72 



JOUKKAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ January 28, 18f9. 



PQPITRY. BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



VARIETIES OF GAME AND OTHER FOWLS. 



I THANK " H. E. W." for his comments on Game fowls (?ee 

 pages 4(;7-4G0), and think most admirers of poultry will admit 

 that there is great sameness and lack of variety at shows. I 

 trust that the hint may have some attention from committees 

 and secretaries of poultry shows. I have often thought how 

 interesting it would be to see all the varieties of Game fowls, 

 and no doubt the public would greatly appreciate such a col- 

 lection if it could be brought together. 



I some years since kept a beautiful strain of Black Eeds, 

 which had top-knots, yellow legs, and the most gaudy plumage. 

 Birds of this variety were always plucky for the pit, and won 

 many a battle ; they generally weighed from 4 to 41 lbs., and 

 were always admired on account of their beautiful style and 

 courage. Another and much heavier variety was much sought 

 after for the pit in the north of England. I have known birds 

 of this variety weigh as much as 8 lbs. They always gained 

 the ascendancy of birds of the other sort owing to their weight 

 and strength, especially the hens, for these had spurs. In 

 colour these Game fowls were Black Beds with yellow legs, and 

 were spangled or spotted with white regularly all over ; the 

 cock's breast the same. I never thought this breed so hand- 

 some as the former, but it was quite as good for the pit. 



I think if committees would give more prizes for "Any 

 other variety of Game" these strains would soon make their 

 appearance, and form quite a new feature at shows. I do not 

 advise giving large prizes at first, but to afford a little encourage- 

 ment to such an amount for each extra variety as would save 

 its entry money. 



I will now notice the " Any other variety " chss of fowls, 

 which is very interesting from containing anything new. Look 

 back a few years, and see what a number of additional varieties 

 have gained attention, and caused many to keep fowls. My 

 object is to encourage collection as much as selection, and to 

 bring into notice both new and old varieties. How seldom do 

 we seethe Eumpless fowl, also Frizzled and Silky fowls, as well 

 as the much-abused but the noble, fine, and good Malays, which 

 are worthy of more attention. I have found them good hardy 

 birds, which will eat almost anything ; they bear confinement 

 well, are good mothers, and not such bad layers as some writers 

 say, though making plenty of noise in laying, which is not at 

 all times agreeable. They are good table fowls when young, 

 but rather leggy. There is likewise this to recommend the 

 Malay — viz., that it is a distinct race of poultry, and these 

 fowls are peculiar, so different in their walk from "other kinds, 

 that they always receive a share of attention at poultry shows. 

 I am almost afraid this variety will be lost, unless the com- 

 mittees give more prizes in the "Any other variety" class; 

 and I believe Birmingham is the only show that has a class for 

 Malays, and this I hope to see continued. 



I trust more attention will be given to extra stock not named 

 in schedules, and then I am sure many beautiful and curious 

 varieties will be brought into notice, and fanciers will have 

 opportunities of examining what they now seldom see. — B. H.D. 



fowls. I also like to see the thighs of a ruddy appearance, and 

 not of that ashy tint we eo often see. 



_ Piles will never, perhaps, take a leading position as exhibition 

 birds, although they are a beautiful fowl when bred with care. 

 Some breeders object to them from a want of success in keep- 

 ing them up to the desired excellence, perhaps requiring more 

 care and perseverance than they can well devote to them ; 

 indeed, if not carefully crossed they are soon apt to run long 

 and loose-fealhered, and fall off in colour and other requisites. 

 In the hands of an experienced and ardent fancier they can be 

 brought to be both handsome and attractive. I visited a yard 

 a week or two ago where a good number were kept, and amongst 

 them I observed some which were as handsome as any Black- 

 breasted Bed I ever saw — the red and white were so well dis- 

 tributed, the bar of the wing so clear and distinct, and not 

 mingled with red ; the breast a ciearay white, lightly streaked 

 with red ; the tail perfectly white ; the legs and beak yellow ; 

 and short and close-feathered. Some of the Piles which I 

 have seen recently have been high-coloured birds, but these 

 were well and evenly balanced, neither colour predominating. 



I fully hope to see at the exhibitions of 18ti9 committees 

 offering greater inducements to breeders of both Duckw-ings 

 and of Piles than have recently been accorded at some of our 

 leading shows, otherwise these beautiful birds will gradually 

 lose ground until they become things of the past. At the la'.e 

 Manchester Show the first prize for Black Bed cockerels was 

 £10, and for Piles £2, and I think the first prize was £3 for 

 Duckwings. — Yobkshiee. 



BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 



• 1866. 



Total Receipts £931 lOs. . . 



Total Admiseions 41,844 



1800. 1H67. 18fi8. 



i-648 'Js i979 . . £1,037 



21,511 .... 43,540 .. 44,588 



The number of working-class tickets issued at the 1868 show 

 was 19,182, and the sum produced by the sale of them, £479 lU. 



The aggregate of the poultry sales, as will be seen from the fol- 

 lowing return, was not quite so large as in several recent years : 



£ s. -;. 



1865 269 pens 996 17 6 



1866 406 , 1,4 8 10 



1867 S13 1,108 14 6 



1868 274 982 1 



TRIMMING. 



GAME FOWLS. 



The Black-breasted Birchin Duckwings with yellow legs are 

 well worthy of notice, and the hens are very attracti ve-lcoking 

 This cross has been obtained from the Wheat-coloured, or what 

 in some parts of Lancashire are termed the Straw-coloured, 

 Black-breasted Beds, a race of birds which is very " game," 

 breeds true to colour, and might with credit find a place at our 

 exhibitions. I remtmber having had seme a few years ago, 

 the cock birds being wondeifully good in colour; the breast, 

 thighs, and vent were particularly free from red or light-co- 

 loured feathers. They are best kept to their respective colours ; 

 when crossed with the Partridge-feathered birds, the pullets will 

 invariably take after both kinds, thus spoiling the beautiful 

 markings of the Partridge kind. Some judges and exhibitors 

 are partial to a high-coloured breast in the Grey Duckwiug hen. 

 This, I think, is a mistake, as it evidently displays a strong 

 recurrence to previous crosses with the Black-breasted Bed. 

 The paler-breasted hens are more closely allied to the true Duck- 

 wing, are of better colour, and of a more silvery hue on the back 

 and thighs. The Partridge-coloured Black-breasted Bed hen 

 should have a clean brick-coloured breast, and be the same to 

 the vent, as deicibed by sJme of the old writers upon Game 



I WAS pleased to see the name of Mr. Hewitt to an article 

 upon the above subject in last week's Journal ; but was sur- 

 prised to find that he does not touch comb-trimming, which 

 must be as bad as plucking out feathers — even worse, because 

 of the punishment inflicted on the bird. I am quite willing to 

 believe that in many of the large shows, the strain on the 

 judges is so great, that time would not permit them to ex- 

 amine the plumage of the birds, to ascertain if they had been 

 trimmed ; but to detect a trimmed comb requires no additional 

 time. Any judge as soon as he looks at a Hamburgh can tell 

 whether his comb has been trimmed, and that the judges mostly 

 award prizes to Hamburghs with trimmed combs is a fact 

 borne out by most exhibitors. I give the words of one very 

 successful Hamburgh exhibitor at our large shows. I bought 

 a Silver-pencilled cock of him lately. "When he sent the bird he 

 wished me to give him my candid opinion upon it. In my 

 answer I told him the comb had been most fearfully trimmed, 

 and I hoped the day would soon arrive when that would be of 

 no avail. He acknowledged the trimming, and went on to say, 

 " he is better for exhibition ; some judges will have trimmed 



birds, Mr. to wit." He further states, " I exhibited a 



a good pen of Golden-spangled Hamburghs at "W Show. I 



was surprised they were not noticed. I drew the judge's at- 

 tention to them, and asked if he would kindly tell me their 

 faults. He did so. I afterwards sent them to a larger show 

 trimmed. They competed against the same birds, and were 

 winners. The same judges awarded prizes at both shows.'' 

 Surely this is not trying to stop trimming. But the unpleasant 

 duty of disqualifying trimmed birds must not be thrown upon 

 the judges entirely. Committees must assist and support them 

 in such a thankless task. I think the regulation suggested by 

 the Editors would meet the case. I should like to see it printed 

 in every schedule, and strictly carried out at every poultry 

 show ; then honest exhibitors would have a chance, at present 

 they have but a poor one. — L. Ween, Lowestoft. 



I, FOR one, do not trim. I did once, certainly, many years 

 ago, trim a couple of Brahma pullets, and was so disgusted with 



