208 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 2, 1866. 



the existence of a room so suitable may be considered the chief 

 reason of the Show being established there. The entries for 

 poultiy close on the Gth inst. 



CLEVELAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 POULTRY SHOW. 



This was held at Stockton on the, 19th and 2ftth of September; the 

 birds were well taken care of in a good tent. The following is the list 

 of prizetakers : — 



Spanish.— First, O. A. Young, Driffield. Second, Rev. J. G. Milner, 

 Bellerby, near Leyburn. 



Dorkings. — First, Rev. J. F. Newton, Kirby-in-Cleveland. Second, O. 

 A. Young. 



Cochin-Chinas. — First and Second, G. Calvert, Darlington. 



Pheasants (Golden).— First, C. Greenwood, Harrogate. Second, O. A. 

 Young. 



Game. — First. P. Sturdy. Ingleby Greenhow, Northallerton. Second, 

 W. Lee, Middlcbam, near Bedale. 



Single Game Cock.— First, T. W. Other, The Bank, Leyburn. Second, 

 O. A. Yormg. 



Ant Breed or Cross. — First, National Poultry Company, Limited, 

 Bromley, Kent (La Fleehe). Second, W. Lawrenson, Eaglescliffe, Yarrn. 

 (Silver-pencilled Hamburghs). 



Bantams.— First, W. Lawrenson (Black Red). Second, P. Jefferson, 

 Thornaby (Black Red). 



Dccks (Aylesbury).— First, R, Just. Stainton. Second, C. R.Anderson, 

 Middlesbrough. Commended, O. A. Young. 



Decks (Ronen). — First, W. Lee, Middlehnm, near Bedale. Second, J. 

 Kilvington, Aislaby, near Pickering. 



Decks.— First. Rev. J. G. Milner. Second, J. R. Jessnp, Hull. Com- 

 mended, E. Hutton, Pudsev, near Leeds (Brown Call). 



Geese.— First. Mrs. Brilithwaite. Stokesley, Second, O. A. Young. 

 Commended, C. R. Anderson. Goallnga. — Prize. O. A. Young. 



Tdrkevs.— Prize, Mrs. Braithwaite. Poulrn.— Prize, H. Merkin, Driffield. 



Judges.— Mr. C. Dearlove, Bedale, and Mr. S. Burn, Whitby. 



THE SCHEDULE OF THE BIRMINGHAM 

 POULTRY SHOW. 



Since my letter in your Number of September 11th, I find 

 my complaints have been fully endorsed by more able "writers 

 than myself. The letter of "Game Cock," in the succeeding 

 Number, complains loudly of the gross outrages in the Game 

 classes, and I can quite believe all he says. The continuance, 

 for these classes, of judges whose awards have been shrouded 

 in mysteries that have never been cleared up, is, indeed, 

 monstrous. The arbitrators for the other classes, whose awards 

 have for the last few years given such general dissatisfaction, 

 are, perhaps, men of a character who would be only guided by 

 honest motives, and award the prizes as correctly as their 

 knowledge would enable them ; but it is most unsatisfactory 

 to exhibitors and breeders of poultry — who are decidedly the 

 best judges — year after year to notice these glaring blunders, 

 and to make appeals in vain for more competent men. Opposed 

 to all reason the Committee still persist in appointing the same 

 old staff, whose names only appear as arbitrators once a-year, 

 and that for the Birmingham Show. Their judgment might 

 have beeu undeniable fourteen years ago, but want of expe- 

 rience now fails to enable them to award the prizes correctly 

 at shows of the present day. If there were no remedy it might 

 be tolerated, but we have several judges both capable and will- 

 ing — gentlemen of high standing, whose names appear as arbi- 

 trators at all our leading shows, and whose great practical 

 experience enables them to award the prizes correctly, and to 

 the entire satisfaction of exhibitors. 



Is it not something painful to notice in the pages of your 

 Journal, and of others, such condemnatory articles written by 

 the great supporters of this Show ? We have no such letters 

 npon the management of other exhibitions, but find the Com- 

 mittee-men will always listen to the opinions of exhibitors, and 

 remedy any evil that may exist. 



We have now the Manchester schedule before us, and it is a 

 long way in advance of that of Birmingham — prizes varying 

 from £1U to £1, entrance-fees not so high, the picked judges of 

 England to award the prizes, pens large enough to hold the 

 birds, and all on one level, and management undeniable. 



I feel more strength now than in my last to once more 

 caution the Birmingham Committee, that they will let Man- 

 chester leave them a long way in the distance. — An Old 

 Exhibitor. 



late Middleton Show. His pen of pullets was "commended." 

 We regret also to have to mention that the poultry and Pigeons 

 at that Show were unprotected from the weather. A list of 

 exhibitions where the poultry are unsheltered ought to be 

 published for the benefit of exhibitors. 



[We received a defensive letter from the Secretary, just as 

 we were going to press. It shall appear next week.— Eds.] 



Middleton Poultry Show. — The Rev. Richard Roy's (Skir- 

 beck Rectory, Boston), Golden-pencilled Hamburghs were 

 omitted in our list of prizes and honourable mentions at the 



NEW BOOK. 

 " The Poultry-Yard: How to "Farm" It to Make the "Crop" 

 Pay. Interspersed with Cases in Point, and Argued by Com- 

 parisons with Game, the Horse, dr. By^J. I. Limiington. 

 London : Rogerson & Tuxford. Price (id. 

 This is a very funny little book. I do not say but that there 

 are some useful things in it, still the funny element is certainly 

 the predominant one. The title-page, which I have given in 

 full and just as printed, is undoubtedly very funny ; so is the 

 " Nota Bene " at the end, that end being this little book's 

 forty-eighth page — so it is but a little book, what the Scotch 

 call a " bookie," and we south of the Tweed a pamphlet. I 

 presume, from internal evidence, that it is the work of a gen- 

 tleman, and not a lady ; that the initials " J. I." stand for 

 John Isaac, not Julia Imogene. I presume, too, that the writer 

 is, in addition to poultry, fond of farming and racing. I 

 received the book one fine summer's morning ; I took it and 

 my camp stool to a favourite spot in my garden, where I can 

 both watch my chickens and also get a peep at my Roses, and 

 I there read and re-read it ; for Mr. Lushiugton has produced 

 a very readable book, which is something — nay, now we are 

 deluged with books, is — much. 



" The Poultry- Yard : How to Farm It." Well, before farm- 

 ing a yard, the said yard must be ploughed up, I should fancy. 

 " To make the crop pay." The word " crop " usually refers 

 to oats, wheat, beans, foe., but here it means birds. " Inter- 

 spersed with cases in point :" this looks legal. " And argued 

 by comparisons with game, the horse, &c. :" this looks both 

 legal and sporting. So much for the title-page. Now for the 

 book itself. Mr. Lushiugton, after a good and pleasant remark 

 or two about the irresistible inclination we almost all have 

 towards poultry-keeping, proceeds to quote two lines of cer- 

 tainly not high-class poetry — 



" I look from my window, nnd what's to be seen ? 

 An ass on a dunghill, a goose on a green." 



Stating what is undoubtedly true, " that an ass can hardly be 

 placed under the head of poultry." Poets are next quizzed ; 

 and then our author turns to his own book, J,his veritable and 

 funny pamphlet, and perpetrates many puns thereon, saying, 

 " I will venture to hope that those who may think it worth 

 their while to give it a perusal, may find among its leaves at all 

 events some few opening buds, the petals of which, &c." We 

 soon after have the image of the town-bred man with his little 

 walled-in yard, instead of running to the shop at the corner, 

 running, the moment he hears a hen cackle, to his hen-house 

 for an egg. Mr. L. moralises on this, and is afraid he shall 

 get back to poetry again. Then Mr. L. claims to be an ori- 

 ginal, puns about his own " walk," and fears he has " departed 

 from his text." I fear he would make but an indifferent 

 preacher, according to his own account. 



Chapter II. is entitled " Stock." It appears to mo that Mr. 

 Lushington is not a poultry fancier, and has no sympathy 

 whatever with that weak fraternity. Such, I fear, he deems 

 them ; for — tell it not at Hinton. near Bath — he speaks of " the 

 unmusical roar of the Brahma," and states "that this poultry 

 fever, like the Australian gold fever, and, in short, many other 

 ephemeral disorders, has now pretty nearly died away, though 



the majority of our fowls are tainted with ." But no 



further, or sal volatile and scent-bottles will be rung for by all 

 lady fanciers and our readers — the two terms are synonymous. 

 Now really, Mr. Lushiugton, do go next December to the Bir- 

 mingham Show, and then, if you can, say that the poultry fancy 

 has died out ; or, to cure you, let me advise doses of " mvr 

 Journal " administered regularly once a-week. Mr. Lushing- 

 ton goes in for Dorkings pure and simple, and from his own 

 point of view he is perhaps right. 



He states in regard to the hatching of Game fowls, " They 

 sit so perseveringly and so well upon their eggs, that I believe 

 they will frequently hatch in less time by a day, or perhaps 

 more, than many other kinds of hens. In fact, I once had one 

 that hatched in seventeen days ; but she sat upon her own 



