December 4, 1873. 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



453 



"We will only farther remark that all the officials were 

 CDQrteoiis and obliging as ever, and did all iu their power to 

 assist us in every way. We could only wish that the awards 

 were more frequently delivered-in, more promptly copied-out, 

 and more constantly kept posted-up on the Saturday. 



The Judges officiated as follows : Mr. John Baily judged the 

 Dorking, Malays, French fowls. Any variety class, Bantams 

 (except Game), and fancy Ducks; Mr. Dixon took the Ham- 

 burghs, Polish, large Dacks, Geese, and Turkeys ; Captain Heaton 

 did the Cochins; Mr. Teebay the Brahmas and Spanish; and 

 Messrs. W. K. Lane, E. Lowe, and J. H. Smith the Game and 

 Game Bantams. It gives us pleasure to add that Mr. Hewitt 

 also put in an appearance on the Saturday, and thou^-h not able 

 to take regular duty, kindly checked over, voluntarily, the 

 Brahmas and some of the Cochins, "just for fun" and to assist 

 his colleagues. He looked much better than we expected to 

 find him, and though a little fatigued, seemed really to enjoy 

 being in his old element again. 



[We have another full report from a thoroughly qualified 

 reporter, which we will insert next week. — Ens.] 



THE PIGEONS. 



Monday, December 1st. — I stand at an early hour at my hall 

 door in Wiltshire with a light heart, for I have just tapped my 

 barometer, and find that after a steady rise of some days the 

 mercury is now ever bounding. Ah ! thought I, this year 1873 

 is like many an old sinner, improving at the last. October 

 better than September, and now we are going to have the old 

 gentleman's last days, and they are to be better still. Shall I 

 really see the Birmingham Show under sunlight '.' Will Bir- 

 mingham streets bo other than dirty, slippery, greasy, and the 

 air smoky-tasting, wet ? I have never seen Birmingham to ad- 

 Tantage ; I think I shall this time. *' Carpe diem," which freely 

 translated in this nineteenth century (latter part, by the way), 

 may mean, ** Catch the train." Train duly caught, day improv- 

 ing every hour, but the train terribly, terribly slow. Comfort- 

 ing thought — " If slow, sure — i.e., safe, can't run into any other 

 train." Discomforting thought — " Another train may run into 

 ns.'* Weary, wearj- hours — the train is so very slow. At length, 

 at a few minutes to four, after a seven-hours ride, I am in Bir- 

 mingham. On, on, to the Show. The day is stUl fine. Bir- 

 jningham streets and air as good as can be under any circum- 

 stances. A throng like Cheapside. I cross over to the opposite 

 pavement, which seems less crowded. I wonder whether this 

 fine street, like Milsom Street, Bath, has a shilling and a six- 

 penny side, and the shilling side, having tlie better shops, has 

 the most people. In the Show, but dark, hot ; no light cages 

 for Pigeons as at the Crystal Palace, and to see birds and judge 

 their merits an utter impossibihty. Baffled and beaten, I go 

 out and hope for a fine morning's early visit. The hospitable 

 doors of, now an old friend of mine, and an old friend of " our 

 Journal," are, I know, open to receive me. 



Tuesday morning I am in the Show in capital time ; but wait 

 awhile. I had never seen the country near Birmingham under 

 sonlight, and how pretty it is ! English hedgerow scenery — 

 thoroughly English. It is Shakspeare'a county, too, I re- 

 member, rich iu wild flowers, and woods, and parks, and deer ; 

 and though the needs and necessities of business have altered 

 it, yet these are counterbalanced greatly by the well-built 

 villas, the tasty gardens, rich especially iu conifers, and all the 

 appearances so prominently revealing the comfortable, very 

 comfortable, circumstances of the inhabitants. 



Bingley Hall is, as ever, full — too full for personal ease and 

 rapid progress. Up the gallery I find my cooing friends. The 

 poultry I go not to ; another is writing of these, and right well 

 he does write. 



First greet me the Almond Tumblers ; and, by the way, how 

 one's mind will turn to the Crystal Palace Show, seen only a 

 fortnight since — "comparisons are odious," as said my copy- 

 book — " comparisons are odiriferous," as said Mrs. Malaprop — 

 bat one cannot help making them. Birmingham Show and 

 Crystal Palace Show, the former like a fine old parent whose 

 son has grown bigger and finer than himself, yet the old fellow 

 is, I find, hale, and hearty, and strong — not so good-looking as 

 his son Crystal Palace Show, but venerable and strong withal. 

 I stand before the Almond Tumblers, shown here in pairs — few 

 bat choice. 



The Carriers are, though fewer, yet said to be even better 

 than those at the Crystal Palace Show ; certainly the first-prize 

 is a grand bird ; there is one. No. 1866, highly commended — an 

 excellent-going bird whose day is coming. 



Next come Pouters, Red cocks — First-prize a very good colour, 

 not good in style of limbs, but certainly rightly placed first; se- 

 cond an excellent Pouter, colour bad, limb very good. Red 

 hens — first excellent, a little too much white in crop, but no other 

 fault; second a very nice bird, but not a good colour, hi.^ being 

 Blue-bred very vi.tible, but he has nice limbs. Blue hens. — 

 Second was the lovely hen, to my mind, of the Crystal Palace 

 Show, and the lovely hen of this Show as well, her only fault 

 being slightly bisboped ; still first was a bird o( immense length. 



No. 1957 has a Black put in by mistake, certainly a strange mis- 

 take, and an excellent bird. No. 19.58 was a nice bird. Black 

 cocks. — 1965, young but has a good time coming. First a very 

 nice bird ; second very large but flagged thighs. Black hens. — 

 First well-stockened and lovely limbed ; second too much white. 

 White cocks. — First I'ather more slender than second ; the second 

 well nigh as good a bird as could be, and perhaps the best in the 

 class. White hens. — First long-limb and feathers, but not too 

 good a carriage ; second very pretty hen, but wants a little more 

 limb; 1992, third at Crystal Palace Show, hut only very highly 

 commended here. The class of White Pouters the best of the 

 variety. Any other colour. — Surely a mistake. Mealies not 

 wanted here, and Yellows better with Reds. In the hens of 

 Any other class all were Yellow and all good, but third-prize 

 rather heavy, 



Bai-bs, Black — First, wondrous skulls ; second, very good 

 indeed. Barbs, any other colour — First, Reds, well-known ones ; 

 second, a nice pair of Yellows. Barbs of 1873, very promising — 

 First, wonderful for age. 



Balds, Shortfaced, more numerous than I. feared — First, 

 excellent Blues ; second. Blues again, a little large ; a Yellow 

 commended pair, excellent iu colour, and one good in head. 



Beards — First and second, Mr. Woodhouse ; I preferred the 

 latter. 



Tumblers, Shortfaced — First, Mr. Adams, excellent Reds ; 

 second, a tidy pair of Black Mottles. Tumblers, Loug-mufied, 

 thorough Birmingham birds, and now bred to nice feather. 



Bunts, of course few. I heard a countryman remark, " They 

 he fowls, surely." 



Jacobins. — Here a dillerence of opinion ; one class of fanciers 

 and judges like the hog-mane, anotlier class like it not, but an 

 openness in the neck ; hence at the Crystal Palace Show one 

 class, the latter, won, here the former. I own I prefer the hog- 

 mane. The Jacobins were very excellent. 



White Fantails. — A truly superb class, and no wonder when 

 Messrs. Maynard, Loversidge, and Serjeantson sent their birds. 



Trumpeters. — Very few, but good. 



Owls, Foreign, the same. English Owls, a far stronger class, 

 but surely they were many of them half or part foreign — a 

 kind of Englishman with foreigner's smaller size and look. 



Nu/ts. — Good, and many Y'ellows among them. 



Blue Dragoons. — Very excellent. Bed and Yellows — First 

 and cup, superb Yellows ; second, excellent Red birds ; third, 

 Y'ellows ; 2212, good Reds again. Silver Dragoons showed good 

 specimens of the two varieties, the Black-barred and the Brown- 

 barred — First and cup, the former variety ; second, the latter. 

 Dragoons, any other colour — First and cup, lovely Whites, ex- 

 cellently shown ; all in the class White. 



The Magpies were very neat. 



Antwerps of the higher fancy variety, of different colours, of 

 good shape. 



Archangels. — Glittering and gorgeous, hut too few. 



Swallows. — Neat and nice. 



The Any other variety a truly interesting class. 



In all, the Pigeon entries numbered 491, and putting aside the 

 Crystal Palace Show, this was a very good one. The great heat 

 of the evening is to be regretted. The bad pens — some in corners, 

 very dark— are also to be regretted. A stranger cannot fully 

 unclerstand the difficulties of a managing committee, but it is a 

 pity that the pretty birds cannot be shown as well as at Glasgow, 

 to say nothing of the Crystal Palace, which as a building is 

 above comparison with any other. The fineness of the weather 

 is a cause of great congratulation. 



Then Birmingham was the initiator of many shows. Here 

 first a great Exhibition ; here a first Poultry Show. Here, I 

 believe, Mr. Sims Reeves first came into fame. In fact, there is 

 a pluck, an energy, and " a go " in the good folks which make 

 everything that is done here noteworthy to every Englishman, 

 whether he happens to agree with it or not. Hence a visit to 

 the good town is always interesting. — Wiltshire Rectok. 



DoBKisos (Coloured, pxccpt Silver Grey).— Cocft*.— Cup. T. C. Burnell, Michel 

 dever. 2, J. Drewry, Burlon-on-Tr*nt. 3, J. White, Warlaby. Northallerton 

 4, J. Walker, Roch'dale. he, E. Fearon, Whitehaven, c, Countesa of Dart 

 mouth, Patahall, Alt»iighton, Wolverhampton ; W. H. DeoidOD, Woburu Sanda 

 Bed3. 



DoBKiN-oa (Coloured, except Silver-Grey).— Cocfc«r^'«.— 1. Mra. ArknriBht, 

 Sutton Scar«dale. 2, J. Walker, Kochdale. 3, Mrs. Murray, Thulston, Derby. 

 4, T. F»»x, Lincoln. 5, Mra. Somernlle, Chirk, North Wales. Uc, Rev. J. V. 

 Newton, Kirby-in-Cleveland: J. Wella, Urakolow, Burton-ouTrent; T. Statter, 

 Manchester: J. While; W. Harvoy. Shefflel I. 



DoKKiNos (Coloured, except Silver-Grey). -Coct» or Cock'reh.—l aaH.a. 

 W. Kichardson, Beverley. 2, J. Walts, KioK'a ilcath, Birmingham. 8, J. Smith, 

 nenlcy-in-Arden. )ic, E. Shaw, Oawcslry. ... . , 



DonKiNos (Coloured, except SilTcrGrey).— Hens— 1, Mra. Arkwright. 5, J. 

 White. 3. T. Statter, Manchoatcr. 4, Henry Lingwood, Barkins, Noedham 

 Market. 5, W. J. Thompson, Woodhorn, Morpeth, he, J. Drewry. 



D'lHKiNoa (Coloured, oxeeiilHilver-Orey).-r«Ue(».—l, J. White. 2, Mra. Ark- 

 Wright. 8, T. E. Kell, Wethcrbv. 4. Mra. T. W. L. Hind, Kendal. S, W. W. 

 Kuttlidee, Storthond, Kendal, he. Key. J. G. A. Baker, Old Warden Vicarage, 

 HiifKleawado ; Mrs Somerville. Chirk, North Waloa; W. H. Kubauu, Liucom £ 

 E. Fearon. c, .7. D. Hewann, M.D.. Stafford; T E. KeU. 



DoKKisas (Coloured, except SiWer-liroyl -Beju or Pullctt.-\, R. Smalley, 

 Lancaster. 2, W. Tyler, Birminiihara. 3 and 4, J. Watts. , „ , ,. „ , 



DoEKivoa (Siiver-Grry).— C'ocU.— l.T. Haines. Hndge Haugh, Stirling. ', J. 

 Hortun, j an., Shirley, Birmingham, lie, W. \V. Kuttlidgo. c, Uov. J. F. Newton ; 

 Counteas of Dartmouth. « ... ,^ 



Do&KiMua (SilTor-Grey).— Cockerel!.— 1, A. Darby, Bndgonorth. 2, W. O 



