Aneut 8, 1867. 1 



JOUUNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



109 



burghs also were in preat force aa to nnmbers, bnt there were not many 

 really good birds amonght them, and white deaf ears were coniipicaous 

 by their absence. In the Any other variety class there wore Houdans, 

 Polish {(loldi-u and Silver-spanglfd, and White-crested Black), Cri-ve 

 Ceenrs, and Cuckoo Dorkings. The Uoadans which obtained the lirst 

 prize had certainly the recommendation of size, otherwise they were 

 sot particularly pood, the Crcve Cojars were very Une birds. 



Docks were not quite tirst-class. Oeene, however, were very good, as 

 also were the Tarkuys. 



Spinish.— First, 0. A. Young, DrifBeld. Second, O. & II. Vontress, 

 Danby. 



DoBKlNOB.— First, J. White, Wnrlaby, Northallerton.! Second, T. C. 

 Taylor, MiddlesborouRb. 



CocHlN'CiilNA (Buff or Cinnamon).— First, O. A. Young. Second, Rev. 

 J. G. Miltier, Bellorby, near Leyburn. 



Cochin-China (White).— First, G. Calvert, Darlington. Second, R. 

 Eaaby, Ormesby, Middlesborour^'b. 



Cochin-China (Partridge or Grouse!.— Prize, G. Calvert. 



Bkahua Pootha (Any colour). — First, F. Powell, Knare-iborougb. Se- 

 cond, T. C Tsylor. Commended, J. H. Bennett, Hedcrir. 



Game (Blnck'-breasterl or other Reds). — First, W. Gatenby, Hemlintrton, 

 Stockton. Second, P. Sturdy, Carlton, N'ortballertou. Commended, O. A. 

 Young. 



Game. — roc*:.— First, W. Bearpsrk, Ainderby Steeple, Northallerton. 

 Second, -T. Kicbiirdsou, Middlesborongb. 



Gauk Bantaus.— First, J. Gnmdon, Kedcar. Second, F. Powell. 



BAUBuauns (Ooldeu-pencilled). — First, G. & H. Veutress. Second, W. 

 Bearpnrk. 



HAUBunoHS (•^ilver-pencilled). — First, Rev. J. G. Mihier. Second, G. 

 Craggs, Great Ayton. 



HAUBUhuus (Golden-spangled). — First, O. A. Y'oung. Second, G. & H. 

 Ventress. 



Haudurohs (Silver-spangled).- First, O. A. Young. Second, R, Jack- 

 son. 



Any Vauietv not Named above — First, Rev. J. G. Milner. Second, G. 

 Wren (Binck Poland). Commended, a. & H. Ventress (White-crested 

 Black Polish.) 



Ducks i Aylesbury). — First, Miss Smith. Second, O. A. Y'oung. 



Docks (Rouen).— Second, O. A. Vouug. 



Any Vakietv not Named above. — Prize, Rev. J. G. Milner. 



Gkkrk. — Qoallnifa. — First and Second, Mrs. ButTham, liedcar. Com- 

 mended, O. A. Young. 



Geese.— Go«liTi(;j». — First, Mrs. RulTham. Second, O. A. Yount?. 



ToBKEYs —First, Mrs. BuflThsm. Second, C. Trotter, jun., Stockton. 

 PcntlU. — >irst. J. Storry. Second, O. A. Young. 



Rahhits (Any colour). — First, O. A. Young. Second, J Richardson, 

 Middlesbnrougb. Fancy Breed. — Prize, W. Bainbridge, Newport, Middles- 

 boroufr-h iHimalsya). 



Extra I'oultrv.— Commended, T.Long, Guiaborough (Fancy Pigeons) 

 .1. Richardson (Rabbits.) 



The .lodges were Mr. Churlea Dearlove, Bedale, and Mr. Samuel 

 Bum, of Whitby. 



SHEFFIELD EABBIT AND CANAEY SHOW. 



Tins was held en July '2'2vi and 23rd, at the Inkerman Tavern 

 Alma Street, Sheffield. Some of the best specimens of long-eared 

 Habbits ever exhibited were shown. The exhibition of dviaries was 

 Tcry good for the season. The Buff Belgian class was very well repre- 

 sented, and the other classes were of rather an inferior qnalitv. The 

 Exhibition was numerously attended, and gave the greatest satisfaction. 



T^e following prizi s were awarded :— 



RABBITS. 

 Length oe Ears.- First, J. Taylor. Buck, ago five months and fourteen 

 days, ears 3; J tnches long, 5^ inches w-de. Second, J. Maugham, Doe, 



age four mentbs and eight diiys, ears 21 J inches long, .'ii inches wide. 



CoLot'u— Prize, W. WingHeid. Black and white Buck, -' 



long, 5 inches wide. 



, ears 20| inches 



Yellow and White. — First, J. Mangham. Ears 20J inches long, 

 5^ inches wide. Second, . I. Leigh. Ears ISJ inches long, 43 inches wide. 



Grey, White.— First, W. Wt. glleld. Ears 2n} inches long, 5 inches 

 wide. Second, W. Tl.oy. Ears lyj inches long, 42 inches wide. 



ToKTOlSEsBlLL.- First, J. Leigh. Ears 20J inches long, 4J inches 

 wide. St-rend. J. Hewitt. Ears 17| inches lunp, 4^ inches wide. 



Sele.— Rrst, J. Tsylor. Y'ellow Doe, ears 21 J inches long, 6J inches 

 wide. Sicond, J. Hewitt. Grey Doe, ears 17 long. 4J inches wide. 



WEIOHT.-First and Second, J. Owen. Black Doe, 13 lbs. U ozs. 

 Black and white Buck, 12 lbs. 13 ozs. 



CANARIES. 

 Yellow Beloians— Prize, J. Thomas. 



BOFF Beloians.- First, O. Alton. Second, J. Alton. Third, R. Cross- 

 land. Fourth, J. Leigh. Fifth, J. Upton. 

 Vakif.oated.— First, J. Thomas. Second, J. Alton. 

 Norwich. — First and Second, J. Thomas. 

 LiZfliiDs — First and Second, J. Alton. Third, M. Oxley, 

 .loNQl'ES. — Prize, C. Brown. 

 Mule —Prize, J. Leigh. 



Manchester and Livekpool Centenary Exhibition. — A 

 Committee meetiug of the Manchester and Liverpool Agricul- 

 tural Society, was held July 2'2iid, at which special prizes were 

 direoteci to be awarded for Spangled Hamburghs, which had 

 been omitted from the schedule uf prizes. This decision was 

 directed to be advertised, and the time for these entries was 

 extended to the 5 th of August. This, perhaps, will satisfy 

 " Y. B. A. Z."— Cockerel. 



SAWDUST AS AN ABSORBENT AND MANURE. 



One would imagine the farmers in " II. N.'s " neighbourhood 

 (see page G3j, to be a remnant of those gentlemen of ante- 

 diluvian notions who, unfortunately for themselves and in 

 many cases for others, will look with a supercilious eye on all 

 modern improvements, and are continually referring to and 

 mourning after the customs and practices of the " good old 

 days." New styles of agricultural machinery, or systems of 

 farming at variance with their own, meet with their most de- 

 cided disapproval ; and if a man's success depends upon the 

 opinions of his neighbours, there is little chance for him who, 

 in opposition to all those fixed notions, will commence and 

 carry out his own ideas with all the improvements of the present 

 age rather than follow the rules laid down by his forefathers, 

 aud to depart from which would be to such persons beyond the 

 bounds of possibility. If the opinions aud prophecies pro- 

 pounded hy these worthy gentlemen come but a quarter true 

 ruin is near at hand, and the downfall of our enterprising young 

 farmer will be a warning to all who !i i// try " now schemes," 

 and only what could be expected of a man who thinks he knows 

 better than his elders, and wiU not walk in the way his fathers 

 trod. 



But these things cannot always be talked down. The un- 

 timely end so enthusiastically predicted is still a vision of the 

 future, but every day becoming leas distinct. The crops which 

 under the improved systems of manuring, tilling, sowing, 

 weeding, reaping, etc., are yielding three or sixfold the former 

 produce of the ground, are being gathered in in prime condition 

 in half the time and with half the labom-; and, as "nothing 

 succeeds like success," we may hope next season to see many 

 converts who will be as much for as they were against the 

 improved systems aud appliances of the present day. 



With one exception, my fowl-houses have for flooring ground 

 simply taken from the garden after a few days of dry weather, 

 turned over once a-week, and renewed with fresh earth to the 

 depth of 18 inches twice or thrice a-year ; this buries all animal 

 matter, keeps the place sweet and clean, and is a valuable 

 source of enjoyment and exercise to birds in a confined state. 

 As a stimulus to their exertions I give them earth over which 

 I have thrown quicklime before spring- planting ; this is slacked 

 hy dew and rain, and after being well incorporated with the 

 earth, is of inestimable value to the fowl-houses, the birds 

 never tiring of scritching and pecking for the shell-forming 

 material. I am, through this plan, never annoyed with soft- 

 shelled eggs, nor the untidiness of oyster shells or lumps of 

 old mortar about the yard. 



The house which is not after this plan is an outhouse with 

 brick flooring. My first winter of poultry-keeping I had great 

 difficulty in keeping this place dry, losing two or three birds 

 in the season ; but by spreading sawdust to the depth of a 

 couple of inches all moisture is absorbed, and the fowls kept 

 warm and clean. As soon as it becomes damp, which is, of 

 course, dependent on the state of the weather and the number 

 of fowls, it is collected and spread amongst jjlants of the cab- 

 bage tribe, and forthwith they expand and brighten up con- 

 siderably, and I do not think my garden is infested with wire- 

 worms to a greater extent than it would he with other kinds o{ 

 manure. 



An amateur farmer in the neighbourhood keeps his pigs 

 literally rolling in sawdust. They are as clean as any lady's 

 lapdog, always in splendid condition, and always fit to be seen 

 without holding a perfumed handkerchief to the nose. He 

 finds the manure exceedingly valuable for heavy lands, the 

 sawdust rendering the earth porous and light. Many of the 

 stables in the island are also kept supplied with this material 

 in preference to straw. — A. Le Chbminant, Foulon Yale, 

 Guernsey. 



SWARM DESERTING ITS HIVE. 



Allow me to ask your opinion on the following occurrence : 

 — On the 21st of July I took and secured a fine swarm of bees, 

 placed them under a straw hive, and they kept there apparently 

 all right till the 2'Jth, just eight days, and then quitted the 

 hive and disappeared altogether ; but during their stay in the 

 hive they formed about 6 inches by 4 of a comb very perfectly. 

 Having kept bees for some years a similar circumstance hai 

 not before occurred to me. Account fi)r it I cannot, and there- 

 fore I ask you to enlighten me. — J. Ssiiin, Begbrooh House, 

 Frencluiy, near Bristol. 



[You do not say if it were a first or a second svarm wluch 



