March 6, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



213 



Pigeon exliibitors could be found to compete for such paltry 

 prizes as were offered at Colchester. 



I then read the report of the next Show, which is "Bradford," 

 and I compared both schedules and catalogues, and what do I 

 hud is the result? I see that Colchester otfers the magnificent 

 sum of 15s. as a first prize, and that tliere are two cups to com- 

 pete ior. But what do I see on the Bradford schedule '? First, 

 a cup, value ten guineas, for the winner of the greatest number 

 of points ; second, a cup, value five guineas, for the winner of 

 the second greatest niimber of x^oiuts ; and then follows a list of 

 fourteen more three-guiuea cups — almost a cup to each class in 

 the Show, besides a first prize of 20s. Well, what was the 

 difference of the two Shows ? Wliy, Bradford, by offering these 

 point cups, besides a liberal amount of money prizes, had 112 

 exhibitors and G34 entries. Did these cujds frighten the small 

 exhibitors ? Not a bit of it, for I see that amoug the large ex- 

 hibitors, of which ten exhibited teu pens and above, numbered 

 349, and the small exhibitors 102, whose entries were under ten 

 pens numbered 285, which is rather less than three each. 



Thus it is proved by this show that it cannot be the point 

 cups that frighten the exhibitor of one or two pens of birds. I 

 also see that one of these small exhibitors, who, as your corre- 

 spondent says, are the sinews and backbone of a show, only 

 exhibited one pen, and obtained a three-guiuea cup for it; 

 another with two entries won another three-guiuea cup ; and a 

 third with three entries another ; so I really cannot see how 

 anyone can be so prejudiced as to lay the blame on the point 

 cups. I maintain if committees who do not want to make a 

 fortune out of their shows, and want to get up a show of really 

 good birds (as was the case at Bradford), they must offer a 

 liberal amount of both money and cups to induce the sinews 

 and backbones to send their birds to compete along with the 

 lu'ofessional exhibitors or point-cup winners. — J. Toed. 



BRADFORD PIGEON SHOW. 



This Show was held on February 25th and 2Gth, in the large 

 room and corridor of St. George's Hall, and must be pronounced 

 a great success ; iu fact, we may say it was the best exhibition 

 of Pigeons we have seen since the Aston Summer Show. There 

 were twenty-four classes of single birds, which produced 604 

 entries ; and a Selling class for pairs of birds, with thirty entries. 

 The Committee are to be congratulated for their liberal list, in 

 addition to which, when they found their entries so numerous, 

 they gave an additional five-guinea cup to the exhibitor obtain- 

 ing the second highest number of points in the Show. 



Carrier cocks were represented by fourteen specimens. The 

 first prize and cup were taken by a Black; second and third Dun 

 and Black respectivfely. In the opinion of many fanciers the 

 second-prize bird was the best in the class. Of Carrier hens 

 were fourteen fair specimens ; still they were not so good as a 

 lot as the cocks, and strange too Dims winning all three prizes. 

 In this class certainly the best bird won. Pouters had two 

 classes assigned to them, and were represented by forty-one 

 pens of all known colours. We never remember to have seen 

 so good a lot before for only two classes. The prize birds were 

 Red, Blue, and White. In the hen class the first was a very 

 nice Red ; second a good Blue ; third a good Yellow. Almond 

 Tumblers -were represented by eighteen good specimens. The 

 first was a grand bird, which won the cup for the best bird in 

 Classes 5, 0, 9, and afterwards obtained the ±'5 5s., in lieu of 

 that which had previously taken for the best bird in the Show. 

 The second bird was very little inferior to the former. Any 

 other variety of Short-faces had twenty-six entries. First and 

 second were a Red Agate and Black Mottle respectively. The 

 third, a bird of the best carriage (Red whole-feather) we have 

 seen for some time. Long-faced Tumblers (Almond or Mottles). 

 — First was a Red Rosewing, a good bird too ; second a grand 

 Black Mottle ; third a Black Mottle also. Any other variety of 

 Toy-faced Tumblers. — A Blue Bald-head obtained first and cup 

 for the best bird in this and the preceding class ; second a 

 Yellow Bald ; third a Black Beard. These two classes mustered 

 seventy entries. Foreign Owls consisted of thirteen pens, all 

 good liirds. First a Blue ; second and third a White and Black 

 respective!}'. Barbs were the best class we have seen of this 

 variety for a long time. First a good Red ; second and third a 

 good Black and Dun respectively. Trumpeters, new type, had 

 ten jieus ; the hood and rose of all them were grand, in fact we 

 may say the only difference in the lot were their markings. 

 First and cup for the best bird in this and the iJrevious class 

 was a Black Mottle; second a good Black; and third a good 

 Black. Trumpeters, old type, had eighteen entries, and a good 

 class they were ; the difference in the two classes was notable in 

 the extreme. First a Black Mottle; second a Red; third a 

 Black. Jacobins, as a lot, were grand, several old fanciers re- 

 marking that the competition in this variety is getting so severe 

 that many good birds have to be left out in the cold. First and 

 second a Yellow aud Red; third a Red. Fantails ■were not so 

 good as they might have been. First a Blue ; second and third 

 large-tailed Whites, rather deficient in carriage. Turhits were 



represented by twenty-seven pens of all colours. First a 

 Y'ellow ; second a Silver; third a Red. English Owls had 

 thirty-six pens of all colours. First aud cup a Blue, and cup for 

 the best bird in this and the Turbit class ; second a good SUver ; 

 third a Blue. Dragoons were divided in two classes — Blue or 

 Silver, and Any other colour. All the winners in this class were 

 Blues. Any other colour was first with a good White ; second 

 aud third Red and I'ellow respectively. Short-faced Antwerps 

 had two classes assigned to them — cock and hen, also a cup for the 

 best bird in the two classes, which was won by the bird whose 

 portrait appeared in our Journal some time ago; second and 

 third were Red Checjuers. Short-faced hen. — First was the btst 

 Red Chequer hen living; second a Dun; third, with the best 

 Blue hen we have seen for some time. These two classes had 

 sixty-two entries. Working Antwerps, or Messenger Pigeons, 

 had, Uke their Short-faced brethren, two classes assigned to 

 them ; also a cup. These two classes had seventy-two entries. 

 Perhaps some of our readers will inform us how a judge can tell 

 whether a Working Antwerp can fly his one hundred miles in a 

 show pen. Any other variety had a three-guinea cup assigned to 

 them, which was won by a Y^ellow Nun ; second a Brunette ; 

 third an imported bu'd. This was a strong aud good class ; 

 doubtless the best bird in the class was shown by Mr. Y'ardley, 

 and received a very high commendation. Selling Class, single 

 birds ; Dun Carrier cock was first ; second a Blue Pouter ; third, 

 a nice Almond. Selling Class, pair; first and cup for the best 

 pair in the two SelHng classes was a pair of Red Jacks ; second, 

 a pair of White Foreign Owls ; third. Black Carriers. These 

 two classes had fifty-nine entries. 



In conclusion, we will say the Committee did all that lay in 

 their power for the comfort of the birds ; these were well fed 

 and watered, and considering the weather, which was very 

 severe, we never saw a lot look so well. Mr. AUsop judged 

 Classes 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24 ; Mr. Cannon 3, 4, Y, 8, 15, 23 ; 

 Mr. Smith 1, 2, 16, 17, 18; Mr. Crossiand 19, 20, 21, 22. 



The following are the awards of cups ; — Carrier cocks and 

 Carrier hens. — G. J. Taylor, 13, Fitzwilliam Street, Hudders- 

 field (cock). Pouter cocks and Pouter hens. — G. J. Taylor (cock). 

 Almond Tumblers, Any other Short-faces, and Foreign Owls. — 

 R. Fulton (Almond). Long-faced Tumblers, Mottles or Al- 

 monds, and Any other Long-faced Tumblers. — J. Watts, Hazle- 

 well Hall, King's Heath (Bald). Barbs and Trumpeters, new 

 type. — R. Fulton (Trumpeter). Trumpeters (old type), Jaeo- 

 bius, and Fantails. — R. Fulton (Jacobin). Turbits and English- 

 Owls. — B. Clay, Audenshaw. Dragoons, Blue or SUver, and 

 Any other colour. — W. H. Mitchell, Bank House, Moseley (Blue). 

 Short-faced Antwerp cocks, aud Short-faced Antwerp hens. — W. 

 Gamon, Hoole Cottage, Chester (cock). Working Antwerp 

 cocks, and Working Antwerp hens. — D. Riddihough, jun., Brad- 

 ford (cock). Any other variety. — W. Harvey (Yellow Nun). 

 Selling class, single, and Selling class, pairs. — W. Harvey (pair 

 of Jacobins). Ten-guinea cup for the greatest number of points. 

 — R. Fulton. Five-guinea cup for the second greatest number 

 of points. — G. J. Taylor. Two-guinea cup for the greatest num- 

 ber of points in the Long-faced Tumbler and Antwerp classes. — - 

 D. Riddihough, jun. 



THE KING OP OUDE'S FLYING PIGEONS. 



It will be known to most of your readers that after the Indian 

 mutiny of 1857 the King of Oude was removed by the Govern- 

 ment to Calcutta, where he still remains as a state prisoner. In 

 olden times, and till lately. Garden Reach was one of the most 

 pleasant suburbs of Calcutta. There the rich merchants and 

 civilians had their residences on the banks of the river, and 

 many a stately house and well-laid-out compound met the eye 

 of the new arrival as he sailed for the first time up the Hooghly. 

 The character of the place is now greatly changed, and it i& 

 sometimes called Little Oude from the King of Oude having 

 bought-up a great part of it. He is allowed a liberal pension,, 

 which he spends on a well-kept menagerie and a host of human 

 parasites from his former dominions. He has bought from time* 

 to time a great many of the best houses contiguous to where he 

 was first settled down, which was in the southern part of Garden 

 Reach ; and as he buys one he adds it to his former property by 

 enclosing it with a high wall. The houses there are not hmli 

 closely together, but each stands in its own grounds of from one 

 to twenty acres. In this way he has acquired half of Garden 

 Reach, and what he owns is kept strictly private, none but his 

 own people being allowed within his walls. Having little else 

 to do besides attending to his menagerie and Pigeons, all the 

 Mussulman festivals are kept with the greatest regularity, and 

 the fearful noise created by tom-toms and all manner of noisy 

 instruments at these times, which recur with alarming fre- 

 quency, has had the effect of depreciating the value of the re- 

 maining part of Garden Reach, so that people do not now prefer 

 it as a residence. Houses are at a discount, many of the best 

 are untenanted, and not a few falling to ruins. 



It was in January, 1865, that I first arrived in Calcutta by the 

 P. and O. Co.'s Steamer " Simla." As we passed Budye Budye 



