February 3, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



and laced, althongh, to speak candidly, I never did see a hen 

 yet either perfeotly spangled or perfectly laced. Perhaps if 

 they could be bred as perfect in marking as the Spangled 

 Hamburgh, that might be the preferable mark, but up to the 

 present time that has not been attained, nor do I think it will 

 be just yet. All seem to blend the two kinds of marking more 

 or less. 



In conclusion, allow me to apologise for occupying so muoh of 

 your space, and to express the hope that the various committees 

 will be able to see their path clear for giving more encourage- 

 ment to the Polish classes. They deserve it. — G. W. Boothby. 



P.S. — I should have mentioned that out of about eighty 

 Golden Polands bred during the last season, I have had about 

 sixty pullets. This breed with me always throws many more 

 pullets than cockerels. 



ADVICE TO EXHIBITORS. 



We often hear exhibitors complaining of mismanagement at 

 shows, but in most oases I thiDk the blame belongs to them 

 rather than to the Committees, at least my experience leads 

 me to believe so. I would therefore say to exhibitors — 



Write your names and addresses perfectly clearly. If this 

 were done the 3aving of time to secretaries and others would be 

 immense, and fewer errors would then be found in the cata- 

 logues. Ladies should either write Mrs. or Miss before their 

 names, for who is to know whether they are married or not ? 

 Read the rules, and be sure your birds are entered in their 

 right classes; do not act so foolishly as many people do — viz., 

 pay the entry money, expenses of carriage to and fro, and per- 

 haps get your valuable birds injured, besides the trouble and 

 annoyance, and all for the purpose of having them ticketed 

 " disqualified — wrong class." Fill up and return your entry 

 forms before, and not after, the entries have closed ; should there 

 be separate forms for poultry and Pigeons, make your entries 

 on each accordingly. Do not trust other people to make them 

 out, but do it yourself. State the ages as accurately as yon can, 

 also the names of the varieties to which the birds belong. Fix a I 

 price for your birds, and do not write a few days before the ! 

 show takes place, asking to be allowed to alter it. Neither I 

 send too little nor too much money foryour entries, or write and 

 say, " I will pay my entry money to you at the show." When 

 you send, let it be a post-office order or cheque, and altogether 

 abhor stamps ; by doing so you will save much trouble, annoy- I 

 anee, and loss. Send your birds off so that they will be certain ' 

 to arrive in time for competition. How many prizes have I 

 been lost through birds arriving too late to compete ! If you 

 bny any specimens at the show, pay cash for them, and do not 

 promise cheques or post-office orders. 



By observing these few rules it is astonishing how the busi- 

 ness part of a show might be facilitated. — An Amateur. 



PROFIT OF POULTRY-KEEPING. 



I am very glad to see in the last number of the Journal two 

 reports of poultry profits, and I feel challenged again to report 

 my own progress. " L." hatches his Houdans very well, but 

 he does not feed them well enough, and my profits, with only 

 six hens, far exceed " M. E.'s," with his seventy-six Light and 

 Dark Brahmas, &c. My six were three Cochin hens (two old), 

 two Brahmas, and one Dorking, with a Brahma cock, and their 

 productions for the year as follows: — Chickens hatched, 106; 

 eggs laid, 953; cost of food, £12 Os. 2d.; chickens killed, £12 

 18s.; chickens sold, £-193. ; value of eggs, £4 10s. ; total, £21 

 17s. ; profit, £9 16s. lOd. 



My food is the best barley twice a-day, barleymeal once, and 

 plenty of clean water, some green meat, and for run only a 

 nicely limited space. We generally hatch all the eggs we set, 

 rarely lose a chicken, and the care we take is within easy reach 

 of everyone. — A. W. 



THE FRENCH CLASSES AT THE LONDON 

 POULTRY SHOW. 



I think that it was a mistake to make so many classes of Ham- 

 barghs, and so few of the French classes, for I believe after a time we 

 shall fiml that both Houdana and Creve-Cceurs will be largely bred in 

 this country. They and La Flcche are evidently variations of the same 

 breed. The latter is, probably, too delicate to be of mnch service 

 here, and indeed, exce pt in one district of France, is not a favourite 

 there, but the other two are likely to be most valuable breeds. I 

 know fewer handsomer birds than a good Creve-Cceur, and the Houdans 

 are hardy and well-conditioned. Another point I would allude to in 



the late Show — the want of proper notices in the way of advertise- 

 ments and large posters. I saw at all the stations bills about " Tripod 

 Fillies," "Hairless Hares," and such-like monstrosities, but not one 

 about the poultry Show. In the same way in the journals specially 

 devoted to such purposes, the advertisements were very scanty, and 

 yet publicity is the very life of such shows. You have hit another 

 blot in the non-publication of the catalogue. Surely it would be 

 better to publish it as soon as possible, and then on the evening before 

 the Show is open to the public to publish a separate sheet with the 

 prizes, as is done, indeed, at the flower shows. I need not say that 

 all seemed to have worked with a will, nor that in every way in which 

 courtesy and attention could tend to remove difficulties, and make all 

 go smoothly, Mr. Wilkinson did his very utmost. I would also say 

 that the work was too heavy for the Judges. There ou r _iht to be six for 

 such an entry ; it is not merely the time, but a person's head becomes 

 tired, and wrong judgments are often made. 



And now with regard to the classes. The Houdans were very fine, 

 and exhibited in goodly number. Of the cocks there were fifteen, 

 and Mr. W. O. Quibell obtained the first prize with a good bird, Mr. 

 Drewry being second with a fine cockerel, and my neighbour, Mr. 

 Dring, of Faversham, third with an older bird. Some of the birds 

 were heavy, and here I would observe, that while we must try for in- 

 creased weight, it will be a great pity if we gain that by the loss of 

 symmetry. Of the two varieties, I personally prefer the darkest of 

 the Light breed. The Dark breed was also well represented, but in 

 some of the male birds there was a deficiency of crest ; in fact, I 

 think the Judges were at fault, and I question if the breed is as yet 

 thoroughly understood. Of hens there were eleven exhibitors. Here 

 Mr. Crowley took the prize from Mr. Quibell ; the birds were very 

 fine, and of great breadth across the shoulders — a point in which this 

 breed shows one of its excellencies. 



In Class 22, " Cocks of any other variety," there were thirteen 

 exhibits; of these five were La Flcche, the rest Crrve-Co?urs. I can- 

 not say that I was greatly struck with the superiority of the birds 

 which obtained the prizes ; but it is m >st difficult to judge two breeds 

 now ao very distinct as La Flcche and Crere-Ccears ; it is like having 

 to judge Dorkings and Cochins in the same class. In the cock class 

 the first prize was given to the Cieve-0 *urs, and in the hen class to 

 La Flcche. To my mind there were other birds better than these, 

 but, then, outsiders are always better judges than those actually 

 engaged! I see a manifest tendency to get " hommochy " birds 

 through the wish to increase their size. A Crcve-Cceur ought to be 

 well down on his legs, not lanky ; but if this is too much bred for we 

 shall have waddlers instead of the noble, " grave et fier " bird, as he is 

 described by M. Jacques. In the class for hens there were but eight 

 entries ; of these three were La FUche, and here this breed carried off 

 the first and third prizes, and Cri-ve-Co-urs the second. The hens of 

 the latter breed were not so good as I have seen them, but there were 

 many like myself deterred, I think, by the unsatisfactory nature of 

 the class. My neighbour, Mr. Dring, had as good birds as those exhi- 

 bited, and so I think had I myself. 



May I add here, that if the breeders and admirers of French 

 fowls will agree to subscribe, so as to make up a cup for each of the 

 three breeds at the next Palace Show, and the Committee of Manage- 

 ment will agree to make separate classes, I shall be most happy to 

 add my contribution ? — D., DeaL 



DUBLIN POULTRY SHOW. 



A few of the most noted poultry breeders on the other side of St. 

 George's Channel, having determined to establish an annual poultry 

 show in Dublin, have carried out their intention in a manner that 

 certainly reflects the highest credit on all parties concerned; the 

 systematic manner in which everything was arranged being quite 

 equal to anything we ever met with at our longest-established 

 poultry exhibitions. Of the Exhibition Palace, Dublin, the whole of 

 the interior of which was devoted to the purposes of the Show, we need 

 say but little — in fact it is a second Sydenham ; and from the building 

 being used as a winter garden, the Exhibition, when the arrangements 

 were complete, carried with it an elegance of character not to he found 

 at any other poultry show ever held in the United Kingdom. The plan 

 adopted was a row of pens down the centre, and one tier on each side, 

 so that each avenue devoted to the visitors was in all cases fully 18 feet 

 wide, with breaks at intervals in the centre row for the accommodation 

 of anyone desiring to pass to the other side. A grand and novel 

 addition to the beauty of the Show arose from the fact of all the side 

 pens being hacked up by large and very valuable specimens of trees in 

 full vigour, forming a background that can only be appreciated by those 

 who witnessed it. From the galleries on all sides. Clematises, "Wis- 

 tarias, and Passion-flowers were trained in various devices, a3 well 

 as in lovely festoons of fully 30 to 40 feet in extent. Many groups 

 of plants in full bloom, or berried, added attractiveness to the scene, 

 and several excellent military brass bands relieved each other during 

 the whole time of public admittance. The warming apparatus did its 

 duty most successfully, and certainly the view from the galleries, 

 open for the promenade in the evening, when the gas was fully lighted, 

 and a multitude of gaily-dressed ladies were present, could only be 

 fitly compared to a fairy scene. With all these unusual accessories, 

 none can wonder at the Dublin first Show being a great success, and 

 such as its projectors may well be proud of. 



