412 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



r Novembor 28, 1867. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week endin" November 26th. 



POULTSY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



SALE AT LINTON PAIUv OP LADY 

 HOLMESDALE'S POULTRY. 



When the stud of iin eminent patron of the turf is offered 

 for public sale, no little commotion is made in the circle 

 interested in such pursuits. In like manner when the birds of 

 some eminent breeder are brought to the hammer, all those 

 anxious to improve their stock, or jjerbaps secure a specimen 

 likely to take a prize at an important show, flock to the sale, 

 and contend with each other for the possession of what they 

 think the most promising of the collection. 



Such a gathering of the poultry fancy we had the opportunity 

 of witnessing on the 20th iust. at Linton Park, where the 

 whole collection of Lady Holmesdale's birds was brought to 

 the hammer by Mr. Elijah Smith, of Manchester; and, con- 

 sidering the high reputation her ladyship's breed of fowls has 

 attained, and the lion's share of prizes which .she has in most 

 cases secured when exhibiting at the principal shows, we were 

 not surprised to see an important gathering of the " fancy." 

 The result proved that those ardent admirers of poultry 

 did not undertake the journey from almost all parts of the 

 kingdom to its south-eastern corner without doing business ; 

 for we found that Scotland, the northern, midland, and western 

 counties of England, all sent buyers ; and the collection of 

 Dorkings unrivalled, we might say, in England or anywhere 

 else, was, at the close of the day, distributed far and wide. 



The catalogue intimated that 114 lots of Dorkings would be 

 offered for sale, 34 of Spanish, and a few of other breeds, 

 making in aU 173 lots, mostly in single birds. 



The Dorkings were the most scrutinised, and the sale com- 

 menced with them, the first lot being a cock, which had won 

 some high honours, and no small amount of speculation was 

 indulged in as to the price he would realise. His worth, 

 however, was soon made apparent by a start of ten guineas, 

 with an offer of five more next bidding, and, after some 

 spirited bidding, be was finally knocked down for twenty- 

 eight guineas ; the next one was sold for sixteen guineas ; 

 and the nine cocks altogether realised £73. The hens were 

 also keenly competed for, one fetching fifteen and one fourteen 

 guineas, and the proceeds of the forty hens altogether were 

 £150. The prices of the young birds were scarcely inferior to 

 the above, twenty cockerels bringing £85 7s. Gd., and the sum 

 total received for the 112 lots of Dorkings was £407 10s. 6d. ; 

 and as all the lots, excepting the last ten, were single birds, 

 the above sum shows the value of 122 birds ; but it must be 

 borne in mind that the last ten lots of cockerels and pullets 

 were late birds, and, of course, brought much lower prices than 

 the other. The first hundred birds sold averaged £4 each : 

 we believe this is imprecedented, taking the whole of a 

 collection, which in this instance it did, as not a bird was 

 withheld. 



The Spanish and Brabmas also created spirited competition, 

 but the Dorkings were regarded as the cream of the collection, 

 and it was the unanimous opinion of all present that such an 

 assemblage of birds had never befora been offered for public 

 sale. Much credit is due to Mr. Martin, Lady Holmesdale's 

 poultry manager, for presenting them in such good condition, 

 and for the other arrangements made for their delivery ; while 

 the advantage of an auctioneer being himself a judge and a 

 fancier was also apparent, and we believe all parties were 

 highly satisfied. 



We heard one gentleman remark on leaving with two baskets 



on the top of his cab, that the contents had cost him upwards 

 of £50, and that £20 more might almost be added for travel- 

 ling expenses. Such incidents, apart from the entries at our 

 great poultry shows, prove ineontestably that the interest in 

 poultry is the reverse of flagging. There was, however, one 

 regret, and one in which we believe all present at Linton Park 

 joined — it was that such a fine collection should be broken up. 

 Yet, in retiring from exhibiting poultry, we have no doubt but 

 the noble lady will still look with interest on forthcoming 

 shows, and if at some future time she should be induced to re- 

 enter an arena in which she has sustained so distinguished 

 and honourable a part, her return will be hailed with pleasure 

 by all who are interested in the improvement of our breeds of 

 poultry. The result of the sale proved that the efforts made 

 by Lady Holmesdale in this direction during the many years 

 she has been an exhibitor have borne their fruit. The proceeds 

 of the sale were about £500. 



Amongst the buyers were the Duke of Newcastle through 

 Mr. Douglas, Col. Lane, Drs. Campbell and Kirkmau, Messrs. 

 Lingwocd, Lane, Burgess, Peters, Parlett, Patten, Musgrave, 

 Cork, Kipping, and Spencer. 



The day was dry and fine for November, and as the gardeu 

 and grounds at Linton Park were liberally thrown open to 

 visitors, many who had a half-hour to spare made a hasty in- 

 spection of the pretty winter decoration of the flower garden. 



AUCTION OF POULTRY AT THE BIRIMrNGHAM; 

 EXHIBITION. 



I NOTICE that the sale of prize and commended poultry by 

 the new system of auction at the coming Birmingham Show, is 

 fixed to take place on Monday, December 2nd, at 11 o'clock a.m. 

 This time appears to me highly inconveuient to persons who, 

 like myself, live a long way from Birmingham, and many of 

 whom may find it impossible to go to that city on Saturday, 

 November 30th, and spend Sunday there. Such persons will 

 not be able to reach Bingley Hall and inspect the birds before 

 eleven o'clock on the 2nd of December. 



I think there must be some who will wish with me that the 

 sale took place on the Monday afternoon, or the morning of 

 Tuesday, the 3rd of December. 



I am presuming, of course, that the Birmingham ConnoU 

 desires the company of persons likely to be purchasers at the 

 sale. — Gloucestershiee. 



EXHIBITED FOWLS INJURED. 

 Yon can inform " A Scbsckieer," that the tail of his White 

 Dorking cockerel was pulled before the public or any of the 

 poultrymen were admitted to the Bristol Show. I was in the 

 Hall (on business) on the day of the judging, and noticed that 

 the bird had no tail then, and, I believe, but am not certain, 

 this was the case before the awards were made. It must have 

 been done in transit to the Show, or by a rival before entering 

 the Hall, for not one man was allowed inside till the Exhibition 

 was opened. I give this as independent testimony, havinghad 

 no communication with the Committee. — L. WraonT. 



Those who visited the recent Show at Bristol, must have 

 observed with feelings of indignation the cruel treatment to 

 which some of the valuable fowls had been exposed. 



What possible chance can a " pen " have in competing for a 

 prize, if one of its members has had the whole of its tail 



