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JOURNAIi OP HORTIGULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ FsbrBarj C, 1873. 



In calliug attention to this matter we are pleased to Bee that 

 the importance of this step has been well appreciated by nearly 

 all committees, hence the canse why Mr. Hewitt's services 

 have been so eagerly sought for. In addition to being one of 

 our best judges, Mr. Hewitt has other characteristics which 

 have made him particularly acceptable, and which will be care- 

 fully weighed in connection with all candidates for this most 

 important office. Mr. Henitt never exhibits ; no one hears of 

 his breeding, selling, or purchasing stock, or indulging in any 

 shape or way in the prejudices for this or that taste for fowls. 

 This has caused his awards to be received as perfectly free from 

 all suspicion. 



Mr. Hewitt's absence at Birmiugham caused some round pegs 

 to be put in square holes ; and although the mistakes then made 

 caused a little mortification, his popularity was so great that 

 the disappointed ones consoled themselves with the fact that 

 Mr. Hewitt's illness was the cause, and all earnestly hoped that 

 they would soon see him back in the field of his labours. Since 

 then two mouths have elapsed, and during this period some new 

 to the office have been called upon to fill his position, and in 

 reviewing them we cannot yet recognise a wortliy substitute 

 for Mr. Hewitt ; and, although we by no means agree with 

 all the complaints and suggestions that have been made, w» 

 think sufficient cause of dissatisfaction has arisen to open the 

 question ; and as poultry shows are largely on the increase, we 

 think it is time to «onsider where we are to efficiently increase 

 ihe number of his coadjutants. 



In electing men to this most important office, it may be worth 

 considering how appointments of a similar nature are made, and 

 the considerations that influence those elections. In selecting 

 men to fiU the high offices of state, in addition to their actual 

 qualifications, it is necessary they should not be partisans of 

 any particular cause, but should be men of ^rm and evenly 

 balanced minds. A lawyer when made a judge can no longer 

 practise as a pleader ; and the reasons are equally obvious why 

 a poultry judge, when devoting himself to that office, should 

 resign both breeding and exhibiting, for in his capacity of judge 

 he may be called upon to decide upon the meritt of birds which 

 he hai himself bred, and which have been transferred to other 

 hands. We have heard of such a case, the judge upon recognis- 

 ing them rightly resigning the class ; but exhibitors generally 

 are not told of a circumstance of this description, and it is not 

 always that a second Judge is at hand to relieve a brother from 

 such an unpleasant dilemma. 



Further, this position of a judge of poultry may be equally 

 compared with the higher office to which we have referred. It 

 is important that he should be in a position which would deter 

 exhibitors from offering a bribe. Although, perhaps it will 

 hardly be expected that, in a cause in which honour is sup- 

 posed to be the gain, people will stoop to dishonour to purchase 

 it, facts have from time to time come before our notice which 

 show that some will dare any means to obtain these prizes, and 

 that people will stoop to any acts of deception, and adopt the 

 most shameless artifices to impose on a judge; while others, 

 not so clever in manipulation, will offer the judge a, new hat, 

 new suit of clothes, itc, for his favourable consideration. It is, 

 therefore, most desirable to select men to whom such offers 

 would not be a temptation, and whose position would place them 

 heyond the chance of being influenced by such corrupt pro- 

 posals. — Am Obbeuveb. 



THE POULTRY OP 1872.— No. 2. 

 HiViNO, in my last notes upon this subject, given my own ideas 

 as to the progress or otherwise of the Brahraas, I come next to 

 the Cochins ; and I think few fanciers will be disposed to deny 

 that Buffs at least showed during the past season a very con- 

 siderable advance. I have not for years observed such a number 

 of birds with the grand old " lumpy " development. No doubt 

 this was mainly lost for years by the insane dread of the hock 

 (still felt by one or two judges I could name, whoso awards pre- 

 sent accordingly a con8x>icuous contrast to those of the arbitra- 

 tors most acknowledged in the fancy), which had the effect for 

 a time of annihilating proper leg-feather ; for — and it is worth 

 noting — good feather and the essential points of cushion and 

 fluff will, as a rule, always stand or fall together. No one dis- 

 likes real vulture-hock more than I do, and especially does no 

 one hate a plucked bird more ; but I have heard birds called 

 hocked which in that point were simply perfect, and the mis- 

 chief done by such ignorance was incalculable. However, dur- 

 ing 1872 we saw plenty of real Cochins ; and I for one was glad 

 also to see the richer, deeper shades of Buff again in favour. 

 How many good Buff strains were ruin«d in colour by the rage 

 for that very light colour almost running into Silver Bull, the 

 breeders best know ; and it is on many accounts a source of 

 gratification that the deep Lemons and rich Buffs should be once 

 more in fasbiou. Breeders have entered upon a sound path, and 

 I fully expect to see still better birds in 1873. 



In Partridges the most noticeable feature is the evident ten- 

 dency of both breeders and judges to prefer the solid pencilling 



which used to be called Grouse, to the streaky feathering which 

 used to be known as Partridge. The Grouse marking is bred as 

 light as the Partridge used to be, but still soUd and free from 

 streak; and I confess I think the change an improvement. It 

 not only pleases most eyes better, but is harder to breed than 

 the streaky marking, and hence may seem more worthy of th» 

 fancier. The hens seem to have shared the advance of Buffs in 

 shape ; but I do not myself think the same can be said of tJie cocks, 

 which, moreover, show an increasing tendency to streamers 

 (often forked) in the tail, want of flun, and too little width o£ 

 saddle. 



In Whites the hens appear stationary ; but the cocks have 

 been shown both whiter and more Cochin in shape this season 

 than usual. I may also note that better Blacks have made their 

 appearance than have been observed for a long time. There is 

 a real ojiening in this variety for any sldlled breeder, as even a 

 decent pen of Black Cochins rarely fails to secure a prize in the 

 Any variety class ; and a really good pen would win almost 

 everywhere. A few good Cuckoos have also been shown. 



Dorkings I must say have, according to my judgment, per- 

 ceptibly retrograded. Some pens of old Grey hens have shown 

 the standard of excellence of two or three years back ; but I 

 have seen no chickens which appear likely to take their plaoa 

 among the winners of the year. In cockerels the falling-oti is 

 perhaps less marked, but is still evident. Doubtless the moat 

 extraordinarily M'et season has had much to do with this. Few 

 chickens have been perhaps so large as usual, and in Dorkings 

 the difference is fastened upon at once, whilst in other varieties 

 it is not given so much prominence. Another noteworthy point 

 is the growing tendency to make Grey Dorkings birds of colour. 

 All must have noticed that the very dark hena have had a per- 

 ceptible preference given them over the greyer marking which 

 oncd gave the name to the fowl. In Silver-Greys, on the con- 

 trary, the tendency seems precisely th« other way — via., to get 

 or encourage more size at the expense of all that used to be 

 considered the only proper colour. Many prizes have been given 

 to cockerels which were not Silver-Greys at all, but were very 

 large. White Dorkings appear to me to be getting yellower and 

 coarser in the combs, at least so far as the cocks are concerned. 

 As regards my own individual impressions, I cannot give any 

 better character of the Spanish ; though hero again I hare not 

 the slightest doubt the miserable weather is chiefly in fault. 

 Faces have been coarser, and especially the beautifnlly smooth 

 ear-lobe seems lost. It used to be bred without a fold, now an 

 unfolded deaf-ear is rare indeed. Rough faces seem the rule. 

 I believe much of this to be owing to the recognition of " trim- 

 ming" the faces in this breed. I have no ■wish to re-open a fruit- 

 less controversy on this point, and freely admit that it is so re- 

 cognised now, and admitted by all parties that any charge of 

 fraud would be ridiculous — even years ago I never did charge 

 fraud in this particular, for this very reason. All I say is, that 

 formerly the skill of fanciers bred birds whose faces needed no 

 trimming, and that the recognition of this practice, doing away 

 ae it did with the necessity for such really fine quality of face, 

 has caused it to be lost. I have seen birds in old days which 

 hardly needed a single hair being extracted ; but rare indeed 

 are such birds now, though it is curious to see how Bristol 

 still keeps up its old reputation for this breed, first established 

 by the skill and judgment of Mr. Rake, maintained by Mr. Roue, 

 at present retired, and best known as the able Secretary of tha 

 Bristol Show, and still upheld by Mr. Jones and others. 



I hope to finish these — which, I would again state, are given 

 simply as my own personal impressions — in another short pap«r. 

 — L. Wkioht. 



OYSTER SHELLS FOR POULTRY. 

 I HAVE long taken your paper, and almost always agree with 

 your remarks on poultry and poultry-f eediug, althougli I do some- 

 times differ. I use a food which you never seem to hint at, but 

 which causes my dozen hens to lay on the avsrage of the last 

 two years (and I am now keeping the number for the third 

 year), five eggs a-day, besides rearing on it and other things, but 

 it principally, almost a chick for every egg set. Now I wish to 

 trouble you to give the reason why you say iu a recent number, 

 " We should advise you to discontinue pounded oyster shells, 

 they are a fond invention," itc. I am no chemist ; Nature guides 

 me, and I pretty closely watch her. I have no doubt you have 

 some very good reason for giving the above advice ; and my rea- 

 son for questioning it is, that about three years ago the run my 

 hens had was much curtailed, and they did not produce the eggs 

 they had done, and frequently laid wind eggs. This mcAe me 

 look about for a remedy, and amougst other things I tried old 

 Ume rubbish ; but iilthough this stopped the wind eggs, stiU the 

 sheUs were soft — that is, I mean they had not a brittle bright 

 look, but you could almost rub them away with youi- finger. By 

 accidant one day, instead of some oyster shells being thrown 

 into the dustbin, they were thrown down in the yard, and when 

 I went out several of the heus were pecking at them, so I had 

 \ them pouuded-up, and I have never since been without them 



