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JOUltNAL OP UORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAUDENER. 



[ June 20, 1887. 



now that I cannot see the force of the objection. It would at 

 all events be a fair fight, which is not the case now ; and if I 

 am beaten— siiy by "Newmarket," in the scuffle for the first 

 claim to a pen of Game, I should at least know the reason 

 why, and may go up next year with my "big brathor" and 

 hope for better Incli. I could give some curious imstances <of 

 the brazen cheating carried on openly under the present sys- 

 tem ; but my time is as valuable as your space. The matter is 

 self-evident, and I can conceive no other way to stop .the eviils 

 complained of than that I have suggested. 



These hints I throw out simply as practical matters of detail, 

 only trusting that the Committee will repeat this year the ad- 

 dition of Mr. Teebay's name to the list of Judges— a step in 

 the right direction, and which shews that they are not altogether 

 unamenable to reason. — Nemo. 



THE COMING SHOW AT B.\DMINTON. 



Will you permit me to call th e attention of your readers to the 

 Poultry Show v?hich will be held at Badminton on August 7th ? 

 This is a first show, and therefore far less known than shows 

 which have been held year after year. A few clergymen and 

 others interested in poultry have got up the exhibition of these 

 birds in connection with the Badminton Farmers' Club ; and 

 I cannot help thinldng, that the name of Badminton being so 

 well known as associated with that of the Duke of Beaufort, 

 many will like to have an opportunity of gratifying their poultry 

 taste, and in addition having a peep at his world-renowned 

 residence. There will be prizes for ditferent varieties of fowls 

 — small, it is true ; but then the Show is young and the 

 Stewards careful, and if the Show pay this season doubtless the 

 prizes will be of greater value next year. There are also prizes 

 for Ducks, Geese, and Turkeys; then prizes for Pigeons— viz., 

 for Ckrriers, Dragons, Powters, Fautails, Turbits, Shortfaced 

 ■Tumblers, B.aldheads, Barbs, Nuns, and Jacobins. I could 

 have wished there had been also a prize for Any other variety, 

 as this would have filled many pens. I trust there will be 

 some arrangement, by vehicles put on for the day, for convey- 

 ance from Chippenham and Tate stations ; and then I feel 

 sure, the day being favourable, we shall have a happy throng 

 iat Badminton. — Wiltshire Rector. 



BRAHMA POOTRAS. 



I HA^'E heard it asserted of these, that they are the native 

 American Cochiu-Chinas or Shanghaes ; but as their East Indian 

 and south-eastern Asiatic origin is well known, this is rather 

 too positive and exclusive an assertion. The pea-combed and 

 non-vulture-hocked, are the made Brahmas, and the single- 

 combed and vulture-hocked the true and pure breed in my 

 opinion. 



The Malay origin of the pea-combed birds appears to me to 

 have been carefully concealed by most of their breeders, who 

 express surprise and dissent when taxed with the Malay origin 

 of their pea-combed strains. I think that the strains with the 

 pea-oombs, and not vulture-hocked, are also more liable to the 

 long Malay necks than the single-combed and vulture-hocked 

 birds are. 01 course, the pea-combs could have been pro- 

 duced as easily in India, by the Malay cross, as in America, or 

 in Britain. The brown-marked birds appear to me to be of 

 the primitive colour of Brahmas, and those with the other 

 markings, not brown, to be the made colours and strains. 

 Pea-combed birds, though the favourites, are certainly not 

 the primitive pure strain of these birds, the pea-comb 'being 

 popular, as making them a distinct sort from the C.jchin-Chinas. 

 Unless for this, I think the pea-comb should be considered as 

 nglier, and also a defective Malay cross. 



The vulture hocks are, I think, a proper and distinctive 

 mark of the purity and goodness of the breed, as no bad cross 

 could produce them, but only the Cochin or Shanghae cross. I 

 also think the single-combed birds would be found more pro- 

 lific than the pea-combed. 



I think that the terra Brahma Pootra would do best for the 

 whole tribe. Cochin- Chinas and Shanghaes included; but all 

 three names are derived from locality, the river Burrampooter or 

 Brahmapootra, which divides India from Assam and Burmah, 

 being the origin of the first name, and they are probably to be 

 found on both sides of this river. The port of Shanghae, in 

 China, it is scarcely necessary to remark, has a large trade, 

 especially with the United States. 



The single-combed Brahmas might not incorrectly be 



terined the Birchen Grey, Birchen Dun, or Mealy Grey Cochins. 

 I think the Malay expression of face is only found in the pea- 

 combed birds, and never in the others. I think, too, that 

 vulture-hocked birds have, as a rule, a longer, heavier, and 

 bettor leg-feathering. I think that they ought to be the cup 

 birds in either Cochins or Brahmas, and as the pea-combed 

 have been chosen for cup birds of the latter, though the 

 "bastard" breed of Brahmas, perhaps the vulture hocks 

 should have the eu'is among Cochins ; but I should prefer 

 single combs and vulture hocks in both sorts myself, as dis- 

 tinguishing marks, though I may be singular in so' doing. 



Pea-combed Brahma Pootras may be bred from any Malay 

 cocks put to the single-combed Brahma hens, as well as from 

 the Birchen Grey Mulay cocks put to Cochin liens. Brahmas, 

 like all other fowls, must, of course, be judged by the opinions 

 of the best judges, but as an individual, I consider the single- 

 combed and vulture-hocked to be the true, pure, unmixed 

 breed, and the pea-combed to be the mixed strain, which has 

 been produced by crossing with the Malays. The pea-combed 

 birds are also, I think, uglier in the head than the single- 

 combed birds and clumsier, being thicker in the head cross- 

 ways. 



The pea-combed Brahmas have only been increased or con- 

 tinued by careful .selection, but may have been first produced 

 accidentally in the United States by the Malay cross. All 

 Brahmas would naturally incline to breed back to the single 

 combs, and, perhaps, to vulture hocks too, if left to themselves 

 in breeding, and often these characteristics are still produced 

 when not wanted, and though birds in which they are present 

 are not at all selected fur stock. The legs, or shanks, of the 

 pea-combed birds are often rather too long, partaking of the 

 Malay cross. 



As to habits the Brahmas appear to me almost exactly to 

 resemble the Cochins. If crossed with the more sterile Dork- 

 ings, especially the rather sterile Grey Dorkings, such Brahmas 

 would be less prolific than others, as Malays are more prolific 

 than Dorkings, especially Grey Dorkings, not being so dry as 

 Dorkings in their constitution. Dorkings could not, unless 

 rose-combed, have given the pea-comb at all, and the pea-comb 

 has much more resemblance to the Malay-comb than to the 

 Dorking rose-comb. The Malay cross, likewise, would not at all 

 improve the laying or table qualities of pea-combed Brahmas. 

 Brahmas are said to sit a little less frequently than Cochins, 

 to lay somewhat less, and to be a trifle worse for table, but are 

 much thesame. The greyed-colour and pea-combed Malay cross 

 would lay rather worse, I think. 



Brahmas, with Cochins and Bantams, are the best breeds for 

 small spaces and confined yards ; the Bantams from their small 

 size and being, when red-combed and healthy, such good winter 

 layers, though their eggs are small ; and the Brahmas and 

 Cochins from their inferior powers of locomotion. All other 

 sorts require larger runs than these three. 



The Malay cross cannot improve pea-combed Brahmas for 

 table, as the Malays are the worst table fowls of all. Soma 

 breeders are ignorant that their pea-combed Brahmas cam» 

 from Malays by crossing. Some freely confess it, and some 

 conceal it. — Teevor, otherwise Newmarket. 



DOTTINGS AT SALISBURY. 



With a tremnlous hand I seize, as T. Hood Lath it, " the epis- 

 tolary implemeuts," for it would seem impossible to malce '* dottings," 

 without treading on the toes of some, or obliging others by treading on 

 their skirts, as our fiiends in the Sister Isle prefer being treated. 

 However, having been able to spend a too brief hour at Salisbury, it 

 may possibly interest a few if I give my thoughts on some of tho birds 

 collected there. 



We poultry fanciers all know too well that June is not the month to 

 see our birds in the best trim. A coat that has to be donned every 

 day, wet or dry, even though carefully brushed at night, will show 

 traces of wear, even under tho most careful management : what wonder, 

 then, if our pets after three or four months of constant wear, have 

 plumage less brilliant than of yore '.' The brilliancy of plumage in th» 

 majority of the specimens hid cci-tainly deteriorated, yet I must confess 

 that there were some very sinking exceptions; notably amongst these 

 the first-prize single Game cock exhibited by the Rev. A. G. Broote, 

 the prize Partridge Cochins of Mr. Stephens, the Polands and Silver- 

 spangled Hamburghs belonging to Mr. Beldon. 



But to the catalogue. Tho aristocratic Spaniards are always treated 

 as amongst the vUtc of our feathered friends by the Bath and West of 

 England Society ; exceptionally with the Coloured Dorldngs, they wet* 

 offered three prizes. There were eight entries of the former, eighteen 

 of the latter, aB compared to twenty entries of Dark Brahmas for tyn> 



