194 



JOUENAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ March H, 1868. 



six months old weighed 6 to 7 lbs., and cockerels at the same 

 age 9 lbs. I have now a Light Brahma cock hatched in 180(j, 

 the one that took the second prize at Southampton in No- 

 vember last, which weighs 12 lbs., and a hen of 1806 of 9 lbs. 

 weight. Nearly all my birds are well leg- feathered (a number of the 

 Dark which are exhibited are viilture-hockedj. Also, in respect 

 to the comb, which is one of the most marked characters of 

 the Brahmas, are not the Light often superior to the Dark ? I 

 am aware many of the Light have the centre comb too much 

 twisted ; but how often do the Dark have very thick clumsy 

 combs ; in fact, almost a strawberry comb. 



As " Y. B. A. Z." says, the colour of the Light Brahmas is 

 now perfect in many birds, and no doubt, as Mr. Crook states, 

 they will now soon surpass the Dark in size, if they only have 

 fair treatment, and exhibitors see that it is so. 



" Y. B. A. Z." says many shows could not afford two cups in 

 the Brahma class, and that many committees find it hard to 

 make both ends meet, even with such a liberal prize list as that 

 of the Bristol and Clifton Show. Would it not have been much 

 to the advantage of that Show to have had more cups of less 

 ■value instead of one of £12 12.<. and eight of £7 7s. ? The 

 same amount of money would have almost procured fourteen 

 £5 OS. cups, which, surely, are quite valuable enough for prizes, 

 as the honour and not the value is what is desired by exhibitors. 



Let mu a^k, in conclusion, whether people are ashamed of 

 their names, that so many avoid letting them appear. It is a 

 great misfortune we should not know the names of the writers 

 of articles in " our Journal," so that we might form some idea 

 of the value of the hints and suggestions thrown out. Doubt- 

 less most of our readers do know who the great guns, such 

 as " Y. B. A. Z.," " Wiltshire Eectok," "Nemo," "New- 

 MAKKET," i-c, are ; but there are many of our smaller guns 

 whose remarks would be far more interesting and valuable if 

 the name and address were appended, instead of some hiero- 

 glyphics for which no one is the wiser.— Philip Ckowley, 

 Culverton House, Alton. 



make as to changes desirable, will do well to communicate at 

 once with the Secretary. 



RAILWAY CHARGES. 



In the Journal of February 27th appeared an article by 

 "Brahma" upon the excessive railway charges for carriage of 

 fowls for exhibition. As one of the Honorary Secretaries of 

 the Somerset County Poultry Association, I distinctly deny the 

 truthfulness of tbat portion of the article which has reference 

 to a charge of 5s. 3d. being made from our Show to the railway 

 station. 



Various exhibitors having requested that their railway charges 

 for through-carriage should be paid by the Association, and re- 

 charged to them, such course was adopted by our Committee; 

 and I find from the accurate mode in which the arrangement 

 with the Association in respect to through-carriage for hampers, 

 &c., has been kept by the Bristol and Exeter Bail way Company, 

 that one charge only of the exact sum of 5s. 3<;. for through- 

 carriage has been paid, opposite which sum is the number of the 

 label and name of the exhibitor. — One or the Hon. Seciie- 



MANAGEMENT OF BRAHIMA POOTRAS. 



From nearly all who had eggs for hatching from me last 

 season I had glowing accounts of the pullets. In a note from 

 an old friend at Eichmond (Mr. Kinghorn), he says, "Your 

 giants are great favourites, and lay every day. Another says, 

 " Dr. Curtis has seen the pullets from your Dark Brahmas, 

 and he says they are worth £1 per head." 



Our mode of feeding does not differ from that pursued by 

 other people, with the exception of breaking up all bones. I 

 have a raised block tor the purpose, and with a common hatchet 

 break, or rather smash, up every morsel of bone, whether it be 

 of fish, flesh, or fowl. It would please any one to see how 

 soon the fowls put in an appearance when the chopper goes to 

 work. I have a beautiful grass run for them, but very in- 

 different shelter for them in cold or wet weather. The old 

 fowl, of which I sent you a notice as having laid 279 eggs, made 

 the number up to 289 ! Now I am happy to say she is havkig 

 a thorough shift, and still looks as rosy about the head as any 

 of the pvdlets.— J. P. 



Birmingham Pocltky Show. — We are informed that the 

 Council of the Birmingham Cattle and Poultry Show will meet 

 shortly to re\is9 the prize lists for the present year. Intending ___ . 



donors ti sptcial prizes, or exhibitors having suggestions to 1 this day in the high places of our best exhibitions 



FOUR-TOED HOUDANS. 



I am glad to see that several of the leading breeders of 

 Houdans have taken up the cause of the fifth toe, which ap- 

 pears to be so strong an abomination in the eyes of Mr. Schroder 

 and others. It is one of the leading characteristics of the breed, 

 and, in my opinion, is as important as crest, beard, or plumage. 

 Besides, so strongly has this " abominable " point been in- 

 sisted upon, that myself and other breeders have abstained 

 from using birds which do not possess it ; and our efforts have 

 been so far successful, that out of nearly one hundred birds 

 bred by me last year, I had but three with only four toes, and 

 these I consigned to the cook. 



If Mr. Schroder's suggestions were adopted, the care we have 

 taken in improving our stock will have been entirely thrown 

 away, and we shall have to start afresh. This, I maintain, 

 would be excessively unfair. 



I have never had a Houdan with a bumble foot, so the fifth 

 toe is not attended with those evil consequences which attach 

 to the Dorkings. 



" Nemo " says the plumage of Houdans has not yet become 

 uniform. Let us make it so. For my own part I have a 

 strong objection to Light birds, which become less distinctly 

 marked with age, and have this year determined to breed solely 

 from Dark birds, which are decidedly the most fashionable. — 



LlNDUM. 



A CAUTION TO FOWL-SELLERS. 

 There have been so many " cautions " in your valuable 

 paper, and to which my attention has often been drawn, that I 

 am surprised any one should be victimised after reading them. 

 In spite of myself, however, I have to confess that I have been 

 " done," and that, too, by a celebrated breeder and exhibitor 

 of Buff Cochins. 



The story of my wrongs, how my best birds were got before 

 being paid for, and sent to an early exhibition, where they took 

 cup and prize ; how the gentleman wrote me stating that he had 

 only taken second prize ; next, how a week or two afterwards 

 he stated that he could not pay me, as the secretary of said 

 show had not paid him ; and how after many months, and 

 many instalments, I was completely " dropt," being minus 

 several shillings, which the said gent deducted for part railway- 

 expenses when he came, several months before, to see my 

 celebrated Buffs — a full account of this most interesting trans- 

 action I purpose sending to your Journal next week, if you 

 will promise me a little space ; and I wish distinctly and em- 

 phatically to state, that I shall do this solely to benefit those 

 who may have to part with their "pets" from unforeseen cir- 

 cumstances, and as a "stopper" to those would-be respect- 

 able exhibitors. 



If you can afl'ord space next week for a letter from me, oii 

 this subject. I would esteem it a favour. — F. W., 14, Wcstbay 

 Green, Sheffield. 



[We hope this will suffice without further exposure. If the 

 party you allude to does not fully satisfy you, let us know. — 

 Eds.] 



PIGEONS— NUMBER OF CROSSES. 



I AM asked by Mr. Eose what number of crosses between two 

 birds I consider are required in order to produce ■' fine healthy 

 Pouters." If I understand the question rightly, the desired 

 healthy Pouters may be produced from one pair of birds either 

 having no relation to each other, or being distantly related. I 

 am no advocate for a continued crossing, and think we often 

 err in this, as we cannot be always sure of the origin of newly- 

 acquired birds. If we obtain a good " strain " we should be 

 careful of the cross we introduce, both as regards colour and 

 style. Any strain may be kept up by matching relations now 

 and then, and it is remarkable how f.ar we may go in this way, 

 without injuring the form or constitution of the birds. 



About twelve years ago, during my absence from home, a 

 pair of Pouters, mother and son, mated and produced a pair of 

 eggs. The young birds were reivred by a pair of Fantails, and 

 finer healthy birds I never saw. I shall say nothing of their 

 colour, but for size and perfection of shape I have not seen 

 them surpassed. The descendants of this produce figure to- 

 Such a 



