October 24, 18(7. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



321 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending October 22nd. 



Weil. . 10 

 Thars. 17 

 FrI. .. IH 



Silt. .. I'J 

 Son... 'JO 

 Mon... -Jl 

 Tnee. . 2^ 



Mcaii 



I Buln In 

 ; InoheB. 



S. 



S. 

 S.W. 

 S.W. 



s. 



S.W. 



.00 

 .04 

 .08 

 .01 

 .00 

 .(lU 



OCITZBU. KEUaBU. 



Cluudy anil damp ; fine with white clouds ; overcast. 



Clear; flnc ; clcarntnicht; rain. 



Clear ; clear and tine ; rain ; clear at night. 



Overcast, ftne ; overcast ; low fop, clear. 



Foggy ; very heavy dew ; clear and ver>" flne ; clear. 



(;)vercast ; cloudy ; clear at night. 



Overcast ; cloudy and fine ; clear. 



0.13 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



KILLING I'OULTRY. 



Becollecting what we have seen in the way of killing 

 poultry, when fowls that were supposed to have been dead 

 some time from broken neck, have been discovered walking 

 about with their heads on one side ; and when Ducks that 

 have had pins stuck into their brains, and been hung up by 

 their tied legs, have been hours afterwards trying to fly away, 

 and squinting awfully — when we have seen the ten minutes 

 weary sawing at the necks of tho poor (_iallinace;v, the breaking 

 out into perspiration of tho operator, and the air of unbelief 

 in his assertion when he throw the poor creature down, saying 

 it was dying, with a terrible gash in the throat, but the vital 

 parts untouched, and saw it run away with its blood streaming, 

 and at last die from sheer exhaustion — when we recollect 

 having seen all this, we answer that for the uninitiated the 

 most humane mode of killing is to chop the head off at a blow, 

 and holding the bird by the legs and wings to allow it to bleed 

 to death ; but it is not a neat way, it is a sad mess. 



The mode followed by all dealers is to break the neck. This 

 method has the following advantages : — Death is very speedy ; 

 it is cleanly and less revolting ; and it is certain the bird eats 

 better than when all the blood is drained. The manner is 

 thus: — The bird is taken by the legs and wings in the left 

 hand, while the head is taken in the right, the body and neck 

 being stretched to their extreme length ; the head is then bent 

 backwards and pulled at the same time. Dislocation takes 

 place, and the body is held in tho same position two or three 

 minutes for the blood to run into the neck. Then, and not 

 before, plucking should begin. 



SALE ARRANG1::MENTS AT BIRMINGHAIM. 



I FIND I was in error last week as to the origination of the 

 new sale-regulations at Birmingham Show. I am sorry for 

 the mistake; but the gentleman I referred to will bo the first 

 to wish it known that the credit of so good an arrangement is 

 duo to Mr. .T. B. Lythall, the indefatigable Secretary. It is not 

 the lirst time tho Show has been indebted to Mr. Lythall's 

 ingenuity. 



So good is this last device, that I see already it has been 

 adopted by the Somerset County Association to add to the 

 attraction of their very liberal schedule for the Show at Weston- 

 super-Mare. IJespecting this latter Show, which may be re- 

 garded as the offspring of the Bristol one last year, I should 

 have something to say; but knowing the great interest he has 

 taken in it from tl\e beginning, I leave the task to the pen 

 of " Y. B. A. Z."— Nemo. 



! only drawback this year has been that the young ducklings 

 would just break tho shell of the eggs, and then die ; for that I 

 cannot account. 



The best plan for any one to adopt when there are any in- 

 sects on fowls, is to let these sleep on deal shavings, and the 

 turpentine will soon drive away all insects. I sometimes sprinkle 

 it on my dog's bed and the fleas soon leave. — H. W., HaUjax. 



DESTROYING LICE ON POULTRY. 

 A snor.T time since some of your lady lovers of poultry were 

 lamenting over losses of their stock by parasites. Now, I have 

 kept fowls all my life, but I never pay any extraordinary 

 amoimt of attention to them beyond giving them plenty to eat, 

 and clean water to drink, and I let the chickens and Ducks have 

 a dry board to brood on. JMy chickens hardly ever die, and I 

 have always been fortimate. This year one hen brought me 

 fourteen young ones out of liftecn eggs ; a second fifteen out of 

 fifteen ; a third nineteen out of twenty ; and a fourth twelve out 

 of thirteen. I have also had nineteen pullets out of twenty-six 

 chickens, many of which have been laying for six weeks. My 



BRISTOL AND CLIFTON POULTRY SHOW. 



Till; most important part of a lady's letter is said to be the 

 postscript. Will this apply to the present P.S. to my remarks 

 on this Show in a recent number ? I had it on the point of my 



pen, to say , no, to write, that I regretted there was to be 



no alleviation of the Great Western Hallway's infamous charges. 

 Last year they were most exorbitant. Is there no possible 

 relief this year ? 



I venture to say that if in the regulations of tho Bristol and 

 Clifton Show, there had been a promise of charge for carriage 

 only in one direction, it would have made a difference of one 

 hundred more entries. 



It is these large, leading shows that I want to see fighting this 

 question out. Birmingham, for instance, refusing a show unless 

 relief were granted, the following year we should be repaid 

 by the £'20 silver cup, the gift of tho railways, for the best pen 

 in the Show, and our specimens into the bargain carried at a 

 nominal rate. If tho railways can do it for cattle, they oaght 

 to do it for our pets, the most crowded part of the show, and 

 the portion that makes the increased passenger traffic. I 

 mention the Great Western IJaihvay especially, for it indulges 

 us with 50 per cent, extra both ways. A letter this morning 

 from a gentleman in Devonshire, exhibiting at Chelmsford, 

 says he thinks that he shall pay only one way to that place, 

 and that he expects his carriage to that place to be less than to 

 Bristol, and his entries will accordingly be more. I have said 

 Bristol was "wideawake;" the Committee will have an ad- 

 ditional claim on our gratitude, if they would take this question 

 up. 



I shall have a few words to say, I hope, by-and-by, on this 

 matter as regards Lord Tredegar's Show, at Newport. I have 

 written to Mr. Palling, recalling the memorial to his mind, and 

 I trust I may shortly have to say that he has been successful, 

 meanwhile I shall withhold any entries at Newport. — Y. B. A. Z. 



rillLOPERISTERON SOCIETY. 



TiiK Pluloperisteron Society held its first meetijig for the season 

 on the ,^th inst. at the Freemasons' Tavern, when the quality rather 

 than the quantity of the Pigeons exhibited was oh^en-able. Amongst 

 them were some good specimens of Yellow and Blue Beards. Yellow 

 and Blue B.iUls, and Blue English Owls shown by the President, Mr. 

 Esqailant ; .^Imnnds by Mr. Merck : Black. Dnn. and White Carriers 

 by Messrs. Carrell. Klse, Square, and Hcdley, who each showed such 

 birds as would catch the eye of any jndce if sent to a public exhi- 

 bition. Tho Honorary Secretary's (Mr. Iledley), Barbs were some of 

 his best, including Blacks, Keds, Yellow, and Dons, tho latter 

 colour to all breeders being the most nseful, and one we should be glad 

 to seo more freqncutly at other exhihitions, feeling confident that good 

 spccimeus will meet with due reward at the hands of the judge. 



The next meeting of this Society will be beld as above on the second 

 Tuesday in November, between 7 and 9 p.m. ; visitors admitted on 

 presentation of their cards to tho Secretary. 



The Somerset Pout.'TBY Eshtbitiok to be held at Weston- 

 super-Mare, offers a most liberal list of prizes, varying from 

 JCj downwards, with the addition of nine silver cups, one of 



