October 1, 1868. ] 



.JOUnN-IL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



3S3 



Names of Fuoits (W. « ).— Yonr Ornpe is tho Black Hnmharftb. 

 (8. y. I.— Wo h 11(1 to pay lOrf. carriiigo for yonr pnrcol. (A SubKribr.ri.— 

 We liuJ Gd. to pfty for oarriiigo to our office. If we roouivo tho nbove 

 amouQta in poataRO stamps wo will omlcavourtoname the fruits. (H. C, 

 Ktntl.—/lii}ilc : Lemon Pippin. The I'car was quite decayed. (A. Y.).— 

 Applf : Muuclie's Hppin. 



NAtras OF Plants (A Country Suhtcriber, Eastujood).— Bryonia laciniosa 

 (Ditcipliniu il/iliicril.— CrulaiKua rrUB.xalli, var. ovalifolia. (A. C. W.).— 

 Cyclamen noapolitanum album. Valoradia plambagiuioidcs, Alchomilla 

 alpina, var.coiijuncta. {An Old Hiibucribtr, Cardiff).- Aspidium lonchitiA. 

 (.•J. Bryan, AuAlcy f:ntl).—\,i. Athyrium Filix-foomina ; 8, LaBtroadilatata 

 4. Nephrolepis cxoltata ; S, Adiantum tetrajjliyllum ; 6, A. afiine ; 7, A. )ua- 

 pidulum. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending September 21)th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



THE BIRMINGHAM SHOW PRIZES AND ITS 

 JUDGES. 



H.IVING seen a prize list for tbe approaching Birmingliam 

 Show, I was gratified to observe that several alterations and 

 additions in cups had been made, which will, no doubt, oiier a 

 stronger inducement to some persons than a mere money prize ; 

 and I anticipate that the results will prove the step to have 

 been a judicious one. roultry-exhibiting ought not, in my 

 opinion, to be so much a matter of pecuniary profit as a useful 

 recreation calculated to improve the respective breeds. 



If I remember rightly, at the last Show the Committee, or 

 the gentlemen deputed to appoint the judges, made an addition 

 to the original judges, which in my opinion was quite a step 

 in the right direction. I believe, however, that as a rule the 

 majority of those who fill the olBco of judges at Birmingham 

 seldom, it ever, exercise that function elsewhere — a course 

 which I think is a mistaken one, as they cannot be supposed 

 to be equally competent with those gentlemen who are con- 

 stantly performing that duty. Among others I would mention 

 Mr. Hewitt, who has filled that office in every part of the 

 country ; and considering that his appointment never fails to 

 jive additional confidence to exhibitors, I should very much 

 regret to find his name omitted from the list on the occasion in 

 question. I would also suggest, in addition, the name of Mr. 

 Hutton. He has judged at several shows at which I have been 

 present, and his decisions appear to have given very general 

 satisfaction. 



I would further recommend that, in the selection of judges, 

 the choice should fall upon gentlemen whose position and life, 

 and the character they have at stake, place them above tempta- 

 tion or suspicion. To appoint, as has lately been the case at 

 some shows, persons who hold or have held the position of 

 servants to, or are in any way dependant on parties in the habit 

 of exhibiting, cannot fail to be unsatisfactory to the majority 

 of exhibitors ; for however impartial their awards may be, the 

 same confidence will not be placed on them as on persons 

 whose position and circumstances furnish a stronger guarantee 

 for independent judgment and action. — Cochin. 



MANCHESTER POULTRY SHOW— ENTRY FEES. 



I THINK your correspondent Mr. A. Heath, of Calne, has 

 done good service by drawing attention to the early period for 

 which the Manchester chicken Show is fixed. It is at least six 

 weeks too early, as there are not many exhibitors who have 

 convenience or opportunity for having many chickens (most 

 early sittings do badly, this year's singularly so), hatched before 

 April or May, and those hatched in these months will, of course, 

 be unfit for exhibition, especially the larger varieties, for two 

 months or so. 



A uniform rate of entry per pen would lead to a much 

 larger number of entries, as the present plan is only favourable 

 for those who are able to keep several breeds — say Is. or Is. f>ii. 

 instead of 1.5s. for the first entry and 5s. afterwards, as many 

 amateurs have only room for one variety, and perhaps are not 



able to form more than a conpla of good pens. I think tho 

 Middleton Show illustrates the advantage of thi.5 plan. There no 

 difference is made on entering one or more pens, and the entry 

 fee is regulated according to the prizes offered. — J. W. C, jon. 



I HAVE not yet seen the prize list of this Show, but read in 

 " our Journal" the remarks made by Mr. Heath on the state 

 in which birds must be at the date on which it is advertised to 

 be held. I quite agree with Mr. Heath, and feel convinced 

 that fanciers generally are of the same opinion. ^ 



My birds, with few exceptions, are now deep in moult. The 

 few that are not will be so in eight or ten days ; and the few 

 young ones that are unable to do for themselves are being left 

 by their parents, owing to the sickness which always prevails 

 during the moulting season. 



It was considered a matter of no small moment by the 

 members of our Society (the North British Columbarian), to 

 decide which was the best time for exhibiting Pigeons in per- 

 fect feather, and they came to the conclusion that December 

 was the first month in which birds could be shown to advantage 

 after moulting ; but even then a few individuals are not perfect 

 in the flight feathers, and until the feathers are not only fully 

 developed but the quills hardened the Pigeon seldom recovers 

 its wonted spirits. 



If this question were fully considered by the members of 

 Societies I think there would be fewer shows, if any at all, 

 during the breeding and moulting seasons ; and were the va- 

 rious shows to take place at the proper time — say from Decem- 

 ber to February inclusive — a greater number of entries would 

 certainly be secured. Thus the numbers would be encouraged, 

 and visitors be enabled to view the various breeds of Pigeons 

 in all their beauty. 



Manchester is a fine centre for a poultry and Pigeon show; 

 and it is to be hoped that in future the show in that city will 

 bo held, as Mr. Heath suggests, " at least a month later.'| I 

 venture to recommend two months later, as many delicate birds 

 would by that time have a chance in the young classes,— 

 James Hcie. 



POULTRY SHOW JUDGING. 

 To avoid partiality there should be two judges. A and B 

 being provided with a pocket-book, A begins to judge at the 

 first pen. and B at the last. They go on until they meet each 

 other. The order is then reversed, E commences where A 

 began, and vice versa. Having gone over each other's ground 

 they compare their books; where they agree the prize is at 

 once awarded, and where they differ it is either left to the 

 decision of a third judge, or decided between themselves. — 

 Fair Play. 



Long Sutton PonLTRY Show. — We have just been favoured 

 with a sight of tbe prize schedule of the Long Sutton Poultry 

 Show, the entries for which close on the 3rd of October. 

 Messrs. Hewitt, Teebay, and Tegetmcier are announced as the 

 Judges. The prizes offered are liberal, and no less than four 

 dozen classes are appointed. The prizes for every variety of 

 Cochins, Brahmas, and Dorkings, for which there are separate 

 classes, are £1 and 10.«., but two silver cups, each of the value 

 of five guine.as, are to be awarded to the best pen. In SpaniaU 



