Jonuary 28, 1860. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



73 



myflolt that I killed them. I did once etand with scissors in 

 my hand, intending to nip oft' some horns in a Polish cockerel, 

 but am glad to say 1 resisted that temptation ; but leRaliae all 

 this, and many others as well as I will lose our scruples, and, 

 perhaps, may become great adepts in the art. 



"Nemo" in his remarks about Spanish and Game, says, 

 " No one ever objects to a Spanish pen for bcin;,' trimmed." 

 Well, there is a very fair sprinkling of asterisks in the prote.st, 

 and I can recollect before our friend " Nemo " joined the fancy 

 a pen of Spanish at one of the large shows, Liverpool, I think, 

 being disqualified on this account, and the di.<-qualification ap- 

 pearing in the prize list. Is it or is it not the fact, that certain 

 strains of Game and Spanish have very few feathers naturally 

 at the base of the comb, and that this is considered a point of 

 beauty? If I am right in this belief, then is it fair that 

 Spanish or Game should be artifioially brought up to this 

 natural standard ? These are almost the very words I wrote 

 some years ago in reference to Game, i^ the pages of " our 

 Journal.'' Then trimming was almost confined to Game. 'Where 

 are its limits now ? I would do away with the dubbing, be- 

 cause I think it leads to the other. I am delighted to find I 

 nm not singular, Mr. Radcljft'e and Mr. Manning evidently 

 agreeing with me. I confess that I read "Brown Eed's " 

 remarks in a.'tonishment. In the first plnce, he throws out the 

 insinuation th%t we protest because " we cannot show our 

 birds with thi^ advantage." But I would tell " Biiowk Ked " 

 that " practice makes perfect," and the more one goes on in a 

 path of deception — I use the word advisedly — the easier does the 

 practice become. I do not call simple dubbing a deception, 

 but I object to it, because in a competition the dubbed bird may 

 possibly have an advantage unpossessed by other breeds, as a 

 faulty comb may have been removed. I may misunderstand 

 "Brown Red," but I further read his remarks as meaning 

 that the whole pith of condition lies in dubbing!- Now, it 

 strikes me I have seen some Game worse in condition, because 

 they had been dubbed, not, in fact, having recovered the ope- 

 ration, yet taking a silver cup in a very large competition. 



One word more to our friend " Beows Red." " Nemo," and 

 those who act with him, are not going to be choked off the 

 trimming grievance by an invitation to tackle the introduction 

 of diseased specimens. We will leave that for " BitowN Eed," 

 and we will help him. The matter of trimming is far more im- 

 portant at present, and, moreover, seems to be in a fair way to 

 have some decision made — that is what we want. 



I turn now to my old friend " E. M. B. A." I had hoped 

 to have gone with him to Bristol, and as I must notice his re- 

 marks on this topic, my " free lance " shall at least have the 

 button of courtesy on its point. " E. M. E. A." is inclined 

 " to doubt the wisdom of this new movement," but he goes on 

 to Dorkings, of which breed he is a great admirer, and a not 

 unsuccessful exhibitor, and he comments on the removal of 

 the Dorking spur. He says, "This is an important point in a 

 Dorking cock." But as judging goes now, it is equally important 

 that a Hamburgh comb should be even ; equally important that 

 a Brahma or Cochin should not be vulture-hocked ; equally 

 important that a Polish cock should not have horns ; equally 

 important that a Spanish cock's face should be white. I do 

 not see how we are, as I said in my lost communication, to 

 draw the line of legitimate trimming ; it must be all or none ; 

 it must be all legalised, or all abolished. There can be no half 

 measures. Certain points are important in certain breeds, and, 

 of course, these very points in each breed will be the points for 

 fraudulent practices, "fancy tailoring," or whatever other 

 name we may choose to bestow. 'Were the point unimportant 

 there would be no attempt at alteration ; it is the fact that 

 it is the very point on which the judge's verdict will depend 

 that makes the "trimming" exhibitor pay special attention 

 to its getting-up. I recollect well on one occasion sending two 

 pens of Dark Brahmas to a show, where, I candidly say, I ex- 

 pected to take first and second prizes. The judge's verdict was 

 first, and the other nowhere. The first-prize cock was a very good 

 bird, not sufficiently hocked to please me. The unnoticed pen 

 contained a very good cock indeed, and one of the best hens, if 

 not the best, I ever bred, a constant prizetakor, a bird that 

 Mr. Boyle's man wanted continually to purchase. The judge 

 happened to be a friend of mine, and on my remarking to him 

 that I did not admire his judging, that the unnoticed pen was 

 a long way the better of the two, he replied that he personally 

 quite agreed with me, it was much the better, but the birds 

 were rather too hocked for the present fashion, and he passed 

 them over wholly on that account. Here, then, was a case 

 exactly in point. I feel confident that the removal of three, or 



at most four feathers from each hock would have made them 

 up to the required fashion. These very feathers were every 

 whit as important in this case as the Dorking spur of the cock 

 referred to by my friend " E. M. li. A." I humbly put it to 

 my old friend, that the logical deduction from his remarks on 

 this said spui- is, that all forms of altering the shape of a bird, 

 either by taking off or putting on, are unfair.— '\'. B. A. Z. 



KENDAL POULTEY SHOW. 



The Committee of the Kcnilal Show laboured thiB year nnder 

 considerable diillcultj. as there is not any pnt)lic bnililin*^ available 

 for the pnrposfis of a very extensive poultry exhihitioii. AVith prudent 

 foresight about twenty-eight classes were withdrawn from the schedule.^ 

 of previous years ; Pigeons, Geese, and Turkeys being totally struck 

 out. Notwithstanding this drawback, the entries of this year amounted 

 to no less than ■ll>'2 pens. The difliculty of obtaining a suitable build- 

 ing will soon he obviated altogether, and the temporary occupation of 

 scarcely-completed mills will be a thing of the past ; for it is in con- 

 templation to erect a building that will he useful for poultry shows, 

 public concerts, and similar pui-poses. It would ho unjust to com- 

 plain of the arrangements of the Show in llie new Town Hall, just 

 closed, as no one with a prize schedule so purposely contracted could 

 possibly anticipate this year so liberal an eutry. Yet such there was, 

 the cousequence being, that simply to obtain room all the pens were 

 so restricted in size as to detract most materially from the effect of 

 the Show. 



Game fowls were veiy good throughout, thongh many specimens of 

 these and the Guruc Baniaws were evidently so much overshown that, 

 without special care, but little can possibly be expected from them 

 in the coming breeding season. Of Uanihur'jhi, the Spangled were 

 undoubtedly the best of the classes, and necessarily these gaudy- 

 feathered birds, from the limited size of the pens, showed to the 

 greatest advantage, being far the most conspicuous to the casual 

 observer, Durlinf/s were really excellent, as they generally prove to 

 be in this district, though so far north for the generally-supposed 

 successful exhibition of this breed. The Cnrliiii^ were unusually good, 

 but the pens were far too small for their comfortable accommodation. 

 The same may he said of both the Spfmish and Unthnas. Of the 

 latter variety, we were sorry to see many with diseased legs, an ail- 

 ment which is highly infectious. The class for " Any other dis- 

 tinct variety," and the Selling classes, were well filled with specimens 

 of good value, and no doubt many pens in these classes would 

 change hands. lu domesticated DmkSj the Eouens were as classes 

 by far the most numerous, hut iu a very limited entry of Ayleshuiys 

 the latter proved easily successful for the silver eui^. The local classes 

 were exceedingly well tilled, and the enti-y for the plato prize for eggs 

 caused a very large and first-rate competition. 



The ponlti-y management was good, but we regret to say that the 

 weather was very unfavourable ; still, on the whole, this meeting ful- 

 filled the expectations of its projectors. 



G.\ME CWhites and Piles).— 1, C. ■«'. Brierlcj. MidiUeton. 2, .J. Fletcher 

 Stoneclough. 8, J. Brough, Carlisle, he, J. WiIkin.son, Lyth ; J. Mashiter 

 Ulverstone. 



GAiTE (Black-breasted and other Piedsl. — 1, Gr.iham & P.obinson, High- 

 gate, Kendal. 2, C. 'W. Brierley. 3, J. Gelderd, Kendal, he. W. Boyes. 

 Beverley ; E.Aliroyd, Bradford; W. J. Cope, Barnsley. Chickens, — land 

 Cup, C. \V. Brierley. 2, J. Erougb. 0, J. Hodgson, "Whittington. /ic, J. 

 Fletcher : T. Burgess, Burleydam. c, W. Boyes ; T. Mason, Green Ayre. 



GA3IE (Any other varietyl. — 1, "W. Boyes. 2, W. J. Cope. 3, J. Bradley, 

 jun.,KenJal. Ben?. — 1, C. W. Brierley. 2 and 8, J. Barrow, jun. ftc, J. 

 K. Robinson, Sunderland ; T. 'West, Eccleston, near St. Helen's ; T. Sud- 

 dick, Bradford ; J.Masbiter. c, J. Hodgson. 



Hambcrghs (Silver-spangled). — 1 and Cup. H.Beldon, Goitstock. 2, J. 

 Walker, Knaresborough. 3, J. Fielding, Newchurch. he. H. Pickles, 

 jun, Earby, Skipton. 



Hambceghb (Golden-spangled).— 1, H. Beldon. 2, H. Pickles, jun 

 3, N. Marlor, Deuton. he, J. Walker, ICnarcsborougb ; R. Dickson, Selkirk 



Hamburghs (Silver-pencilled).— 1, W. Moore, Manu. 2, H. Beldon" 

 3, T. Hanson, Keighley. ^•, H. Smith, Keigbley ; H. Pickles, jun. 



Hambubghs (Golden-pencilled).— 1, H. Pickles, jun. 2, H. Beldon. 

 3, .J. Walker, lie, W. R. Park, Melrose ; D. Brougliton, Baruoldswick. 

 r, S. Smith, Northowram. 



DoRKiN-(iS (Coloured, any variety). — land Cup, W. Huttlidgc, Kendal. 

 2. R. D. Holt, Orrest Head, 3. Miss Malcolm. Milnholm. Chlei;ens.—\, W. 

 W. Ruttlidge. 2, R.Hoartley, Carlisle. 3, D. Gellatly, Mciglo. he, T. Ullock, 

 "Windermere ; J. Stout, Kirkby Lonsdale. 



Cochix-China (Cinnamon and Bulf). — 1 and Cup, J. Mashiter. 2, G. H. 

 Procter. Durham. 3, J. H. Dawes, Birmingham, /(c, G.Calvert, Durham; 

 H. Mapplebeck, Moseley, Birmingham. 



CocHiN-CnixA (Brown and Partridge-feathered).— 1, T. Stretch, Orms- 

 kirk. 2, E. Tudmau. Whitchurch. 3, J. Stephens, Walsall. 



CoCHiN-CmXA (White).— 1 and 2, R. Smalley. Lancaster. 3. S. Ash- 

 burner, Dalton-in-Furness. he, S. 6herwen, W"hitehaven ; J. SchoUick, 

 Ulverstone. 



Sr.ANisH (Black).— 1 and Cup, H. Beldon. 2, T.cS E. Comber, Myddle- 

 tou Hall. 3, G. C. Wilson, he, S. Robson, Brotherton ; Hon. Miss 

 Douglas Pennant, Penrhyn Castle, Bangor j J. Leeming, Broughton. 

 c. Bowman & Fearon, Whitehaven. 



Braoma PooTRAS.- 1 and Cup, E. Leech, Rochdale. 2, Mrs. Bun-el), 

 Ipswich. S, Hon. Miss Douglas Pennant, he, C. Layland ; C. W. Brierley. 

 c, R. Smalley. 



Asv OTHER Distinct Variety not Mentioned Except Bantams. — 1,H 

 Beldon (Golden Polands;. 2, P. Unsworth, Kewton-le-Willows (Black 

 Polnnds). 3, C. Homfray, Caerleon (Houdans). he, C. Bower, Bolton-le- 



