348 



JOUKNAL OP HOBTICULTDEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ November 5, 1868. 



by excess of food, the proofs would Lave been plainer still- 

 "E. M. B. A." concludes the narrative of his woes with a state. 

 meat that for the future he means to invest in nothing but 

 Baily's Eoup and Condition pills, which, as far as my experience 

 extends, are a most valuable and elEeacious medicine ; should 

 they, however, fail to cure a case similar to the one above- 

 mentioned, I hope that " E. M. B. A." will refrain from " hurl- 

 ing them into the fire " until he has satisfied himself thoroughly 

 as to the nature of the disease that the pills were expected to 

 cure. It would be hard indeed to expect roup and condition 

 pills, however good, to serve as an antidote to poison, or a cure 

 for paralysis, inflammation of the stomach, and a variety of 

 other ills by which our feathered friends are liable to be 

 attacked. — H. S. Fkasek, Seadley, Hants. 



LIGHT-COLOURED BRAHMA POOTRAS. 



In your Isst number you notice the forthcoming South- 

 ampton Show, and mention the cup contributed by Light 

 Brahma breeders, the most valuable prize given in the Show, 

 for the best pen of Light Brahma chickens. Allow me, as one 

 who exhibited Light Brahmas when they had but few friends, 

 and no prizes offered them, and who has seen them grow with 

 but little help from shows, into one of the largest, in some cases 

 the very largest class, at our exhibitions, to thank you cordially 

 for giving expression, as you did last spring, to the feelings of 

 so many friends of the Light Brahmas, and to assure you that 

 those utterances have borne fruit in an increased number of 

 Light Brahma classes. And now Southampton, which through 

 its excellent Secretary has liberally recognised the claims of 

 the "Lights," is at hand, and the largest classes there will be 

 those for Light Brahmas, so that these birds may fairly hope 

 to compete for the cup for the best pen in the show. 



All that we exhibitor.? want now, is good and careful judging, 

 and that we shall have, if our leading judges officiate, with one 

 proviso — namely, time enough allowed them, which is not the 

 case everywhere, so that they may have the opportunity for 

 careful examination, and not merely look at size, or symmetry, 

 or colour, but notice and compare the special points — for ex- 

 ample, the comb, which in Brahmas, both Light and Dark, is 

 not always so good as it should be even in prize-winners. — 

 John Paees. 



BRISTOL AND CLIFTON POULTRY SHOW. 



In the early part of this year, had I been asked when there 

 would be another show at Clifton, in somewhat doleful mood 

 I should have replied, Never ! Twice bitten is once too often ; 

 but whatever may be the fortunes of our Bristolian friends, 

 there is one quality that cannot denied to them — that is, pluck. 

 They have held two decidedly unfortunate shows as regards 

 the poultry exchequer, though graced in every other way ; yet, 

 nothing daunted, here they are again, with a schedule more 

 inviting than ever, and an array of silver cups, twenty-two in 

 number, varying in value from £3 3s. to £10 10.?. 



Dorkings have eight classes, and two silver cups; Cochins 

 twelve (!) classes, and two cups ; Brahmas eight classes, and 

 two cups ; Spanish four classes, and two cups ; French fowls 

 two classes, and two chances of cups ; Hamburghs eight classes, 

 and two cups ; Game six classes, and two cups ; Bantams 

 eight classes, and four cups ; Any other distinct variety, two 

 classes. Polish, I regret to say, have only two classes. No 

 division into classes of these truly ornamental fowls, even to 

 our friend " Newmarket's " idea, in spite of the splendid array 

 in the Show held two years ago, when it may be justly said 

 this class was the gem of the collection ! Malays, too, that 

 made a fair muster two years ago, certainly larger than some 

 of the retained classes, are unceremoniously cut out altogether. 

 Ducks have four classes ; Geese and Turkeys one each. 



The Dorking, Cochin, Brahmas, Spanish, French, Hamburgh, 

 Polish, and Any other variety, have classes of single cocks and 

 pairs of hens. This is a very good change. In the Game, the 

 classes are single cocks and single hens ; the latter might have 

 been advantageously extended to the Game Bantams, but these 

 classes consist of a cock and two hens, with the addition of two 

 classes for single cocks. After the Bantam classes, the remain- 

 ing classes are composed of one male and one female. These, 

 the Duck, and the Geese classes, are not fairly dealt with. The 

 entry-fee being the same for each class, it is not, to my think- 

 ing, just to give prizes so disproportionate in value. For in- 

 stance, the same entry has in many classes prizes to the value 



of £5, but in Geese and Ducks only £3. The entry is 7s. dd. 

 per pen. This is full high. I should have thought 6.s. ample ; 

 the present, however, is a far better arrangement than making 

 it necessary to subscribe 5s. first before entering, or that of 

 making the first entry 15s., two for 20s., and so on. 



Each exhibitor will have one not-transferable ticket of ad- 

 mission. Personally I object, for the sake of the birds, to 

 exhibitions being open till 10 r.M. Still, with what little blots 

 there may be on the escutcheon, Bristol pluck deserves success. 

 I hope they will get it. As it is " the third time of asking," 

 may there be nothing either in weather or any other drawback 

 to forbid the banns between the Bristol and Clifton Poultry 

 Show, and a paying crowd of visitors. 



I forgot to mention that there are fifteen classes for Pigeons, 

 with two prizes in each, and three silver cups also devoted to 

 Pigeons.— Y. B. A. Z. 



THE LONDON POULTRY MARKET 

 EDWARD IsT.'s REIGN. 



IN 



In 1274, Henry le Waleys being at the time Mayor of Lon- 

 don, a civic ordinance was issued, that no Poletria — that is, no 

 dealer in poultry, should fore -stall the market by going out of 

 the city to buy, nor buy e%en within the city, until the pur- 

 chasers for the King, lords, and citizens had completed their 

 bargains — namely, until after three o'clock. The prices were 

 also fixed — a good fowl, Ijrf. ; a good Capon, Id. ; a fed Goose, 

 between Easter and Whitsuntide, 5(7., and from Whitsuntide 

 until the festival of St. Peter ad vinculas, id. ; and for the 

 remainder of the year, 3(/. ; an " Ancam roseram," id. ; three 

 young Pigeons, Id. ; a Pheasant, id. ; a Swan, is. ; a good 

 Peacock, Is. — (Lihir Custumarnm.) 



BLACK-LEGGED FOWLS. 

 In your number for October 22nd was n very sensible letter 

 on the folly of the objection to dark-legged poultry for table. 

 I can fully corroborate that. I have for many years kept 

 Polish fowls, which have blue legs, and I generally have to kill 

 some which are imperfect in feather, or otherwise not up to 

 the mark. They are most excellent in flavour ; in fact, I do 

 not know a fowl, which for its size, is so good as the Polish. 

 Not being large, it is, perhaps, not so much esteemed as some, 

 but for plumpness and general excellence, I quite believe that 

 there is not a better fowl than the Polish. — G. W. Boothbt. 



PIGEON PRIZES. 



We are authorised to state that Messrs. John Baily & Son 

 offer for the Birmingham and Manchester Shows of 1869, at 

 each place, a silver cup or other piece of plate, value five guineas, 

 for the best pair of Kunts exhibited. 



EXHIBITORS AND JUDGES OF PIGEONS. 



My last letter on the subject of dealers being allowed to ex- 

 hibit in competition with fanciers, and on the custom of show- 

 ing birds thut are not pairs, having met witb general approval 

 in the fancy, I venture to address a few words to you on 

 another subject — namely, the objectionable practice of exhibit- 

 ing borrowed birds. 



There was a time when the most conscientious exhibitors 

 would borrow or lend a bird or two, and look upon the act only 

 as a proof of kindly feeling, but since Committees of so many 

 of the principal shows have begun giving cups to the most 

 successful exhibitors, the custom of borrowing and lending 

 birds for showing has become so general and so extensive that 

 it is likely to be a means of bringing the fancy into disrepute. 



Fanciers ought to consider that they do a great injustice to 

 the man who only exhibits about a dozen pens or so, as it is 

 an absolute impossibility for such a man to win a cup for the 

 most points. I cannot be charged with selfish motives in 

 writing this, as I never show more than half a dozen pens at 

 once. I take the practice on the broad basis of right and 

 wrong. 



In certain quarters, and from interested motives, one par- 

 ticular " firm,'' as the phrase goes, has been pretty roughly 

 handled, but we should bear in mind that we ought not to 

 make one offender the scapegoat for the rest. The offence 

 was committed by more than one, both at Birmingham and 



