Jamur; 15, ISeT. J 



JOUfiNAIi OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



55 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending January 12th. 



General Kemabks. 



Hazy, with slight rain ; iine and rather mild. 

 Overcast ; hazy : rain ; fine at nif^ht. 

 Rain ; snow rapidly disappearing ; very boisterous. 

 Boisterous ; very boisterous with rain ; showery ; fine. 

 Very densely clouded ; overcast; sUffht frost. 

 Fine throughout ; sharp frost at night. 



Dry and frosty ; towards noon snowing thickly in broad flakes ; 



[ frosty. 



POTJITRY. BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE, 



MUTILATING A COMPETITORS FOWLS. 



Fkom circumstances that have recently come within my 

 personal cognisance, coupled with the perusal of the letter of 

 Mr. Charles Siilgwicli, of BydJlesden Hall. Keighley, inserted 

 in last weeli's Journal, I much fear the dastardly practice of 

 plucking out the sickle feathers of exhibition fowls, unless 

 prompt measures are adopted for its prevention, is about to be 

 recommenced. About two years ago it was a continually recur- 

 ring nuisance, and was then perpetrated generally at exhibi- 

 tions after the awards were returned, and in several instances 

 even before the prize cards were athxed to the pens. I have re- 

 peatedly awarded prizes to fnll-tailed cocks, and been astounded 

 afterwards, within a very brief space of time, to find the tails 

 more or less spoiled by wilfully plucking two or more of the 

 principal feathers. It must be borne in mind, that not only 

 does this unmanly practice prevent the possibility of exhibition 

 for several weeks, but, what is far more discouraging to owners, 

 the chances are seriously against the new feathers proving 

 true to colour when reproduced after this violent and unnatural 

 extraction of the original plumage. In every case I can call to 

 mind the abstracted feathers were fuund lying either behind 

 some of the adjacent pens, or thrown away at some distance on 

 the show-field. ,\s they were never carried away it was evident 

 they were not taken for profit, but from a spirit of mischief or 

 some far more decidedly worse motive. From the simple fact 

 that a party, of course nameless, never met with this accident (?) 

 when the poultry under his care were successful, but repeatedly 

 such mutilations of first-prize birds took place when his com- 

 I)etiDg pens were defeated, a strong suspicion was aroused, and 

 a very vigilant surveillance ensued. Detection did not follow, 

 but an officer in plain clothes, who had been on the watch, 

 stated much to confirm suspicions ; the only good was, that 

 from that time imtil quite recently no repetition whatever of 

 this cowardly act took place. Now, as I am informed that the 

 law can be strictly enforced against any one convicted of com- 

 mitting such wilful damage, I suggest to all parties interested 

 to be on the alert, and if possible place the offender, whoever 

 he may prove to be, within the gripe of the law. I do not 

 suggest to others what I should hesitate to do myself, for I 

 purpose followin" out to the letter the advice laid down, and 

 should this prove Kfective, so much the better ; but if a general 

 effort only prevents tlie recurrence of this abominable mutila- 

 tion of valuable property, surely my present letter may not be 

 written in vain. I do heartily wish you would give the poidtry- 

 loving world your opinions on the subject. — Edwaed Hewitt, 

 Eden Cuttai/e, Sparkhrook, Binningham. 



[This letter needs no support — the offence it denounces 

 must be abhorrent to every honourable mind. We hope that 

 the Committees of Poultry Shows wUl be on the alert to detect 

 such criminals. Men placed to watch the pens might prevent 

 the perpetration of the offence, or might detect the perpetrator. 

 If detected, let him be unflinchingly prosecuted, and we pro- 

 mise to publish his name with such particulars as will hold 

 him up to scorn and execration. One name from the north 

 has been forwarded to us, but the evidence is not sufficient to 

 justily its pubhcation. — Eds.] 



pens at a small cost to contain a few fowls, the produce of 

 which, I think, as food for my family, will repay the cost of 

 their keep, and I shall have the pleasure of a few pets to look 

 after. I therefore intend laying down a small portion of my gar- 

 den in grass for a run for the chickens ; but when I have done all 

 this my difficulties begin, for I am not a judge of the feathered 

 tribe, and, therefore, I cannot select my stock ; at the same 

 time my circumstances will not allow me to buy my stock from 

 the head breeders as I would otherwise do. I write, therefore, 

 to ask you to name some one from whom I can obtain fowls at 

 a reasonable rate, yet at the same time useful stock. 



As to the sorts, I think the evidence is in favour of Dark 

 B;ahmas; therefore I will say (subject to your approval), a few 

 of these, a few of Black Spanish, which I think are a noble 

 fowl, and their eggs certainly look noble on the breakfast-table, 

 and a few Buff Cochins to run in a backyard, which I am afraid 

 is too confined for any other fowls. 



I must apologise for the trouble I am giving ; but, let me 

 add, it is not only on my own account, but for several of my 

 fellow workmen who wish to keep a few fowls. They, like my- 

 self, wish to obtain something better than the old Barndoor 

 fowl, believing, as I do, the best kinds are the best to keep.— 



iNQUIREr.. 



I [We insert this letter because we think that some of our 

 j readers who have surplus stocks of the varieties named by 

 I "Inquirer" may be willing to let him and his fellow workmen 

 have them at the market-rate for table-fowls. We mean birds 

 that for some defect would not be saleable to poultry fanciers. 

 Should not any such offer reach us, tbeu we recommend '•In- 

 quirer " and "his fellow workmen to depute one of their num- 

 j ber to attend a sale at Mr. Stevens's Auction Booms, King 

 I Street, Covent Garden. When such a sale of poultry is adver- 

 ' tised in our columns, if " Ixquirer" writes to Mr. Stevens he 

 \ would send a catalogue, and then " Isquiree " would see 

 whether the poultry to be sold were such as he and the others 

 I need. — Eds.] 



THE LATE TREASURER OF THE POULTRY 



CLUB. 



Eefekbing to Mr. Tudman's communication, which appears 

 in your impression of last week, I must remind Mr. Tudman, 

 once for all, that he had due notice that he would be called on 

 for an explanation of his conduct by resolution at Birmingham 

 before the general meeting of the Poultry Club ; that he shrunk 

 from and evaded that explanation by resigning his office as 

 Treasurer, and retiring before the resolution could be brought on, 

 being probably perfectly aware that I had personal and documen- 

 tary evidence on the spot to substantiate any assertions I might 

 make, many of the latter being in Mr. Tudman's own hand- 

 writing. These are still at my command, and I adhere to and 

 re-assert all the statements I made in your Journal of the 1st 

 inst. ; and as Mr. Tudman did not choose to avail himself of 

 the legitimate means offered him of clearing himself, I cer- 

 tainly, no matter what his assertions may be, shall decline to 

 continue this correspondence, being quite content to leave the 

 members of the Club and the public at large to draw then: own 

 inferences. — F. W. Zuehoest, Hon. Sec. Poultry Club. 



A GOOD INTENTION. 

 I AM a working man with but little cash above the wants of 

 my family, but I have a large garden, and I can make some 



LEEDS POULTRY SHOW. 

 I find in your last Number, page S4, two complaints re- 

 specting my opinions about the Leeds Poultry Show, one from 

 a correspondent signing " Black Bantam," and the other 

 " J. W." 



