Januttry 23, 1808. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



83 



inferiority? My old Light Brahmas, fonrtcen years ap;o, came 

 from Garbanati's challenge birds. The pair of hens must have 

 weighed 19 lbs. to '20 lbs., the smaller I showed at Newport 

 weighing over 10 lbs., the other was a larger-framed bird ; but 

 on the score of colour they were vastly behind the present 

 Light birds. Both cock and hens were darker, the white colour 

 far less clear. At the present day, you may run over pen after 

 pen of Light birds, and in colour they are perfect as to white- 

 ness — often the hacldo is too light. The rage has been to breed 

 for colour, to discard birds however good, if the plumiige is at all 

 spotted with black. This has been carried out in some degree 

 in the Dark variety, but there less damage has resulted ; but to 

 the Light birds, as I see them, it has proved ruinous, more or 

 less, to all those points that should mark a good Dark or 

 Light Brahma. It is possible that the two colours, and the 

 other points, may hereafter be found united. Whenever that 

 does takes place, I prophesy that the cup for the best pen of 

 Brahmas will be found awarded to Light birds. Even now 

 they are beautiful, then they would be amongst the very 

 handsomest of our domestic poultry. — Y. B. A. Z. 



I AM pleased to find the position of Light Brahmas in the 

 prize lists being discussed in " our Journal," and have pur- 

 posely waited the result of the Somerset County Show before 

 offering my opinion upon the truths contained in Mr. Wor- 

 thington's letter of the 19th of December, which is so much 

 strengthened by the able communications from Mr. Pares and 

 Mr. Crowley in the Journal of the 2nd inst. 



It is, undoubtedly, true that the Light Brahmas have often- 

 times been most grievously wronged at poultry shows, where 

 cnps have been awarded to Dark Brahmas of a most inferior 

 description, when really first-class Light Brahmas have been 

 shown against them. 



In some instances that have come under my own notice, the 

 jndges have, on the other hand, been annoyed at not having 

 the power to award the cnps to perfect pens of Light Brahmas, 

 instead of giving them to second-rate Dark Brahmas, because 

 of the prize schedule announcing cups for Dark Brahmas only. 



With regard to the general merits of both Dark and Light 

 Brahmas, and their individual beauty, I think there can be no 

 doubt but that the prevailing opinion will be found in favour of 

 the Light Brahmas, as to the latter point ; as to size, shape, 

 laying qualities, and as fowls for table use, Light and Dark are 

 equal at present, although I most firmly believe that as the 

 Eouen Ducks have surpassed the Aylesbury in weight and general 

 excellence, so will the Light Brahmas beat the Dark. 



With regard to any difliculty judges may have in deciding 

 as to which should win the cup ef those two varieties, I will at 

 present take the Somerset County Show as an example, upon 

 which I have some of the best opinions, that the cup should 

 have gone to the Light Brahmas, as the winning Dark were by 

 no means superexcellent. 



May we, the exhibitors of this most valuable and heantiful 

 variety of fowl, hope you will use your powerful influence in 

 our behalf ? Place them upon an equal footing with their Dark 

 relations, give them separate cups to win, and judge them im- 

 partially, and we have no fear as to which will come to the 

 front. — F. Ckook. 



As a friend of the Light Brahmas, I trust yon will permit me 

 to corroborate what has been lately written in your columns 

 respecting the dissatisfaction which exists at the custom of 

 combining Light and Dark in competition for the cup at 

 ponltry shows. 



The custom is likely to be injurious in more ways than one. 

 It must render the duties of the judges more difficult and 

 onerous ; for if it is notoriously often difficult to avoid giving 

 dissatisfaction in judging birds of the same class, how much 

 more difficult must be the judginj; of birds of diiiereut classes ? 

 Better, surely, to ofier no cup than to offer it on conditions that 

 foster discontent. 



Then, as regards the exhibitors. They are forced to com- 

 pete with birds of a different class from their own, which 

 many will consider unsatisfactory, whether they win or lose ; 

 and they have the additional annoyance of knowing that, as the 

 cup is nearly always adjudged to their rivals, their chance of 

 success is almost hopeless. — K. Hae\-ey, Suutliamptoii. 



It gives me much pleasure to observe that the friends of the 

 Light Brahmas have at length determined to make a stand 

 against the treatment their beautiful pets are and have been 



receiving at the hands of the judges. It is quite preposterous 

 that Dark Brahmas, merely because they are Dark, must beat 

 all Light, no matter how great their merit. I find it useless 

 to send Light to exhibit in a class for both varieties, as 

 "Brahmas, any variety;" for Dark, even when relatively in- 

 ferior, sweep off all the prizes. I trust that this state of things 

 will not continue, but that there will be in every show a class 

 'for each variety ; also, that when competing for a cup and 

 medal, the Light will be put on an equal footing with the 

 Dark. — Alexakdeb W. Shaw, Limerick. 



TllIMMING SPANISH FOAVLS' FACES. 



I AM not a dloappointcd caviller, though, if honesty is the 

 ruling principle, I am, I tbinic, a hardly-used exhibitor. I 

 know all the complaints made against judges, (fcc, to whom, I 

 think, great praise is after nil due ; but I have never heeded 

 them, taking them to be, as in part, perhaps, they are, simply 

 the complaints of the discontented. Whether this my letter is 

 the same I leave you to decide. 



Now, I ask any disinterested person to take one class o£ 

 fowls — viz., Spanish, and examine critically the faces of the 

 birds at any show, and then to give me a candid answer whether 

 in his opinion the faces of any, and generally the prizetakers, 

 are trimmed or not? Again, I ask, supposing the answer in 

 the affirmative. Is this honest ? If it is honest, let it be under- 

 stood that it is so, that all may have the advantage (and a great 

 one it is), of sending their birds trimmed; but if it is not 

 honest, let it be held as such, and condemned accordingly. 

 That it improves the bird's appearance no one, I think, can 

 doubt ; and I say nothing as to whether birds should be sent 

 as they are, or as they ought to be ; whether they should be 

 the real or the ideal ; but let all the honest and (I will not say 

 dishonest) "those who see no harm in it," have the same 

 advantages. 



I do not think the exhibitors are alone to blame ; I strongly 

 blame also the judges. For if they do not, they ought to know, 

 when to distinguish a natural from a non-natural face. I 

 maintain that they, by not condemning this practice, virtually 

 encourage, and, therefore, are themselves sharers in it. 



Again, not only is it dishonest in these individuals, but also, 

 I maintain, that the managers of the shows are to all intents 

 and purposes obtaining money under false pretences. If I 

 send my bird untrimmed, but in every respect good, I expect 

 him to have as good a chance as one that is trimmed — nay, I 

 should say, even a better ; but it has not as things exist at 

 present, and, therefore, I pay my money under a false impres- 

 sion. If, however, it is a recognised principle that all may do 

 so, I have done ; my point is gained. I do not myself see, in 

 fact, why it should not be so. 



Of course, some one will exclaim, " Oh ! here is a mannder- 

 ing complaint of one who sends bad birds and expects prizes." 

 Perhaps it is so ; but that is not the question. I ask him to 

 judge for himself. As it happens, I have a somewhat sub- 

 stantial proof that it is done, and that accordingly the judges 

 wink at it, and so the more tender-conscienced suffer. Of 

 course this is supposing the judges are competent persons 

 (and their names ought to be sufficient guarantees for this) ; if 

 they feel they are not, they have no business to judge. To one 

 who knows anything about the matter at ■all, such things ought 

 to be clear. 



I shall suggest no remedy, it is simple enough, and shall say 

 no more, but leave it in the hands of those more competent 

 than myself to judge. One thing I ask, Let it be strongly de- 

 cided either that all may trim or none, though this latter is 

 nominally the rule even now; and let also the judges, who have 

 it in their power, enforce honesty, remembering that it deceit 

 is practised in one class it is probably done in another. It is 

 as dishonest, under existing circumstances, to pick feathers 

 from a Spanish fowl's face as from a Brahma's hock. Do not 

 let poultry-fanciers be the contradictors of the apparently 

 somewhat selfish motto, "Honesty is the best policy." — A. H.D. 



POULTRY ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR' l^(i7. 



Bkeed — Pure Dorkings, and cross-bred Brahma and Dork- 

 ings. No. of eggs, lofil. Chickens hatched, 157. Chickens 

 reared, 124. Average No. of hens, 24. Out of 124 chickens 

 reared, 52 were destroyed by rats and dogs, and during the cold 

 and humid months of October, November, and December, my 



