JOUBNAIi OP HORTIODLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 21, 1877. 



ami other Eeis.-l. G. Carter. 2, G. Holmes & Destner. 3, G. Ridley, vhc 

 J.A.Nelson. Duckuings and other Grei/s -1, G. Holmes i Destner 2, J. A. 

 NeUon .S.J.WUson, ^nj, oiher Mr,e(!,.-1,G. Carter. 2 Rowell & WaKSOt. 

 8 H. A. Clark. HAMBURaHS.-GoMcitspaiwJpii.-l, R. Keenlevside. 2 and 3, G. 

 SolmlsTDestner. Sii-er-spaiwied.-l and 2, G. Ho mes i: Destner S, G. 

 fideraon. aoldea-pencilled.-l. T. Dodda. 2, R. Walton. 3, H aaunders. 

 Silver-pencilled.-l anii, J. Clow. Anv other Variety emept Bantjms.- 

 l.Rev.J.G.Milner. 2. R. Hawkins. S. H. A. Clark. BANTiMS.-Coc)c.-l and 

 2 W.Harrison. 3, T. Dowell. j,hc,G. Alderson.G. Ridley, J. A. Nelson, Ben. 

 -1 F Farr. 2, J. A. Nelson. 3. G. Alderson. Game. Black-iremted and other 

 Eciis.-l. H. Sharp. 2, T. DoweU. 3, J. A. Nelson. 4?i!/ otder Darieli/.— 1. l. 

 Dowelll 2, W. Gray. 3, E. Elliott, vhc.1. Young. T. Birkley. Any other 

 «an>(!/™«piGame.-l,G. Sanderson. 2, R.H Aahton 3,J.Moater. Docks. 

 —Auleihnn—\ T E. Gibson. 2, B. Snell. Eouen.—l, J. A. Nelson. 2. Rev. 

 J. G MilSl:. 3. R. S. Lamb ^ny other variety.-i and 2, Rev^ J. G. Milner. 

 S, R. H. Aahton. Selling CLisSES.-Coc* or Drake.-h J. Darning. 2, J. 

 Moater. 3, Miss Cotes, vhc, G. Carter, W. Davison. Hen or Duek.—l, K. 

 ^COTTAGER^k' Ci;iSSEs''-G°rMl:-Co.S.-l, W. Davison. 2, J. Yonng. 3,W. 

 Hetherington. vhe. A. Hay. H'.n.-i, J.Jouug BiiiBUHatla.-Coek -\^ 

 BlackburS. 2, D. Cheyne. S.J.Wilson. Hen -3. R. Blackbarn_.3, J.Morton 

 Am? ViBiETV EXCEPT BiSTAMS.— Cocfc. -1. R- Parsons. 2, J. WUson. Hen . 

 -1. R. Parsons. 2, W. S. BeU. 3, G. Sanderson- Bantams.-CocJ:.-1. J. 

 Short. 2, G. Dowie. 3, T. Birkley. Jlen.-l, G. Bell. 2, J. Pattison. 3, Miss 



PIGEONS.— OARBIEBS.-Cock or Hen.-l. E. Beckwith. 2. Wilson & Orange. 



8, J. Kendall. vhe,E. Beckwith, J. Kendall. Toiiblebs -.Sftort^/aced—Coc* 



r Hcn.-l and S, E. Beckwith. 2, T. Horsman. ]un. iifce, JI. Yardley. Any 



, , _ec!iwun. 2, i. norsmau. juu. iMt,., ci. iuiui^j. ....y 



.„.,. -CocJ: or aeil -J, J. Tait. a.H.Yardley. S.N.Frazer. Pooterb, 



■1 and I'fcc. E. Beckwith- 2, J. Kendall. 3, R H. Blacklock. Hen.- 



- - ' and 3, E. Beckwith. vhe. H. Simpson, J. Kendall. 



other , 



—Cock. . ...... 



1, Wilson & Orange 



DEAOOOSS.-Coct or Hen.-l and 2, R. Woods, s. W. Smith, uhe, J. Kendall. 

 J. G. Patterson. R. Woods. NoNS.-Cocfc or Hen.-l, J. Young. 2, W. J. 

 Warhurst. 3, A. Hall. OWLS.-Cocle or Hen.-l and 2, G. Alderson. 3, J. 

 Johnson, iun. ToBBiTS.-Cocfc or Hen -1. G. Alderson. 2, T.S. Stephenson. 

 8. R. Woods, vhe, N. Frazer. Babbs.-CocJc or Hen.-l and 3. E. Beckwith. 

 2! H. Yardley. vhe. J. Kendall. JiOOBiNs.-Cocic or Hen.-l, G. Alderson. 

 2 and vhe, J. Young. 3, E. Beckwith. Fantails.-Coc): or Hen.-l and 3, W. 0. 

 ■Warhurst. 2, J. F. Loversidge. vdc, E. Beckwith. MAOPiES^Coc/tor uen.— 



1. R. Woods. 2 and 3, Wilson & Orange. Dlic, E - Beckwith. Wilson S Orange. 

 ANTWERPa.-Coefc or Hen.-l and 2. H. Yardley. 3. B. Patliaon. Asv otheb 

 VARiETY.-Coci or Hen.-l, J. Kendall. 2, 3. and Extra 3. E. Beckwith. vhe. 

 H. Yardley, J. Kendall. Sealing Class.— 1, Wilson Si Orange. 2, J. Chappellow. 

 B, M.Green. Kfcc, E. Beckwith. ^„,i. „, 



CAGE BIRDS.— Canaries.— NoKwioa.—reHoiu or Tellowmarked.—Coekor 

 Hen.—l, Miaa Robson. 2, J. Robson. vhe, J. Spence. Buff or Buff-marked.- 

 Coc/£ or Hen.-1, J. Robson. 2, R. C. Jobling. ii/ic, D. Lunam. crested.— 

 Yellow or Tellow-marked.-Oock or Ben -1, J. Ijeach. 2,T. Darling. Bii-^or 

 Buff-marked.— Coek or Cock.-l. J. Leach. 2, J. R"bson Glasgow Dons.- 

 Co'ck or Hen -2. T. Darling. Lizards. -Cocfc or Hen.-l an.1 2, Stevens and 

 Tenniswood. Moles —Goldfinch, yellow marked.— Coek or Hen.—l, J. Smith. 



2, W. Burniston. Buff-marked.— Cock: or Ben -1, J. Robson. 2, Miss Robson. 

 the, Stevens ,4 Tenniswood. Any other variety. -Cock or Hen.—l,^. bpenc~ 



3, Miss Robson. vhe, Stevens & Tea — - 

 Marshall. 2, J. Leach, vhe, O. Peeraon 

 2. D. Lunam. vhe. J. Lofthouii 

 Tenniswood. 2, J. Bell. Singing 

 I.J.Thompson. 2, J. Lotthouse. 

 —Cock or Ben.—l, E. McKenzie. 



Hen.— 1, J. Smith. 2, R. C. Joblin„ - 



RABBITS— LONG-BAKED-l, J. Handalipi 



LiM 



■Cock or Ben.—l, T. 



-Cocfc.— 1. J. Smith. 



—Cock —1, Stevens 



.—Any other variety.— Coek or Hen.— 

 Any iiTHEB Variety except Singing Birds. 

 2, J. H. .Atkinson. Selling Class.— Cock or 

 - vhe, J. Robson, J. Spence. 



1 2, J. s. Kohinson. vhe, M. 



.„„.,..^ ANY other Variety.— I and 



.„, i.. ^. .j.i«=. u ., "... J, . I. H. Roberts. 



Judges.— Pom Kr;/ : Mr. J. Dixon. Pigeons, Caje Birds, d-c. : 

 Mr. B. Hutton. 



BULLFINCHES AND SPARROWS. 



Although it so hippeni that Mr. Haie was aHswered, or 

 nearly so, last week by "P. G." in an excellent article entitled 

 "Oar Garden Friend.s and FoeB," still I must ask for space to 

 give a further reply. My object in the series of papers nublished 

 nnder the title of " Oar Duty to Oar Four-footed and Feathered 

 Keighbours " is to find out what our duty is, putting aside mere 

 aentiment on the one hand, and abhorring and repressing cruelty 

 on the other. Mr. Huie defends the Bullfinch, but we must 

 bear in mind the fact that he admits that he has no BuUfiuches 

 within twenty miles of him ! while he makes a vigorous attack 

 on the Sparrows, which abound near Glasgow. Let us examine 

 the matter. It is .just town troubles against country troubles. 



I have three noblemen's parks and many gentlemen's in this 

 neighbourhood. Game is preserved very strictly; every Hawk 

 has been shot down, and Hawks' food, small birds, have greatly 

 increased. A fox cover, into which no one dare enter, is within 

 half a mile of me, and in which birds build, and thick shrub- 

 beries, not mine, adjoin my garden. BuUfiuches superabound. 

 I have this year lost' the chief part of the gooseberry crop, and 

 nearly all the plums and medlars. The season is late, and the 

 apple buds have been attacked too, the Bullfinches not having 

 gone back yet to the woods. I have myself proved to a certainty 

 that this fruit-ruin is from the BaUfluches alone. Next year I 

 intend to offer so much a held for the birds. There is no fear 

 of the Bullfinch being extormiuated, for he places his nest too 

 high and too craftily to be easily got at. I have taken as a boy 

 many nests, having been an egg-collector and bird-fancier, but I 

 never could take the nest of a BuUfiLioh. It is with us a positive 

 necessity to shoot down this most destructive bird. 



In regard to Sparrows they do little harm t ) us in the country, 

 but the town Sparrow is another bird quite, and I have no doubt 

 that my friend Mr. Huie, in his pretty villa just outside Glas- 

 gow, the biggest city in the United Kingdom save London, suffers 

 much. I look upon the town Sparrow as being as difl'erent to 

 the country bird as the poor dirty town child is to the country 

 child. It is the city Arab and the village boy. Even Buffon 

 found no words in favour of the town Sparrow ; he is a roguish, 

 quarrelsome, dirty, mischievous rascal ; unp'.easing to the eye, 

 and his noise hateful to the ear— but I do not class him among I 



the foes to the country garden. Would that I could say a word 

 in favour of the Bullfinch. I unite in myself the two loves— a 

 love of gardening and a love of birds; an oruithologist and 

 bird-fancier all my life, and a lover of horticulture as well, so 

 that I feel naturally inclined to hold the scales evenly. Some- 

 times gardeners seem to hate aU birds and ruthlessly destroy 

 all aye, and animals too when able. Then the sentimental 

 ornithologist will let valuable food go to ruin so that he may see 

 plenty of birds. Let us do our duty. Times are too expensive 

 for food to be lost to man's use and benefit; let ua hold the 

 balance evenly. When I can defend a bird I will, a,nd with 

 pleasure; but in parts of England, such as the part I live in, J. 

 regret that I must put on the black cap and condemn the liuii- 

 finch to death. I do not know any other case so bad as his. 



Tomtits injure the pea crop I fear and believe, but they do some 

 good on the other hand; but the Bullfinch only does harm, or 



harm quite out of proportion to any good, so that I cannot, un- 

 fortunately, plead any "extenuating circumstances. Blaot- 

 birds and Thrushes do some good. All the soft-billed birds are 



gardeners' friends, but "pick-a-bud" Bully, with his terribly 

 shaped beak, only does harm. And how he enjoys the misohiet ! 



how his bright full eye twinkles under his velvet cap ! bo in 

 spite of Thomas Edward, who was a naturalist only, not orni- 

 thologist and gardener, I must condemn him.— Wiltshire 



Eectob. 



MORTALITY IN CANARIES. 



Judging from the detailed particulars in your letter ("E. S-, 

 Chisivick,") you have spared no pains in endeavouring to provide 

 suitable habitations, accompanied with all requisites iii the shape 

 of food, &c., for your Canaries. With all the care bestowed sf.iU 

 your pets die off— eight deaths occurring within six weeks Hia 

 the mortality happened to tender young birds we might have 

 concluded that some disease through an over-generous diet naa 

 laid them prostrate ; bat whan you inform us that six ot them 

 ' were last year's stock, and the marked yello v ( orwarded to ua 

 with the buff hen), a three-year-old, the whole of them stated to 

 be " in perfect health all the winter," there must be soma aerioua 

 oanse of death more than you may imagine. , = -kt -1 



We have examined the two packets of seeds encl03ed. INO. I 

 packet contained " seed used until todiy " (May IGth), and con- 

 sisted of Canary and rape of about equal proportions. Kemarks : 

 Canary seed of fine quality, rape ot the large kind more adapted 

 for agricultural use than for Canaries, owing to the drastic and 

 irritating effect it has upon the system when given in abundant 

 proportions without first having been scalded. No. 2 packet, 

 "seed just purchased," contained Cinary, hemp (small, which 

 is best), ilax, millet, rape, and groats. Remarks : a capit il mix- 

 ture, and very suitable for Canaries all the year round, the 

 rape seed being in proportion of about ono-fixth, and apparently 

 of various sorts, some much resembling that known by the uama 

 of German summer rape, which is small and not near bo black 

 in appearance. There being so much of the "make-up in 

 rape seed for Canaries we think it would be advisable to pur- 

 chase the rape separate, so that it could be scalded and dried 

 before mixing. We have mostly adopted this plan. 



Bespectiug the two dead Canaries sent to us we will farst con- 

 aider the case of the light-coloured or buff hen. Had she been 

 e-'e-bound si"n3 more evident would have been apparent, btill 

 she was in a very forward condition for going on breeding, over 

 which sickness some hens are much worse than others. baoQ 

 mi^ht have been the case with the buff hen in question, and to 

 add to her sickness and weakness there was sufficient proof to 

 convince us upon examination that the hen had been weakened 

 and infested with vermin (red mites) to judge from the feathers, 

 which are soiled with hundreds of dimiaative black and grey 

 spots upon the underneath part of the webbing of the wings one 

 of which we have preserved. Canary vermin— whether intest- 

 ing the birds (mo.Hly the qaiU ends of th^ wings . nests, or 

 caSes— always leave traces of their whereabouts, loung birda 

 in nests arc mostly troubled uuderneith their wings and inside 

 the ears, in which the vermin may frequently be found secreted 

 when the birds are very young and before becoming leathered. 

 Upon further examining the hen it was found that numerous 

 feathers down the saddle to the tail wore only in a part-grown 

 state. This would further add to the weakness of the hen. 



As to the yellow-marked bird general appearances betokened 

 a healthy state of body, without the least sign of organic disease 

 bavin" prevailed. There were no traces whatever upon its winga 

 of having b^en pestered with the red bug. which leads as to 

 think otherwise than we might have done, still you may examine 

 your breeding cage and see if there are a."? mites lurking in the 

 crevices ; if so, a little tarpentine will qmokly tell its tale. Why 

 one bird should be so soiled in the wing feathers and not bo m 

 the other instance may be owing to the buff hen lia^mg been 

 introduced amongst your birds only the Wednesday before its 



O'ur'o inclusion is that it is just pisaible the acid in the 

 mxterial you say you had washed the breeding cage with may 

 have had something to do iu bringing about the mortaUty. 



