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JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 19, 1867. 



second prize in Class 1, whilst a high commeniiation was all 

 the award given to the Duke of Newcastle's magnificent pen. 



For the larger shows, indeed, I have no hesitation in saying 

 that two judges are not enough. Year by year entries have 

 been increasing, but the number of judges has been retained, 

 and the consequence is, that chicken classes especially are far 

 more hastily and carelessly judged than formerly. Where two 

 judges have to award prizes at a large show, I feel convinced a 

 modification of "An Exhibitor's " idea would give far more 

 satisfaction than the present procedure. Let the show be 

 divided, and each judge be responsible for certain classes ; he 

 will then have more time to give to them, and the very feeling 

 that he is so responsible, will go far to prevent such slovenly 

 decisions as we often see. When they have gone through, let 

 the judges exchange books, and each go through the other's 

 classes, noting what be may think erroneous. This would not 

 take long, and whilst each should still be responsible for his 

 own class, any glaring errors would stand a fair chance of 

 being rectified, since the same judge might be prepared to see 

 diSerently after a few hours ; but if both go round together, I 

 need not say there is often no real discussion, but the strongest 

 will carries the day. 



"Delta " has touched upon another real grievance with 

 regard to the judging of cockerels. I recently showed one of 

 the largest Brahma cockerels bred this year (at five months old 

 the bird weighed 8 lbs.), but he was passed unnoticed on ac- 

 count of his " raw" appearance. I am sending the same bird 

 to Birmingham, but although he weighs 9,J lbs. at seven 

 months, and much of his legginess has disappeared, his hackles 

 are not yet much more than halfway down his neck, nor is he 

 nearly filled out in width, and I know my fate beforehand ; 

 whilst, as "Delta" says, I have birds only five months old 

 with their plumage fully out, but which will never make half 

 the bird of the great ungainly-looking brute I speak of, and yet 

 in fairness I mijst say, that there is more allowance made for 

 age at Birmingham than almost any other show I know. The 

 classes are more divided, and this year it was to be a " special 

 instruction " to the judges to take into consideration the ages 

 of the chickens as stated in their books. But at most shows 

 this is not the case ; and even at Bristol, an Exhibition of no 

 mean pretensions, not the age of a single pen was given to the 

 arbitrators ! 



The evils of such a careless system are manifold, but at 

 present I will only mention one. The conseiiupiiee is, that 

 prizes as a rule will go to, and eggs and stock will bo purchased 

 from, not the breeders of necessarily the best fowls, but those 

 who have convenience for rearing the earliest chickens — a very 

 different matter. 



It is evident that the evil alluded to grows out of the " hurry- 

 skurry" mentioned before. The labour is great of carefully 

 considering the ages and condition of the chickens ; the judges 

 very frequently have not the time, and sometimes not the in- 

 clination, to undertake it. They are, therefore, either com- 

 pelled, or they prefer, to disclaim it altogether, and take refuge 

 in " judging the birds as they are." Exhibitors also must 

 take their share of the blame, for the barefaced wilful mis- 

 statements of many of them have done much to bring about 

 the present state of things. 



Yet it ought to be remedied. It may be a pecuhar fancy of 

 mine, but my idea is. that the exhibitors are the real backbone 

 of a show, and I feel assured that in the long run, honesty 

 towards them will be the best policy after all. Mis-statement 

 of age may be put down by rigorous disqualification in all clear 

 cases. The other difficulty ought to be met, if necessary, by 

 increasing the number of judges. No less is due to them, for 

 their duties are arduous enough already in all conscience, and 

 not one feather would I add to the weight of an effice always 

 thankless and often painful. In no other way that I can see 

 can this growing evil of carelessness and superficiality in judg- 

 ing be met ; but I do say, that if committees profess to have 

 "chicken classes," or to hold "chicken shows," they are 

 morally bound to secure thorough, careful, and painstaking 

 arbitration upon all the pens they gather together. 



I had something to say upon another point mentioned by 

 " Delta," the " fluctuation of taste " in judges ; but this com- 

 munication, written in great haste, is already too long, and I 

 must reserve it for another occasion. — Nemo. 



the spoils of every contest, testify alike to the progress, as well 

 as the popularity of the fancy, and proclaim the necessity of 

 having everything connected with the arrangement of the shows 

 established on a sound, fair, and practical basis. Nothing will 

 conduce more to this desirable end than the attainment of as 

 nearly as possible the uniform award of prizes to the best 

 specimens according to the generally recognised standard of 

 excellence. It this can be obtained by an extension of time 

 allotted to the judges, few would be found, I think, to cavil at 

 the arrangement, provided only that the time specified did not 

 entail an unnecessary absence of the birds from their home- 

 quarters, but surely the object would be better achieved by a 

 division of labour amongst the judges. At most of the shows 

 the judging is entrusted to two or more persons who seem to 

 work in concert, which must occupy as much or more time 

 than a scrutiny of each pen by a single person, allowing some 

 time for the conciliation of different opinions as to merit or 

 demerit which will occur. Whereas, if the classes were pro- 

 portionately divided amongst the judges a saving of time would 

 ensue, and the committee would be enabled to select persons 

 who were breeders and recognised judges of the varieties sub- 

 mitted to them for their decision ; thus a saving of time wonldbe 

 effected, a satisfactory award of prizes might bo expected, and 

 no " additional call would be made on the Society's coffers." 



The managers having allotted to the judges their respective 

 classes for adjudication, would do well to remind them of a 

 stereotyped rule in every list, forbidding manipulation by the 

 owners of specimens — viz., " That any trimming or artificial 

 alteration, &c." At some of the late shows, especially in the 

 Cochin classes, cocks have been exhibited with their flight 

 feathers removed, both cocks and hens with artificially serrated 

 combs, and tail-less, and this without remonstrance from the 

 judges. Nay, more, they have monopolised the prizes, while 

 the unlucky owner of a Game or Hamburgh cock who has 

 attempted the artifice, has been held in contempt, and on his 

 birds has been executed the summary vengeance of the arbi- 

 trators. Surely both managers and committees need having 

 their memories refreshed. — Incognito. 



The steady increase in the number of poultry shows, the 

 constant augmentation of new members to the ranks of exhi- 

 bitors whose names figure in every list of prizes, as well as the 

 continuance of familiar names which for years have shared in 



Having read your note to the termination of the controversy 

 on " French and English Gardening," I will endeavour to reply 

 as gently as I can to " Exhibitor's " last communication on 

 this subject. In doing so I fear I must write more egotistically 

 than I desire, but it is a matter of self-defence. I was not 

 aware that I had ever assumed an "cr cathedra " tone in my 

 communications. I have simply given my impressions ; the 

 impressions of one who, at some time or another of his life, 

 has kept almost every breed of domestic poultry. " Exhibitor " 

 appears to intimate that I considered the Clifton Judges unfair. 

 I certainly never meant to write this. I believe both the .Judges 

 to be men of the strictest honour and integrity, and I would 

 prefer Mr. Hewitt as Judge to any other living. I have such 

 confidence in him that I am quite certain that had he been led 

 to examine again his third prize White Bantam pen, for 

 instance, he would have altered his decision. If two such Judges 

 fell into errors, it is pardonable in " Y. B. A. Z." 



"Exhibitor" declines my explanation of the Brown Red 

 error. I presume I was correct about the carriage of the cock's 

 wing, as he does not take exception to that ; whilst as regards 

 the hen, I do not think the colour " Newmabicet " has given in 

 the same number would describe her. Probably " Exhibitor " 

 received a copy of another paper with a critical report of the 

 Clifton Show. There the hen is described as " smoky." I 

 presume that means dark. 



After " Exhibitok's " cutting up of my dottings, I have 

 taken some trouble to find out how far my ideas of the birds at 

 Clifton Show agreed with those of that other writer. I find, 

 curiously enough, that almost all the pens I noticed were very 

 similarly commented on with two striking exceptions, to which 

 I will presently refer. Nay, more, I find that where I went 

 out of my way to notice a pen that the Judges had not com- 

 mended, this writer had done the very same, and I think I may 

 fairly argue from this that my " dottings " were not so full of 

 "errors" as your correspondent would seem to infer. The 

 two pens which we appeared to see with different eyes, were, 

 firstly, Mr. Tudman's cup Cochins. I grant that they were 

 magnificent in size and colour, but one or two eminent Cochin 

 breeders agreed with me as to the twisted tail of the hen ; my 

 own impression, unaltered by anything I have read about the 

 pen, is that it was very badly so. The other pen was Mr. 

 Beldon's Silver Polands. In reference to this pullet I can only 

 say that Mr. Beldon's servant kindly took her out for me, and 



