52 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jal7 18, 1867. 



In judging Game fowls, three different kinds or textures of 

 feather are clearly discernible, in the cocks more especially. 

 Ist, The close, hard, short, stiff, broad feather, like the ancient 

 coats of armour to the bird, so to speak, lying so close to the 

 body ; such birds are rather scant than thick of feathers, though 

 not too much so, o£ course, "iud, The fine or narrow-feathered 

 birds ; these are often good, quick birds, but are never so hard, 

 strong, or so "game" as the first-named sort; these birds 

 often have the narrow, close -whip or switch tails rather droop- 

 ing. 3rd, The long, soft, and often coarse-feathered birds (like 

 Malays), soft both in flesh and feather, and always inferior to 

 the two sorts first named, being longer in body ; these are the 

 worst Game fowls, and should never take prizes ; they are also 

 quite unfit for the pit, and less healthy. 



DEFECTS IN THE SHAPE OF GAME FOWLS. 



1. A short, clumsy, bad-shaped head, with a wide, thick 

 gullet. 



2. A short, straight, bad beak (weak in bone). 



3. A short, soft, weak neck (short-reached). 



4. Narrow and long body and hack (weak birds, the worst 

 defect). 



5. Narrow shoulders and breast (weak birds). 



G. Breast too lean, too sharp, or too lull (not hard). 



7. Crooked breast-bone or keel (a deformity). 



8. Flat-sided and misshapen generally. 



9. Broad, long, and high rump or stern. 



10. Too deep or too flat in keel or breast-bone. 



11. Thighs long, weak, thin, and dangling behind. 



13. Legs too long or too short, feet too much webbed. 



14. Legs and thighs placed too closely together. 



15. Short and Duck-footed (too much webbed). 



16. Spurs clumsy, straight, and high up. 



17. Squirrel-tailed, short stump wings. 



18. Soft and fat in flesh (loose-fleshed). 



19. Long, soft, weak, thick, and weedy in feather (loose- 

 feathered). 



20. Hump-backed, lop-sided. — Newmaeket. 



BENEFIT TO CHICKENS DERIVED FROM 

 CHANGE OF FOOD AND WATER. 



I SEE a letter from " NoTiiscnAHSHiEE " about rearing 

 chickens, and I venture to make a remark, not because I have 

 anything new to tell, but precisely because I have been unsuc- 

 cessful, much in the same way as your correspondent. 



I had a lot of fowls of mixed breeds, and I purchased five or 

 six couples of Cochins last autumn to form a staff of sitting 

 hens. These aU laid well, and several of the Cochins brought 

 off fine clutches in March and April. I had set these hens 

 partly on my own hens' eggs, partly on some I had from my 

 neighbours, but the chickens did well except a few Black Game 

 which soon died. However, I felt I had no reason to be dis- 

 satisfied with the loss of one or two in a clutch, and having to 

 leave home during the first week in May, the hot week, I 

 thought many times how suitable the weather must be for my 

 chickens. This was a great mistake. The finer the weather 

 the more deaths in my poultry-yard. A dozen or more were 

 gone when I returned, and half that quantity more were ready 

 to depart. The weather became cooler again, and I had more 

 success in rearing until the end of May, when the old epidemic 

 re-appeared. A fortnight old and then (as your correspondent 

 says), came the tug of war. I tried everything I could hear of 

 to help them over the fatal time. I took them away from the 

 same places where I had reared the others, and put the hen 

 under a coop in a small orchard and garden. Still no better, they 

 dwindled awoy. I then changed their food and water, and now 

 I am happy to say, I feel I have got at the root of the matter. 

 The chickens had been fed on wheatmeal and barley, and 

 when the weather is cold they wiU do pretty well on it, but in 

 hot weather barley is poison to young chickens. I give them 

 nothing now but dry bread and wheatmeal (fourths) mixed 

 very dry occasionally. I would give them winderings of wheat 

 if I had it. They all do well enough now — Dorkings, Ham- 

 burghs, and Game. 



Some of your readers will pity my ignorance in giving barley 

 to young chickens, but my experience stands thus : — Cold 

 weather, plus warm houses, plus barleymeal, equal warm 

 weather, plus a large garden, plus bread or wheatmeal, and 

 either of these will keep chickens up to the mark. I have every 

 reason to think chickens do well on a grass run, provided you 

 place the coop on a heap of ashes to keep them dry if the 



weather is showery. There are many nostrums for the cure 

 of chickens, but not one has been any use to me. Certainly 

 one chicken survived my attempts to cure (or rather kill), it, 

 and we have a great regard for each other. I have contrived 

 to rear 150 chickens this season, and have lost many. Perhaps 

 another year I may be more fortunate. — A. R. S. 



CLASHING OF EXHIBITIONS. 



I FULLY agree with your remarks as to the evil re suits arising 

 from poultry shows held simultaneously. The Ipswich Poultry 

 Society fixed its next Show for the first week in November, as 

 early as last March, and immediately announced it ; but notwith- 

 standing that, the Bristol and Clifton Society fixed on the same 

 week for its Show. The Ipswich Society has, therefore, altered 

 the date of its Show to one week earlier. I trust that other 

 Committees will take your advice, and will hold their Shows at 

 such times as will prevent the too frequent occurrence of two or 

 three exhibitions taking place at the same time. The Ipswich 

 Poultry Society gained great popularity last year by the beauty 

 and real value of their silver cups, and they hope to give equal 

 satisfaction to the successful winners of the eight offered at 

 their next Show. Mr. Beldon in acknowledging the safe arrival 

 of his birds and silver cup says, •' It is very handsome, and one 

 of the best I have had for the money." Many other simDar 

 notes were received, which encouraged the Committee to con- 

 siderably increase their prize list, and they will offer eight 

 silver cups and money prizes, amounting to upwards of £200, 

 and they hope that exhibitors will show their appreciation of 

 such liberal prizes by making as many entries as possible. 



Why should not societies announce the names of the Judges 

 in the advertisements? — A Well-wisher of Poultry Ex- 

 hibitions. 



SPALDING POULTRY SHOW. 



CoNSiuEniNG that this was the first show of the land ever held either 

 in Spalding or the surrounding district, it is gratifying to remark that it 

 proved a complete success, the entries being numerous, and the attend- 

 ance so good that the proceeds, after deducting all expenses, left a good 

 balance in favour of the Committee to ensure a repetition of the 

 success another season. No Committee could have worked with greater 

 energy than this ; its numbers were few, but experience proves that 

 with an umvieldy managing body composed of many members, these are 

 too apt to shift work from one to another, and, consequently, it is often 

 altogether neglected. At Spalding every aiTangement was completed 

 in an orderly manner by the time appointed, so far as the Exhibition 

 itself was concerned, added to which. evei7 pen was duly rcturaedto 

 the railway on the very evening the Kxhibition closed. It is true the 

 catalogxies were far too late as to publication, but especial care will be 

 taken to prevent the like occuri-ing. All payments whether of silver 

 cups or of prize money were carried oat with equal promptitude. 

 These are matters which, though by some Commitees lost sight of, tend 

 more to insure success for the future than is generally supposed — in 

 fact, they cannot be overvalued. The weather until about midday 

 was most dispiriting, there being one continued downfall of rain, it 

 then cleared up, and the Show was thronged until the time of closing. 

 It is worthy of remark', also, that the whole of the birds, though among 

 them were to bo found Pea Fowls, Pheasants, and Wild Fowl, were 

 safely returned without a single accident or misadventure of any land, 

 a vei7 excellent tent having secured the whole of the pens perfectly 

 dry throughout the day. 



For particulars as to the Poultry, etc., exhibited, we must refer oru" 

 readers to the prize Ust, which appeared last week, as from the delay 

 of the catalogues it was impossible to take the usual notes on the spot. 

 Wg congratulate the Committee, also, on the report so general that 

 the subscription list has been greatly increased. 



MiDDLETON AoFiieULTUILiL SOCIETY'S PoVLTRY ShOW. — We 



are glad to see that this Society's Show goes on prospering 

 more and more, from year to year, and that other agricultural 

 societies are following its good example of offering prizes for 

 poultry. This year the Middleton Society offers twelve silver 

 cups for poultry, and one for Pigeons. The Committee have 

 annually increased the prizes for poultry and Pigeons, and it 

 is now generally admitted that theirs is the largest out-door 

 show, in these particular departments, in that part of the 

 country. There were about 700 pens last year. 



Prize Essay on Farm PotJLTRY. — The prize of .£10 offered 

 by the Royal Agricultural Society, has been awarded to Mrs. 

 Somerville, Manor Farm. 



