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JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ October 17, 1865. 



letters open my eyes to poultry matters, and what is going on 

 at a distance. Mr. Hewitt's remarks are foimd by long experi- 

 ence to be truthful, and full of sound good advice." I, \\-ithmany 

 other poultry amateurs, feel that we are much indebted to him. 

 Again, referring to Mr. Hewitt's letter, I have had so many valu- 

 able birds that suffered from such'exposm-e at the shows he refers 

 to, that I have quite made up my mind never to send to any show 

 that does not provide covering to shelter the birds fi-om rain and 

 sun. At one show recently held, my bii'ds, which had gained the 

 first honours at a show only the previous week, were unnoticed, 

 and the cock bu-d, a very valuable one, has since died. I well 

 recollect the Cochin cock of the late Mr. Gueldard, and the 

 facts referred to by Mr. Hewitt, and I think those who would 

 have their shows successful must act upon the useful hints 

 given by him, otherwise such shows will fall to the groimd. If 

 we carefully examine the list of poulti-y shows that take place 

 during the year, we find that there are a gi-eat many that have 

 been established for many years, and which are regularly held 

 every year. These shows are Imown to be well managed, are 

 held in large rooms, or spacious marquees, and every possible 

 attention is bestowed upon the birds, and tliey pay well, from 

 the simple fact that exhibitors know that their stock will be 

 taken care of. Let others follow their example, and doubtless 

 their success will be equal. 



Before concluding, there is one important matter I wish to 

 refer to — the most important I think of all that concerns 

 poultry exhibitors just now — Are we to have the assistance of 

 Mr. Hewitt as one of the .Judges at our next Birmingham Show ? 

 Exhibitors should not let this matter rest, for in a very 

 few weeks it will be^"yes" or "no;" and I do trust every 

 exhibitor, who feels an interest in this important question, will 

 do as I have done — address a letter to the Council, praying of 

 them to add Mr. Hewitt's name to the hst of Judges. It is 

 something lamentable to think of that one of our very best 

 and most honourable Judges should be excluded from the list. 

 I trust it may not be so, or I feel sui-e it will prevent many 

 from exhibiting. — As Old Exhibitor. 



CALNE POULTRY AND PIGEON SHOW. 



When an essayist of a past generation once wished to describe 

 a man living in a very out-of-the-way part of England, he said 

 of him that he lived " at Calne in 'tt'iltshire." If this were 

 true then, which I much doubt, it is true no longer, for straight 

 up to the town runs the railway. But was it ever trae ? Cahie 

 nestled in the last century, as in this, under the shadow of 

 Bowood ; and happily in England, every great noble's residence 

 is a centre of light and intelligence to a surrounding district, 

 and more particularly to that nobleman's borough. This was 

 especially true of the late and gi-eat Lord Lansdowne, who drew 

 around him at Bowood prose writers, poets, artists, .ind men 

 of eminence in the literary and scientific world ; and as to 

 Calne, thi-ough him it had for its representative in Parliament 

 at one time Lord Macaiilay, and now has one who stands in 

 the front rank of statesmen, the eloquent and sagacious Robert 

 Lowe. Last week, while joiu-neying thither in company with 

 many a lover of flowers and birds, I noticed in the same car- 

 riage a clergyman intently reading " our JomTial." I inwardly 

 blessed that good man. I felt towards him a degi-ee of kindli- 

 ness I can scarcely express. Once arrived, I walked into the 

 town ; and although Calne cannot be said to be a remarkably- 

 pretty place, as the streets are very narrow, and some long as 

 wen, yet as I descended the hiU from the station, with the 

 whole town lying beneath me, and the fine tower of its old 

 church, recentlj- restored, standing out against the blue sky, 

 I could not allow the truth of an old couplet I once heard 

 which spoke of Calne as "ugly." 



I had no need to inquire where the Show was held, for tents, 

 and flags, and music on a hill to the left plainly indicated its 

 whereabouts. Meanwhile, to amuse and instruct myself, I 

 take out of my pocket the annoiuicement and schedule of the 

 Show, which had been kindly sent to me. I scan the list of 

 patronesses and patrons. Well, little Calne, thou art indeed 

 honoured ! Here are supporters for a show indeed ! — a Marquis 

 and a Marchioness, the High Sheriff of Wilts, a Right Honour- 

 able, admirals, " colonels, and captains, and men at arms," 

 and half a dozen squires and squiresses. Calne, thou owest 

 much to thy proximity to Bowood. 



The Show was held in the grounds of Col. Ward, the popular 

 CoEomander of the Wilts Volunteers, and very suitable grounds 

 they are for such a purpose. First came a tent with fruits 



and vegetables, but I will not say a word about them — I cut 

 the first part of " om- Journal " this week ; then a long tent of 

 flowers and floral devices, but I pass them by without remark 

 for the same reason, and hasten on to the poultry and Pigeons. 

 It should have been called a Pigeon and poultry show, for the 

 Pigeons were far better than the cocks and hens. Many and 

 liberal prizes had been offered, an earnest Pigeon fancier lives 

 in the town, and so, in truth, the show of Pigeons was most 

 excellent. It has seldom been my lot to see such first-rate 

 birds brought together — indeed, I had a thorough treat. There 

 were nearly a hundred pens. I will take them in order. First, 

 Carriers (Black, best cock).— First prize, Mr. Else, a truly 

 beautiful bird of the old substantial sort. Next, Carriers (Black, 

 best hen). — Mr. Else first and second. Then Carriers (Dun, 

 best cock).— First, Mr.Yardley and Mr. Else. Carriers pun, best 

 hen). — Again Mr. Else first and second, the first a most excel- 

 lent bird. I exclaim. What Eke .' '^Tiy, nothing but Else ? 

 Carriers (Any other colour, best cock). — Massey and Ord prize- 

 takers. Carriers (Any other colour, best hen). — .\gain Massey 

 and Ord. Among all the Carriers shown I noticed only one 

 inferior bird. Next came Powters ; and among the exhibitors 

 the two neighboiuing fanciers, Mr. A. Heath, of Calne, and 

 Mr. Fox, of Devizes, bore off a good share of the prizes. I do 

 not give all the names, as the complete prize Ust appeared 

 last week. 



I now came to the pretty little Tumblers. The Almonds 

 were extraordinarily numerous, considering we have not, alas ! 

 any Almond fanciers in this district. Again Mr. Else was 

 triumphant with beaks and heads that filled a fancier with 

 deUght. .Among the " Any other variety of Tumblers " was a 

 pen, the first prize— Else, 'nought but Else— of Black Mottles, 

 which I considered the gems of the whole Show. I repeated 

 my visit to that pan- again and again. There was also one 

 pair of Short-faced Blue Beards, a bird not often seen. Beards ! 

 " Little cut-throats," as I heard somebody call them. 



Turbits and Owls came next, and wonderfully soft-feathered 

 and beautiful they were. Then followed Jacobins and Trum- 

 peters, then Barbs and Nuns. I regretted not to see more 

 than one pair of Barbs, and those not black, which is surely 

 the best colour. The first-prize Fantails drew forth warm 

 commendations from Fan-lovers ; indeed, their tails were over 

 their heads. The poor birds looked exceedingly uncomfortable, 

 but quite prepared for a shower of rain with their feathered 

 umbrellas. 



But I must linger a little over the last class, entitled, " Any 

 other variety, the best pair." There were fourteen pens of 

 them, and almost aU first-rate. Mr. Tardley's Spots were the 

 best I have ever seen, and well worthy of being painted. Sin- 

 gular to say, there were three pairs of Swallows, and all good ; 

 one took third prize — Mr. Percival's. Nor must I omit to 

 notice the same gentleman's pair of Blue Dragons, which were 

 excellent. WhOe looking at the Pigeons an incident befell me of 

 scarce an alarming, but certainly of a startling, character. The 

 same clergjTnan, the worthj' reader of " our Journal," entered 

 into conversation with me, and suddenly said — perhaps he had 

 noticed I was marking the catalogue — " I wonder whether you 

 are ' Wiltshire Rector ;' I think you are." I looked straight 

 at the pens, trying, like the First Napoleon, to divest my face 

 of aU expression, as if I had never even heard of " Wiltshire 

 Rector." That clergyman being unable to make anything of 

 my (I flatter myself) SphjTix-like inscrutable gaze, being a 

 man of this world as well as the next, then looked at Mrs. 

 " Wiltshire Rector ;" and by a smile in that quarter I was 

 undone, revealed, and all hope of secrecy was at an end. How- 

 ever, there is no need of regi'etting, for I made a most agree- 

 able acquaintance, to be ripened by a visit proposed and 

 accepted. 



Leaving the Pigeons, I turn back and cross the grounds to 

 the poultry tent. In Spanish Mr. Heath was triumphant, 

 getting the £5 prize for persons residing in the Calne union, 

 and first and second for Spanish chickens. The Brahmas 

 mustered strongly, including chickens. A promising pen of the 

 latter belonging to Mr. Hinton took a prize ; and Mr. Pares 

 was first and second with Light Brahmas, heavy into the 

 bargain. N.B. — These large fowls were all placed high up, so 

 one saw little more than their legs and breasts. This is 8 

 mistake. ' AU large bu-ds should be at the bottom, then smaller 

 and smaller according to height. — The number of Game Ban- 

 tams, all Black-breasted Reds, formed quite a feature, and 

 lovely some of the tiny pets were, particularly the first-prize 

 pen belonging to Mr. Cambridge, and the prize cock (sweep- 

 stakes) owned bv the Rev. A. K. Cornwall. The Hamburghs were 



