Sovomber 21, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



393 



conJilion when the process begins. A fowl in low condition 

 will cost as much again as it will after it has been well fed for 

 a week. 



JUDGING POULTRY. 



In your impression of the Slst ult. appeared a communica- 

 tion from Mr. Heivitt, complaining that the time allowed for the 

 judges uf poultry to perform their functions was frequently 

 sadly iuEUlheient to admit of their duties being done satis- 

 factorily. Had I not expected some notice of the subject from 

 one or more of those who, as exhibitors, are interested in it, 

 I should have written before ; and I must plead this circum- 

 stance as an apology for addressing you at this somewhat late 

 period. 



I quite agree with Mr. Hewitt that the defective arrange- 

 ments in these matters, where they occur, inflict a great 

 hardship on a judge who wishes to decide with a just impar- 

 tiality ; aud it reflects seriously on committees when suilicient 

 time is not allowed to admit of the claims of the different 

 competitor.^ receiving the attention they have a right to expect. 

 But whilst it operates to the annoyance and inconvenience of 

 the judges, it is a still greater hardship on exhibitors, since 

 they are more largely ailected by errors in judging where they 

 occur, and the injury and disappointment are in consequence 

 more widely extended. 



It is quite time that this evil should be checked, and as one 

 means I would recumracnd that where from unavoidable causes 

 suflicient time is not allowed, the person officiating should 

 perform his duty properly, so far as the time will permit, even 

 at the expense of leaving some pens unjudged. It would be 

 less unsatisfactory to exhibitors to allow a portion of the pens to 

 pass without adjudication than that the whole work should be 

 done in a hasty and slovenly manner, which can only lead to 

 disappointment and discontent. 



A correspondent, writing in your last on the Bristol Show 

 under the signature of " Y. B. A. Z.," suggests that " a third 

 person " should " examine the pens critically, as the awards 

 are handed in, to detect faults ;'' but so far from remedying 

 the evil complained of, it would aggravate it. The complaint 

 of judges is want of time; but this would require more, as it 

 would necessitate going over a greater or less number of the pens 

 twice ; besides, what competent judge would submit to have 

 his decisions virtually overruled by " a third person?'' But 

 supposing the plan adopted, would it secure infallibility or 

 universal satisfaction :' Judging from your correspondent's 

 own case, it would not. With the whole period of the Exhi- 

 bition for his observation, and thus taking every leisure for 

 making correct notes (aud he appears to have had a tolerably 

 keen eye in his critical examinations to the detection of faults), 

 yonr correspondent has fallen into one verj' striking error, 

 when, in commenting on Mr. Fletcher's birds which gained 

 Mr. Lang's cup, he calls them " Black Beds," whereas they 

 were "Brown Iteds ;" and the hen which he speaks of as " ap- 

 pearing very dark in colour," is, in fact, the reverse, the hen 

 being very light. Possibly there may be other similar errors. 

 An arrangement which, in my opinion, would work better, and 

 certainly save more time than the suggestion of " Y. B. A. Z.," 

 would be to separate the birds into distinct classes, aud assign 

 to each judge the class or classes with whose merits he is known 

 to bo most conversant. 



Before I close this communication I venture to give expres- 

 sion to the hope that the Birmingham Committee have taken 

 into their own hands the appointment of judges for their forth- 

 coming Exhibition, and not deputed to one of their body so 

 important a duty ; for, certainly, it would give more satisfac- 

 tion to exhibitors to know that the jndges were appointed by 

 their whole body than by an individual member of it. — .\n 



ExniDITOI!, 



cinxa:mon and buff COCHIN-CIIINAS. 



I HAVK jotted down for the consideration of your readers, a 

 few remarks respecting Cinnamon and Bulf Cochins. 



It has for some time seemed to me a pity that the expression 

 " Cinnamon aud Buff," should still be retained in the prize 

 lists of our leading shows. Any one unaccustomed to exhibit- 

 ing would surely gather from it that birds of the two colours 

 would be judged with strict impartiality, and that the various 

 recognised shades of colour in both would be regarded as on a 

 perfect equality, so far as colour is concerned. For instance, a 

 lemon BuS bird ought in fairness to have no preference shown 



it over a silver Bufl or silver Cinnamon, nor a darker Buff 

 over a dark Cinnamon. Being equally good specimens of their 

 respective colours, equal marks for colour ought to be given to 

 all, and the prize awarded in reference to their other points — 

 shape, size, fluff, comb, &c. 'Xhat this is not the case, is, I 

 believe, generally acknowledged, aud, what is worse, the taste 

 of judges seems from year to year to fluctuate. It is not long 

 since, at the Birmingham Show, the silver birds, in the hen 

 and pullet classes, seemed to carry all before them, whereas 

 last year, though very beautiful birds of this colour were ex- 

 hibited, one solitary highly commended was, if I am not mis- 

 taken, the only notice taken of them. Again, at the same show, 

 I remember calling the attention of one of our most noted 

 breeders to a very large and well-developed dark Cinnamon 

 cockerel, which I was surprised to find unnoticed. I asked him 

 why such a bird was passed over, and he at once replied, " On 

 account of his colour, no doubt. Cinnamons are not favourites 

 with the Judges. In fact, it is not of the slightest use now-a- 

 days, sendiug them to an exhibition." 



I desire to speak on this, as on other points, subject to cor- 

 rection. It is quite possible that I may have passed over some 

 pen at the show to which I particularly refer, which would not 

 bear me out in my assertion, and my recollection of the show 

 is now nearly a year old. Still I have a strong impression that 

 I am correct, and that exhibitors would bear me out, at all 

 events, in my nawral impression, that many judges show, per- 

 haps unconsciously to themselves, a preference for some par- 

 ticular shade of colour, in cases where the terms of the prize 

 list would lead to the expectation that all shades would be 

 placed on a perfect equality. 



Again, as to the judging of Cochin cockerels, I should like to 

 make a few remarks. Some birds "makeup" sooner than 

 othersi, and at an early age present the appearance of perfectly 

 formed adult cocks. These birds are almost invariably both 

 smaller and lighter than those which, to the unpractised eye 

 presenting a certain appearance of " weediness," and " leggi- 

 ness," are in reality large-framed birds, unfiUed-up, and in- 

 variably make the best and heaviest adult birds. If you ask a 

 judge why he prefers the smaller and showier bird, I beUeve 

 the reply will, in general, be, " Because we must judge of a 

 bird as he is, not according to his capabiUties, or according to 

 what he may be developed into at some future time." It seems 

 to me that this is a mistake, supposing, that is, that my asser- 

 tion is correct, for I have no desire to seem to speak . .c ealhe- 

 dra, but only as one seeking at once for further information, 

 and to provoke friendly discussion on the subject. 



It would be interesting to trace the future career of the win- 

 ning cockerels at, for instance, the Birmingham Show, and I am 

 under the strong impression that it would be found that they 

 would, in the majority of instances, be nowhere as old birds, 

 out-paced and distanced entirely by many a clumsy, weedy- 

 looking cockerel, which only needed filling out to become a 

 grand adult bird. In common fairness, then, ought not, to say 

 the least, greater stress to be laid on the future capabilities of 

 a bird, less on that early prettiness of full development which 

 is the sure precursor of adult insignificance, so far as the two 

 important qualifications of size and weight are concerned. 



I have ventured to throw out these suggestions for the con- 

 sideration of lovers of Cinnamon and Buff Cochins, and will only 

 in conclusion apologise for the length of this communication. — 

 Delta. ^ 



SOMERSET POULTRY ASSOCIATIONS 

 SCHEDULE OF PRIZES. 



I K-ii in receipt of this schedule, and am sorry, with such a 

 liberal list of prizes, to find fault, but I would respectfully call 

 the attention of the Committee of this and other shows, to the 

 necessity of a separate class for Black and White Bantams. 



The Somerset Association offers two classes for Game Ban- 

 tams, one for Sebrights, and then a class for Black, White, or 

 any other variety. Now what chance do we stand against the 

 foreigners, as we all know the great weakness of the judges for 

 the Pekin and Japanese Bantams ? 



Bristol offered a separate class for Blacks, and obtained 

 seventeen entries, wliich more than covered the amount of 

 prizes offered. The Committee then classed White and any 

 other variety together, the result being one entry, Pekin (first 

 and cup, of course), one entry, Japanese (second), leaving ten 

 entries of White to compete for the third prize, and which 

 third prize was awarded to a rose-combed cock, and a single- 

 combed pullet, evidently showing that as there was no other 



