Angimt 10, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



137 



jwultry (iinciei-, Imcw lu'rffctl.y wi-U all the rc'cruirfinL'iits iif n iioiiltn- 

 show, "»n<l by cnersj- aud iiersevomiu'd evinced luB iicrsoiml dcti'imina- 

 tioii to U'iivii uo stoiii; untluni'd tocDininiind succeas, and, consifcuieutly, 

 till! wliolii alTaii- provi'd a inattiT of uuivci-Mal I'ljii^ratulatioii. Thu 

 Show (jrounJ IB one (if KiiiKular hi'unty. liuiiiK the ci'iitro of a jiorfi'ct 

 nniphithijatre of hills, i-lotliod to the simuuits iu most dii-uttious with 

 trees of many years' standing, thus K'^'i'g i|U''" «■ ™i'i'l ""'^ pietur- 

 osque chiiracUr to the soeue. It is a uiattci- bevoud cjuestiou that the 

 Doucastci- Show, which uufoituuatoly was tins year held simulta- 

 neously, Bouiewhat lessoned the amount of cutl-ios that otlurwise might 

 have been insured, as not a siugle Yorksliiio hi'ecder competed at 

 Wftterfoot : yet, despite this di-awhack. the collection was one of a very 

 superior character, and was evidently a most popular feature of the 

 meeting to the visitors generally. 



llaiidmiijhf stood first on the prize schedule. In those classes first- 

 rate birds were enter, d, but it is a universally recognised fact among 

 poultry breeders, that llamburghs and (Itiiiti: fowls always show to the 

 greatest disadvantage during moulting-time, being esjjecittlly birds of 

 toather. The Golden-spangled and the Silver-)>euciUcd (chickens) 

 were the best sijecimous exJiiliited. The Game fowls generally were 

 fast losing their feathers, for it is well known that all fowls are in 

 hea\-iest moult this season fully three weeks or a montli earlier than 

 onstomury. Mr. Brierloy. of Middleton. exhibited several pens of 

 tho.4e breeds, which will prove very difficult to heat some two months 

 hence ; this goutleinan seemed detenuined to sweep the prize list, aud 

 so he did effectually. The Cuchiiis and linihmiia were iu very rude 

 feather, partiinlarly the latter variety. The 9ecoud-])rize pen of Mr. 

 Boyle's, from Ireland, should now have a few weeks entire rest, for 

 they well deserve it, having been so pre-eminently successful the 

 whole season. At this moment, however, the hens are entirely with- 

 out tail feathers, and we regretted to see them fast eating away the 

 exposed pen-feathers, at present only partially developed over the 

 whole frame, a depraved habit that once fairly aecjuired is most difK- 

 cnlt to cure. 



Wo never have seen this season so good a display of Eonen diich- 

 Uni/g, as at Waterfoot. The Aylesbury young birds were but little in- 

 ferior ; whilst the O'ccjic were prodigies of careful management. Some 

 very beautiful domesticated 7'(Y/? were shown, and proved an object of 

 general interest throughout the day. Some good specimens of the 

 common \vild Duck, hatched this season from eggs procured from a 

 ^vild bird's nest, were very good, hut, most strange to say, one of the 

 Dneks had a singularly faulty-colom-ed hill, a feature which we never 

 before saw among huudi-eds of eggs thus treated, variations of colour-, 

 or " spoiis " as they are commonly called, being of very rai'e oc- 

 currence amoug wild birds. 



It is with unfeigned pleasui-e that we record the success of the Show 

 just held, and under the improvements of trade, we do not doubt that 

 public support will be freely accorded to the future annual meetings of 

 the Rossendale Committee. 



A list of the awards made will be found in 'our last week's im- 

 pression. 



TAKEN TO MALAYS. 



Our. frieud, "Wiltshire Rector," \vrites that lie lias 

 "taken to Cochins." I had hoped it would have heen his ex- 

 perience of " taking to Brahinas " that he -would have given, 

 and I am sure he would be able to say more for them than for 

 Cochins ; but then we see there was our " maister's mon " in 

 the way. He, good soul, was satisfied with the quiescence of 

 the Cochin, his lack of curiosity, &c., and so as the Cochin 

 " kips hisself to his own place, maister's mon have made up 

 his moind that maister better not kip any other zort, that's 

 all," and "'Wiltshire Rector," kind-hearted soul, as we all 

 know him to be, gives in for the sake of peace and quietness. 

 I can only recommend " oiu' Chaplain " to take refuge under 

 the 'wings of " our Editors," and introduce Brahmas to his 

 " mon " as a new sort of Cochin. I do not think he will be 

 soiTy for the exchange. But I forget myself. I meant to write 

 about "taking to Malays." but the old hobby-horse ran off 

 with me. I can hardly say revcnons a iios moutonx, seeing that 

 it was feathers and not wool I intended to dwell on. Taken 

 to Malays, indeed ! " Aud what if you have ? " possibly some 

 may say. Well, gentle reader, I beg pardon. My mission, 

 self-imposed, a criticiser of schedules, as our friend " Wilt- 

 shire Rector " called me, is over, at least for the present, I am 

 disposed to think satisfactorily. I have seen several schedules 

 with a light aud dark Brahma class. Even at Birmingham it 

 has been found wise to throw aside the " rest and be thankful " 

 theory, and adopt this division, whilst aU shows of any stamp 

 have offered fair premiums to my pets : and so my mission 

 thus far, is, I fancy, accniiiplished. 



Let me now turn to Malays, and give my experience of them. 

 They appear rapidly going down the hill, and I would fain lend 

 a hand to put the drag on. Soon, I fear, that this old breed, 

 formerly so much thought of, must show up only in the " Any 

 variety class," where too frequently the Judge " hates the 



Malays," and accordingly liigh commendations reward them 

 instead of prizes ; the latter by far the most pleasant ; the 

 former always provoking my man I'l'iday, he always declaring 

 " he can't zee no good in recommending 'era." 



Malays are certainly peculiar. Under certain conditions I call 

 them shy birds. If they have the run of a field, and you take 

 some friends to see them, ten chances to one they bolt like 

 lightning through the outlet, and off. Shut them up in a few 

 yards square with railing and they will allow you to examine 

 them, looking you fearlessly in the face with somewhat an air 

 of impudence, as if asking, " Wliat do you think of me ? " while 

 the bright, intelligent, yet restless eye keeps you ever in sight. 

 They have a peculiar knowing way of throwing their heads on 

 one "side, and taking a sight at you, as though they would 

 return yoiu' searching glance. A good cock is a s])lendid bird. 

 I think I have seen them brighter-coloured than the Game, 

 with the metallic lustre of the black feathers more marked, 

 while the hardness of feather cannot well be surpassed. Am 

 I right in thinking they talk more to each other than other 

 breeds ? Certainly, if I am within hearing distance, he appears 

 to me always to be saying something ; and when at one time he 

 was kept by himself, and the hens in an adjoining run, they 

 would try every inch of the fencing to get through to him, and 

 Friday persists " he would call them through anything." Both 

 seem restless apart, nor does the presence of other ladies com- 

 jjeusate for the loss of his own. So far as I have noticed, he 

 will not tolerate a Brahma or Polish hen. If the cock wUl not 

 tolerate other hens, his ladies are perfect vixens to the Brahmas ; 

 they drive them all over the run, gradually getting rid of the 

 poll feathers from their pecks. This applies only to the 

 Brahmas, for, strange to say. they never attempt to peck the 

 Polish ; whether alarmed by the imusual appearance, or what, I 

 cannot say, but they give in at once. I have noticed the sauie 

 amongst the yoimg chickens. If there is this apparent pusil- 

 lanimity as regards the Polish, this does not apply to the 

 chickens amongst themselves. A lot of Malay cockerels have 

 their set-to as tierce and as protracted as do Game cockerels, 

 and the adult will take any amount of fighting before he 'will 

 cry " enough." There is much ii- the chickens that grows upon 

 you. They are the first to nm towards you in greeting, and 

 though, perhaps, somewhat gawky, if good coloured they have 

 a beauty of theu' own, and now that I have taken to them I 

 should not like to be without them. 



Malays require high fences, for though hea-vy, with the ^vings 

 short compared to Ciame and Polish, they have far greater 

 powers of flight than the Cochin or Brahma. To many this is 

 a disadvantage. I do not think they show to perfection in the 

 exhibition pen. The hens are too restless, too intent on escape 

 from their prison, and the cock's flowing and somewhat di'oop- 

 ing taU is apt to suffer ; moreover, they want freedom to re- 

 move the leggy appearance ; added to this the hens may not be 

 over-pleasant to each other. On this account I rejoice that 

 Birmingham has decided to treat them as Game, and show cock 

 and one hen. When " Wiltshire Rector " paid me a visit, 

 he jokingly said that .1/nlays were Naylays. Well, mine have 

 behaved verj- creditably in this way, and I have heard no com- 

 plaint of paucity of eggs. Some of the eggs are above the 

 average size, others again are very small ; the coloiu', too, 

 varies considerably. On the table I have ah-eady said, I think 

 the Malay Al, both as to flavour and appearance. On the 

 latter point I have yet to convert " our Chaplain." and I trust 

 this year I may do it. The chickens are certainly hardy. — 

 Y. B.'A. Z. 



BEE-ICEEPINCt in DEVON.— No. XXV. 



the seaside — TRUE HEROINES — HIVES IVITH ENTRANCES AT TOP 



EEMO-VING A SUPER — CHILLED BROOD NOT IDENTICAL WITH 



FOUL BROOD — A DRONE BRED IN A ROYAL CELL ! 



I've once more been by the seaside, but not again to my 

 favourite little hamlet in the wilds of North Devon, nor have 

 I any apiarian adventures to recoimt. This time my fortnight's 

 sojourn has been at one of our South Devon watering-places, 

 within easy distance by rail of the " ever faithful " city, and 

 to which, indeed, I was once recalled by the necessities of dis- 

 tant friends who were impatient for Ligm-iaus. During this 

 fortnight's trip I think I saw but one bee, and that a black 

 one, in the act of investigating a blackberry blossom. I im- 

 mecUately caught the little forager and conveyed it a short dis- 

 tance imprisoned iu my bare hand, from which when opened it 

 escaped right joj-fully and flew merrily away, probably some- 



