still a disgrace to such a Show, and unless 

 something more be done, must ultimately drag it down below 

 even Manchester. The poultry, it is well known, is the chief 

 attraction of this Show, yet has only about one-fourth the floor 

 space ; and if some means cannot be found of treating exhibitors 

 and the public more fairly, they will inevitably go elsewhere. 

 The crowding at times was really painful, and greatly hindered 

 us from forming a matured judgment in many cases. 



The feeding was particularly careful and good this year, but 

 some other points of the management very bad. The pens were 

 floored with dark sand, and water given in large spittoons, in 

 which latter the birds stood and dabbled, till both their pens 

 and themselves were in a filthy condition it is impossible to 

 describe. Why cannot a Show like this provide proper water- 

 tins, and scatter clean chaff daily into every pen, over a little 

 clean gi'it '? By this means the birds would be kept both clean, 

 healthy, and happy : as it was, if our own fancy were White 

 Cochins, we should have been rather " mad " to see the condition 

 of our birds. 



The attendance of the public was very large, more than for 

 very many years past. The following table of Monday's sta- 

 tistics will show this ; — 



Eeceipts. 

 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 



Monday £195 .. i'260 .. JE233 .. i260 53. .. i324 3s. 



Admissions. 

 18G9. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 



Subscribers' tickets 4,937 . . 4,702 . . 4,392 . . 4,897 . . 5,858 



Five shillmgs each 689 . . 840 . . 777 . . 845 . . 997 



One shUling each 475 .. 819 .. 781 .. 989 . . 1,498 



The sales were also very numerous, and high prices were 

 realised. A Brown Red Game cock sold for £27, and a pen of 

 Duckwing Bantams 18 guineas. The first-prize Dark Brahma 

 pullets were bought-in at i'30, and the second-prize were " run- 

 up " to "24 guineas, at which they also were bought-in. It is our 

 decided opinion that the interest in the poultry fancy is on the 

 increase, and that something like a fresh "mania" is fast getting 

 up; in the face of which we strongly advise all who "hold 

 shares " in " good stock " to hold firm, in the hope of a rising 

 market. We can never remember a sale at which there were so 

 many and such eager buyers. We have mentioned Brahmas 

 bought-in, but besides these the second-prize old Dark cock was 

 run-up at auction from 8 to 22 guineas, at which he was knocked 

 down ; and the third-prize cockerel was claimed at £20. We 

 may perhaps be able to give a summary of the most important 

 sales next week. 



