402 



JOUENAL OF HORTICTJLTITEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. [ NoTember 17, iac3. 



that the Brahma brings in a better return in entrance-fees 

 as compared with the prize-money than any other class, with 

 but one exception, yet at Birmingham £13 only ai-e offered 

 to Brahmas, and just three times as much (^£39) to Po- 

 lands. Such facts point iinmistakeably to a revision of prize 

 schedules. 



When this tates place let it be remembered that there are 

 two varieties of the Brahma fowl, both, according to the 

 high authority of Mr. Baily, equally genuine, and further 

 that one of these, the Light Brahma, excelling, m the opinion 

 of many, its Dai'k i-ival in usefulness and beauty, boasts a 

 large and gi-owing number of supporters who can ill brook 

 its practical but unjust exclusion ii-om prize hsts, owing to 

 the paucity of prizes given in the Brahma class. 



The division of the Brahmas into two separate classes is 

 imperatively demanded both by the growing numbers of the 

 specimens exhibited, and stUl more by the practical exclusion 

 of the Light bii-ds under the existing system. — Brahma 



POOTRA. 



PEEPAYING FOE POULTEY. 



Seeing a letter in yom- paper relative to prepaying for 

 poultry, I beg to acquaint you that in two cases that I have 

 done so I never received any fowls, and in another case they 

 did not answer the description given, yet the seller refused 

 to take them back, and he having the money I could do 

 nothing. Under these ch'cumstances I should recommend 

 that no prepayment for fowls be made, as the purchaser is 

 as likely to be honest as the seller. — Constant Keadek. 



[If a purchaser buys fowls which he has never seen from 

 a person he does not know, he voluntai'ily incui's a far 

 gi'eater amount of risk than common prudence justifies. If 

 we were wishing to make a purchase under such circum- 

 stances, we shoiUd merely give a reference to some respect- 

 able well-known party, and stipulate with the seller that we 

 should be at liberty to return the poultry, paying all charges 

 if they did not suit. In a transaction of this kind both 

 pui-:;haser and vendor should cheerfully allow to one another 

 the exercise of common precaution.— Eds.] 



EXHIBITING POULTEY PEOFITABLY. 



AiLOw me to addi-ess a few lines in reply to "An Exhi- 

 EiTOK IN A Small Way." The result of my experience for 

 two yeai-s is that an exhibitor of his class may add profit to 

 the pleasui-es of prize-poultry-breeding if he go the right 

 way to work ; but in this, as in all else, there is a right and 

 a wi'ong way, and among so many it is natui'al that many 

 should never find out the right, and give it up in disgust. 

 There ai'e people who have mistaken theii' calling, and who 

 never should have attempted to keep poultry for any but 

 domestic puiposes. But let the right way be adopted by 

 the right man, and I wiU guarantee that not only profit but 

 vei-y considerable profit will ensue, and such as shall be a 

 tangible addition to a moderate income. 



First we must assume that he stai-ts with really good 

 stock, which, if he has an eye and has Mends to advise, he 

 may pick up cheap enough by looking about ; and if he in- 

 tends to do it weU, with a view to pleasure and gain, I 

 advise his confining himself to getting a name for one sort 

 only. The trovible and vexation of trying various sorts at 

 once is to my mind a nuisance, and the confinement it 

 entails upon the bii-ds prevents then- keeping good health 

 and plumage, and does away with the pleasure of seeing 

 them roam at their ease. 



As a beginner, I do not consider one should expect to sell 

 many pens at shows, however they ai'e marked, and that 

 must not be too low. 



On the contrary, what a young hand should aim at is to 

 send good birds, and endeavour gradually to get his name 

 up for a certain breed. As soon as he is mentioned, or 

 takes a prize or two, he wDl have a lew isolated applications 

 for stock, which let him reply to by always supplying a good 

 bird. But this must not suffice ; he must now begin gradu- 

 ally to invite a wider sphere of demand by going through 

 what he calls "the fonnality of an advertisement " in your 

 Journal. If he is too careless or proud to adopt the gi'eat 

 medium of the age, it will only be by a miracle that he can 

 work his way to fame. 



But, then, let him beware of the " Long firm." He must 

 make a rale not to send a single bu-d away without the 

 money, unless it be to a known coiTCspondent, or he will 

 assuredly be victimised. Let him make a point of sending 

 out good bj-ds at good prices ; and if he has second-rate 

 ones to sell he should detail their chief faults to his cus- 

 tomer, who can take them with faults at a lower price if he 

 chooses. 



If he adopt this plan he will be sure to have quite enough 

 demand for his stock if. he repeat his advertisement from 

 time to time ; and my accounts show me that a man may, 

 when once warm in the subject, easily add a hundred or two 

 a-year- to his means faii-ly and honourably. — One who i^obs 



N'OT KIND THE FOEMALITY OF AN ADVERTISEMENT. 



THE BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 



Tee entries for cattle, poultry, and roots having closed, 

 we aje now in a position to speak with certainty upon the 

 prospects of this years Show-. Of late years each succeeding 

 Show has, either in special departments, or, as a whole, de- 

 veloped its growth so rapidly that it seems almost impossible 

 that its dimensions could be included within the limits of 

 the space comprised within the walls of Bingley Hall. The 

 difficulty in the way of space has been met by the erection 

 of a new gallery over a portion of the bay, adjoining that 

 in which the poultry are exhibited. This gallery wiU be 

 devoted to implements, which department last year com- 

 pletely overran the space set apart for it. Implements wiU 

 also be exhibited on the floor space. It wUl be remembered 

 that at the last annual meeting the propriety of exercising 

 a stricter supervision of the entries in this department was 

 discussed. iThe CouncO, having discussed the subject, adopted 

 the foDowing resolution: — "That it be a recommendation 

 to the CouncO in futm'e to restrict the articles admitted for 

 exhibition, in addition to stock and poultry, to agricultui-al 

 and horticultural implements, tools, and machinery, roots, 

 grain, and ai-ticles to be used in connection with agricultirral 

 and horticultural pursuits." To a great extent, no doubt, 

 this resolution will meet the evil, though at fii-st the remedy 

 wiQ not be complete, inasmuch as exhibitors are not required 

 to send in a complete Ust of theii- implements, and there 

 will be sure to be some articles creep in that do not come 

 strictly within the prescribed regulations. The entries 

 of cattle ar-e fifty per cent, above the average of former 

 years. The sheep, though somewhat fewer than last year, 

 which, by the way, was exceptionally strong in this depart- 

 ment, ai-e also fifty per cent, above the average of the entries of 

 former years. In pigs there is an increase of twenty -five per 

 cent. The new poultry depai-tment has always been a strong 

 featm-e in the Birmingham Show — indeed, one of the main 

 features that have tended to make the Show famous. This 

 year there is an increase of a hundred and fifty in the number 

 of entries as compai-ed with last year-. The show of roots, 

 though not one of the most attractive, is at all events one of 

 the most useful departments of the Exhibition, and shows 

 signs of healthy vigour. This yeai' com has been added to 

 the roots, and the propriety of the addition is shown by the 

 fact that there are fifty -seven entries. The new gallery to 

 which we have refen-ed above is intended for implements 

 only ; and to make room for the large increase in the other 

 departnients the Council have been compelled to deviate 

 from the former planning of the Exhibition space appropri- 

 ated to cattle, sheep, and pigs. The main central avenue 

 will be sliglitly contracted, and down the two side avenues 

 for cattle will be placed double rows of pens for sheep, while 

 the space formerly occupied by the sheep will be taken up 

 by an extiu row of cattle. There wUl be one row of pigs in 

 the old position, and the reuLiinder of the pigs will be shown 

 in the small comer bay beyond the second-class refreshment- 

 room. An improvement has also been effected in the poultry 

 department, by increasing the size of the pens for the Cochins 

 and liorkings. The following is a list of the entries, show- 

 ing also the numbers last year- : — 



Cattle.. 

 Sheep. 

 Pigs... 

 Hoots.. 



16(3. 

 J 64 



92 

 •J3 



124 



1862. 



131 



llii 



-0 



116 



18C3. 



Com 57 . 



Poultry 1,500 . 



Pigeuna 275 



18C2 



1,3C4 

 232 



This year the public wiU be admitted on Saturday, the 



