ia\j «, 1867. 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 





trodaoed into this coanty from Woroeaterahire, Stuffordsliiro, 

 and Loioestersbire. We have also had a few from near New- 

 market, broJ by a gentleman of the name of Cobden. At 

 Bradford, llalifiix, and in their vicinitiea, no doubt the best 

 birds for exhibition purposea are produced ; but for the pit 

 there are mimy other localities where good birda are bred. 



The late Karl of Moxborough h.id a breed of LUckbrcaated 

 Reds with wheat-coloured hens, but I believe the Duckwings 

 stood higher in hia favour. Numbers of these were bred and 

 fed in the vicinity of Halifax for the earl, by a man of the 

 name of Holdawoith. — Yorkshirk. 



THE CLASHING OP EXHIBITIONS. 



It ncoda little reflection on the part of auy one at all con- 

 Tersaut with poultry exhibitions to account for the occasional 

 partial succesa of a number of them. Under present arrange- 

 ments no other result could possible ensue, for bo lorg as two, 

 three, or in some cases even fourehows are beingheld simultane- 

 ously, neither first-rate specimena of poultry, a large attendance 

 of poultry amateurs as visitors, nor a selection of arbitrators to 

 award the society's prizes, can with any degree of certainty 

 be insured at any one of them. The well-doing of the whole 

 is affected, and not unfrequeutly have exhibitions from this 

 cause, and this alone, been entirely done away with. It is a 

 suicidal act, to say the best of it, for committeea to hazard 

 their success by an obstinate determination " to carry out their 

 individual show, whether others do so " (at the same time) " or 

 not ;" and we have known many grievous disappoiutmeuts, and 

 mnch loss of means, that every after-care could not make good, 

 thus to result, and society after society has inevitably fallen to 

 decay. This might with but little forethought be entirely 

 aToided, for if committees as soon aa the day was fixed would 

 give an early intimation of the date at which they propose to 

 hold their meetings, nothing less than a most discreditable 

 rivalry would cause other committees to appoint their respective 

 exhibitions on the days already selected, and the columns of 

 The Jodi-.nal of Horticcltuius are always open to the early 

 promulgation of the information above referred to. 



Another great obstacle to general success is the practice of 

 many committees to leave the appointment of judges to the 

 last moment, that their names may not transpire before the 

 meeting. That benefit can in any case arise from this mode 

 of action seems to us exceedingly doubtful ; but this we know, 

 that in many instances to which we could refer, either the par- 

 Uea thus iuvited have been away from home at the moment, 

 or some family arrangement has prevented immediate accept- 

 ance when Ihey have been so unexpectedly requested to officiate. 

 In this difficulty, at the outset so easily provided against, the 

 telegraph is at once called into requisition, aometimes with 

 eaccess, but aa frequently with renewed disappointment; a 

 haphazard judge is obtained, and it is ea.sily appreciable that 

 uncertainty throughout is imminent. Managing committees 

 cannot do better than reflect on what we have tuua advined ; for 

 " to he forewarned is to be forearmed " against these difficultiea. 



\morioa. The Birchen Grey colour often predominates OT«r 

 theRed in the Malays there, and almostalwaya in theBrahmat; 

 but when fonnd wild the red cocks and brown hcna prevail." 



Thus we have an African origin for Malaya and Brahma«, 

 and, perhaps, Cochin-Chinas or Shanghaei also, aa well aa an 

 Asiatic origin ! Aa to their wild type in Atda, the Gullua gigan- 

 teua is undoubtedly that of the Malays, being thiok-combad, 

 and in colour like the reddish Malaya. Brahmaa and Cochins 

 iiiaij have descended through the Malaya from Gallua giganteus ; 

 l)ut aome deem the Partridge Cochins to have been the aonroo 

 from which their whole tribe have aprung. including Brahmas. 

 If Malays gave rise to the Brahmas, the pea-comha are easily 

 accounted for, though they would have descended through 

 the Cochins or Shanghaea. If the Brahma should be found 

 to bo the African bird, aa the Cochin is the Asiatic bird of 

 this tribe, any little difference between tbem which may eiist 

 would be easily recognised as coming from different continents 

 oiiginally. 



I should have said in my last note on Brahmaa, that th« 

 Dorking cross would give too long winga to Brahmas. I have 

 not seen any Dorking-crossed Brahmaa at any of the exhi- 

 bitions I have visited. 



If pea-combed Brahmas have any claim to a distinct orig^, 

 I think it will rather he aa African than aa Asiatic birds. — 

 that the pea-combed are of African, and the single-combed ol 

 Asiatic origin — but it appeara they are much mixed with Malays 

 wherever found. — Trevor, oidbbwisk Newmarket. 



BRAHMA POOTRAS PERHAPS OF AFRICAN AS 

 WELL AS ASIATIC ORIGIN. 



I HAVE obtained a few further notes on Brahma Pootras 

 which may be interesting. Whether wholly correct or not, 

 they are certainly correct in part. " At Rio de .Iimeiro or St. 

 Sebastian, the capital of the empire of Brazil, there are many 

 Malays to be found, both of the Ked and Grey or rather Birchen 

 breeds. Birchen Brahmaa are also to be found in the environs 

 of this city without vulture hocks. (Shape of comb ia, how- 

 ever not given). Reddish brown and Partridge birda of the 

 Brahma type, as well aa tho.^e of a darkish cinnamon, are to 

 be found in this locality, though not so commonly as the 

 Malays." 



"The writer of these notes inquired where both those brcei^s, 

 Malays and Brahmaa, came from originally, and was answered 

 that they were brought to 'Rio,' in the slavera and trading 

 yessela from the west cost of Africa, and a few from the Mozam- 

 bique country on the east coast of Africa ; that they both were 

 the common fowla of those coasts, and were to be found at 

 Sierra Leone as well, which ia a British possession, and that 

 the southern United States obtained both breeds in the same 

 manner, aa did the West Indian Islands. The ti>»la' being 

 thus imported into the Southern States of the Uoinn, will 

 account for their being also found in the Noitheru Stales of 



BE\T3RLEY POULTRY EXHIBITION. 



The tenth annnnl Exhibition in connection wi'h this Society took 

 place on June ^Gtli. The day throushont was most anspicions, and 

 the arrangements, niidcr the personal manasoT-cnt of the active Secre- 

 tary of the Show, left not a sinRle matter undone that the most 

 aniions proprietor of competing poiiltrr conld desire. The fact waa, 

 the Secretary-, Mr. Harry Adams, so well known amonij onr ponltry 

 amateurs, aided by his own Tioallrv man (Briloy), took the whol« 

 charge and management of the ponltry, ami thus withont a single 

 mistake or mishap everything was carried through to the most satis- 

 factory conclusion. 



It is a matter of pleasure to as to record, that never has there beea 

 a case brought under onr notice in which a show thronghont has been 

 held where all the pons have been so oicollent ; and we can with pet- 

 feet confidence nssnre onr readers that, with the exception of the Gr«y 

 Dorl-inrin. there was not a class that could have been selected at 

 Beverley that wnnld not have done honoar even to the largest of OUT 

 poultry e-xhibitionr,. It is a diffirnlty to assign nny reason why there 

 should have been this vear so CTcnt a falling-oCT in this one particnlar 

 class, as the Grey Dorlcinss at Beverley have heretofore been one of 

 the most conspicuons breeds rejiresonted. This year, however, the 

 deterioration was so sad. that had not the Committee most genoronaly 

 determined that " every prize on the schedule should be given," to 

 keep perfect faith with exhibitors, no doubt a portion at lesst of the 

 Grey Dorking premiums would have been withheld altogether. The 

 Game classes were such as are very rarely equalled : in fact, all tho 

 great guns amonj Game breeders seemed to have reserved their best 

 pens of Game birds for the Beverley Show. Mr. .Tas. Fletcher, of 

 Stoneclongh. took the silver cup for the best pen of Game (Any variety) 

 exhibited, with a Black Red cock, that was the admiration of every 

 one, supported bj a beautiful Brown Rod, takinc second pri!:e also in 

 the same class. The conditio of these birds wus perfection itself, 

 and proved beyond <inestinn the great attention (hat must have been 

 bestowed nponthem in their general management. Mr. S. Matthew, 

 of Stowmarket, was also represented by several wonderfully eood pens 

 of Game fowls, and the united opinion of all Game breeders present 

 was that, the best Black Red hen over eThibited was tho property of this 

 gentleman in pen C. Whether viewed for brood purposes or for exhi- 

 bition we must certainly give most nneqnivocal support to this general 

 opinion, Tho Duclrwi'nes were especially good, and mostly very troo 

 to feather, Spanish fowls were well shown ; hut many of tho best 

 pens were suffering from too freqnent exhibition. It should be borne 

 in mind by owners, that Spanish f.iwls appear far more Fusceptible of 

 injury from this cause than most, other varieties of ponltry. Coclant 

 were "shown that have rarely been excelled, the Partridge-coloared 

 ones beini the rccirients of the principal prize— a silver cup. In 

 Jlamhui-qlis Mr. Beldon earned all before him. taking the first prizes 

 in all four varieties, consequently ineritably sccnrinT the silver Ham- 

 bnrqh cnp, thonih a great deal of time was wasted in the final deter- 

 mination of this cup preminm. from the fact of the whole four pans 

 beins of extraordinary excellence, and of course nnVnown to the 

 .Judge as being the property of one single exhibitor. Polish, thongji 

 few. were very good. 



Wo now come to Game Pnvtrrmn. of which the disptny wasnnnsaally 

 good. We regret to have to record a piece of decc) tion revealed in 

 Ihisclnss thatroncn discovered, bronght down immedinledisqnalificatioa 

 on undoublcitlv hv far the best jien exhibited. In rase of a quickly 

 judged show it is more than probable the discovery would not hare 



