320 



JODENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 23, 1877. 



by cutting or " dnbbing " their combs, and the latter for causing 

 them to be so treated. It was represented to the magistrates 

 that the combs of the birds were cut for the purpose of their 

 being exhibited, and the magistrates dismissed the summons on 

 the ground that the offences charged were not of the class of 

 offences contemplated by the statute. Being asked, the magis- 

 trates stated a case for the superior Court. The case came on 

 for hearing a few weeks since, Mr. Waddy, M.P., arguing for the 

 appellants, and Mr. Biron for the respondent. The Court pro- 

 nounced an opinion that the decision of the magistrates was 

 wrong, and ordered the case to be remitted to them to reverse it. 

 The magistrates now imposed the nominal penalty of Is. and costs. 



GBEAT HAKWOOD POULTRY SHOW. 



The annual Show was held at Great Harwood on Thursday 

 last in the open field, when fortunately (though very threatening 

 in the early part of the day) the weather was enjoyable, and 

 the birds suffered nothing from exposure. The entries in all 

 were about 350. 



Game headed the list, Brown Reds winning all the prizes, 

 there being nothing at all striking in addition except a Black 

 Bed hen in pen 238 (Johnson). All the Hamburghs were very 

 good, and Black Hamburghs won in the Variety class. Cochins 

 a good class, but the Buffs had to succumb to the Partridge, 

 which were most correct and well shown. Dorkings and Sjmniah 

 few in number, but the first in Spanish were a grand pair. 

 Brahmas a rather irregular lot. The hens in many pens were 

 very good but badly mated. The first cock was a grand one, but 

 the hen a little too red ; the second hen best, but the cock lost 

 to a great extent. Game Bantam cocks were— first a Pile and 

 second Red, both good, but the rest poor ; and iu Bantams of any 

 variety first were a smart pair of Piles, and second Blacks. 

 Geese, Ducks, and Turkei/s were well represented, but unfortu- 

 nately a capital Turkey hen and a Goose belonging to Mr. Stott 

 of Preston were found dead on their arrival at the Show. 



In Pigeons the competition was very keen in almost every 

 class. Pouters were— first a grand Blue cock ; the second a 

 Blue, very good, was in excellent order, but evidently young; 

 very highly commended a Blue hen. Carriers had two classes. 

 In cocks first was a Black with capital beak and eye in fine 

 bloom, second a Dun not in the best order and losing in eye 

 wattle, in which he is quite deficient. Hens, first a grand Duu ; 

 second, also a Dun, has seen its best. In Tumblers the winners 

 were Almonds and very good. Barbs about the best class in 

 the Show, and after the winners had been selected the rest were 

 almost equal ; first a Black and second a Bed cock. English 

 Owls were not a good class, although the winners were grand 

 Blues. Dragoons were divided into Blue and Silver and Any 

 other colour. In the first Blues won, although there were two 

 very good Silvers with brown bars, and several very good birds 

 h.ad pearly eyes. Any other colour Dragoon were— first a Blue 

 Chequer and second a Yellow, sever;il grand birds and previous 

 winners being very loose in fyather, no doubt from the strain 

 put upon them in the breeding loft. Antwerps a good class, the 

 winners Red Chequers, and very highly commended a very 

 Short-headed Dun. Jacobins were good, except that some 

 were too large, but the first was excessively small ; both winners 

 Bed. Turbits were good ; both winners were spike-headed and 

 very perfect in gullet and mane — in fact, as regards head pro- 

 perties about perfect. First a Red hen and second a Silver cock. 

 A capital shell-crowned Blue was very highly commended. Fan- 

 tails were but moderate, and Trumpeters poor, while the Variety 

 class was a good one, and an extra prize was given. 



Bahbitsb&i only two classes, but there were some good speci- 

 mens. Lops, first a Blue-and-white doe, young, but very fine in 

 quality, 2'2 by U; second a Black-and-white doe, not so soft in 

 ear, but very handsome, 21 .i by 4} ; and third a Fawn doe, 21 by 

 ik. In the Variety class first was a Silver-Grey, even and 

 sharply silvered ; second a Silver Fawn Dutch, quite correctly 

 marked; and third a capital Himalayan, an extra third going to 

 an Angora in good order, long in wool, but a little too coarse. 



POULTRY.— GiME.-Coct.— I and 2, C. W. Brierley. Pair.—l and 2, C. W. 

 Bcierley. vlic, W. Jobnaon. Hk^BVROBS.—Oolden-penciiled.—l and 2, G. & J. 

 Duckworth. Silver-pencilled.— \ and 2, J. Stuttard. vhc, Rev. J. N. Williams. 

 Oolden-spangled.—l and vhc, G. & J. Duckworth. 2, J. Jackson. Silver-spangled. 

 —1, J. Fielding. 2, J. Studdard. Cochins.— 1 and 2, T. Aspden. vkc, A. Bamtord. 

 DoBKlNOs.— 1. J. Walker. 2, J. Stott. Spanish.- BJack.— 1, J. Powell. 2. H. 

 Wilkinson. Brahmas. -1, C. Holt. 2, H. Oatlow. nftc, J. Walker, T. Aspden. 

 Any otheb Variety.-I. W. Wilson. 2, R. Riley, vkc, S. H. Stott. Game 

 Bantams.— Cocfc.—l, Bellingham & Gill. 2, F. Holt. Bantams.- 1, Bellingham 

 and Gill. 2. R. H. Ashton. Geese.- 1 and 2. J. Walker, vhc, J. Houlkor. 

 lyuCK9.—Aitlesbury.—\ and 2, J. Walker, vhc, C. Holt. Rouen.— I and 2, J. 

 Walker. Any other variety.— 1 and 2, J. Walker, vhc, J. Booth. Tdhkevs.- 



1. J. Walker. 2, J. Houlker. Selling Class.- 1, J. Powell. 2, Smalley and 

 B.imes. 



PIGEONS.— PoDTERS.—l. J. Booth. 2 and vhc, J. Kendall. Carriers.- 

 Cocfc.— 1, J. Kendall. 2. .1. Walker, vhc, H. Yardlcy, J. Kendall. Hfll.— 1 and 



2. J. Kendall, rlii:. H. Yardley. Tomblers.-i and 2, H. Yardley. Barbs.-I, 

 H. Yardley. 2. J. Walker, vhc, H. Yardley. S. Fletcher. Owi.a.-EngUsh.—l 

 and vhc, W. J. Lucas. 2, T. Charnley. Dragoons.- Blue or 8ilver—l, H. 

 Yardley. 2. S. & R. Ormerod. vhc, H. Yardley, J. Booth, C. WaddinRton, J. 

 Kendall. Any otlter colour.— l, C. Waddington. 2. W. W. Jacks, vhc, H. 

 Yardley, C. WaddinRton, J. Kendall, J. Stanley, 0. A. J. H. Pearson. Ant- 

 WEEPS.- 1, J. Stanley. 3, H. Yardley. vhc, H. Yardley, T. Barker. Jacobins. 

 —1, W. Harrison. 2, W. Dugdale. vhc, 3. Fletcher. Thebits.- 1, T. S. 



— 1, J. Butler-Bowdon. 2. H. Yardley. Magpies.— 1 and 2, J. Butler-Bowdon. 

 vhc, 3. Butler-Bowdon, T. Waterworth. Likeliest Bird foe Flying Pur- 

 poses. —1, J. B. Haydock. 2, R. B. & D. Mead, vhc, J. Barlow, J. Neild, 

 Smalley & Barnes. 'Any other Variety. PoDtebs Excepted.— 1 and 8, J. 

 Kendall. 2, S. Dyson, vhc, H. Yardley, S. Dyson, J. Kendall (2). Seluso 

 Class.-I. J. Kendall, vilc, 1. S. Stephenson, C. Waddington. 



RABBITS.-Lop.EARED.-land2.T.& E.J. Fell. S. W. T. MiUet. vhc.VT.C. 

 Yorke. T. & E. J. FeU. Any other variety.— l,i, iais, T.&'E. 3. Tell. Sana 

 vJtc, H. Wood. 



The Judge was Mr. E. Button, Pndsey. 



EGGS OF DUCKS AND HENS. 

 An experiment was lately made in France for the purpose of 

 finding the relative value, of hens and Ducks as egg-producers. 

 Three of each sort were selected for testing the result by obser- 

 vation as to their relative fertility. Between the 1st of January 

 and the end of August the three hens laid 2.57, and the Ducks 

 402 eggs. Moreover, in the autumn months of the previous 

 year the Ducks had yielded 21.5 eggs, while the hens had com- 

 pletely ceased laying. Altogether, therefore, the Ducks had 

 produced 617 eggs within the twelve months, as against 257 ob- 

 tained from the hens. The birds of each class selected for the 

 experiment were of the same age, and, as far as could be judged, 

 of the same relative size and strength. Of course a more ex- 

 tended series of trials must be undertaken before any definite 

 opinion can be given on the relative merits of Duck versus hen 

 in the matter of egg-laying. But there are eggs and eggs, and it 

 remains to consider their comparative value as food, as produced 

 by hens or Ducks respectively. This was undertaken by a French 

 chemist, M. Commail, who gave the results of his analyses of 

 both varieties. A hen's egg weighing 60.4 grammes (equal to 

 15.433 grains avoirdupois) was found to consist of 7 2 grammes of 

 shell and membrane, and 52.2 grammes or 88.07 per cent, of 

 contents, while a Duck's egg weighing 50 8 grammes showed 7.7 

 grammes of shell and membrane, and 52.1 grammes or 87.12 per 

 cent, of contents. One hundred parts of the contents of a hen's 

 egg contained 26.01 dry matter, 1.03 ash, and 11.27 fat, while the 

 proportions of the same substances in a Duck's egg were found 

 to be 28 32, 1.16, and 15.49 respectively. It follows, therefore, 

 that Ducks are not only the more prolific layers, but their eggs 

 are also richer in fat to no inconsiderable extent. — [Pet Stock 

 Bulletin.) 



THE SIBEEIAN KABBIT. 



In recent papers on Rabbits we have often had to express un- 

 certainty as to the exact locality from which each is extracted. 

 In some cases we have endeavoured to show that the names by 

 which the different varieties go are fair criterions by which we 

 may judge of the home in which they first came into existence, 

 while in others we have expressed our opinion that the name 

 given was decidedly inappropriate and deceptive. To these 

 must be added the name by which the animal we now purpose 

 describing is more generally known. An old and very favourite 

 name at the time of the late war was Abyssinian, while a more 

 orthodox appellation was Egyptian. These two facts would lead 

 us to imagine that the north-east corner of Africa is the part 

 that can boast of being the home of this handsome animal. 

 That it comes from Siberia — a land of cold, snow, and ice — a few 

 years' experience in Rabbit-keeping would soon show to be in- 

 correct. The fact is, that there is very much doubt whether or 

 not this breed is a distinct one, or whether it has been brought 

 into existence by means of a cross, judicious or otherwise, be- 

 tween the Himalayan and Angora, the points of both of which it 

 more or less takes after ; however this may be, it is certain that 

 the breed has been in existence quite long enough to warrant its 

 being called a distinct one. If a manufactured breed — if the ex- 

 pression is allowable— it is easy to understand that its homo- 

 geneity must and will always remain a matter of doubt. The 

 variety is very popular among the French peasants, and has 

 made very fair headway in this country. 



The body of the Siberian is fairly long and well proportioned, 

 the limbs not being overlarge or strong ; the ears are short and 

 upright ; the eye pink, like that of the Angora, Himalayan, or 

 Polish ; the general appearance and shape is decidedly pretty. 

 The Siberian is covered on the body with long silky fur. This 

 fur is delicate to the touch, and should be of a woolly and silky 

 nature, or it is not as good as it ought to be. The head is well 

 shaped, the forehead being generally a trifie prominent. The 

 wool on the head is hardly so delicate as on the body ; between 

 the ears and eyes it is perhaps a trifle longer, but below the eyes 

 it is certainly shorter than the general length, which should not 

 be less than four times the length of the fur of a Lop, and some 

 of the grand show specimens— notably Mr. Swetman's champion 

 — have it considerably longer even than this. It cannot possibly 

 be too long— the longer the better ; and the finer and more deli- 

 cate it is to the sight and the touch so much more is the value 

 enhanced. Under the body the fur will not be so long as on the 

 upper portions ; it will, however, be found to be, if anything, a 

 trifle softer and thinner. 



