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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 2S, 1836. 



I believe to be nothing more than a ruse ? I think if you would 

 have the goodness to publish a list of the wrongs that have 

 taken place in connection with this Committee, it might have 

 a salutary effect in warning honest men against any further 

 dealings with them. — T. C. Hose. Wymondley Parsonage, 

 Stevenage. 



RAILWAY MISDOINGS. 



Every poultry-lover will, I am certain, echo your postscript 

 to Mr. C Pigeon's letter in reference to his La Flecbe fowls 

 and the Midland Railway. When he sent me the correspon- 

 dence, I strongly urged him to write thus : — " I have fixed the 

 price of the injured fowls thus low, that this very unsatisfactory 

 business may be forgotten ; but the birds were worth consider- 

 ably more to me, and indeed to any poultry fancier, and if I 

 take the matter into court it will be at a greatly increased 

 value. The value of your rolling stock, as of anything else, is 

 not the value I or any other person chooses to put on it, but 

 the amount that it would fetch in the market. I am prepared 

 to prove that my birds are worth more than the amount I ask, 

 and if I must go into court it will be for their full value." 



I think, as an American would say, " this would fetch him." 

 Failing it, I would have fixed the value of the fowls at some- 

 thing over £5, so as to make it a jury case, and there would be 

 no question of the result, for juries, like poultry fanciers, groan 

 under the incubus of railway mismanagement and extortion. 

 It is such a gross case of neglect, and the cool manner in which 

 the authorities reply is so provoking, that I do hope my friend I 

 Mr. E. Pigeon will still reconsider his determination, and bring 

 them to book ; they will then find they have trapped a Pigeon 

 to their cost. — Y. B. A. Z. 



Mr. A. 0. Worthington. I Bhall be glad to receive the names 

 and subscriptions of five more. — Albert 0. Worthinotoh, 

 Neicto7i Park, Burton-on-Trent, 



BRAHMA POOTRA WITH POWERLESS LEGS. 



I have a Dark Brahma cockerel that appears to have lost the 

 nse of his legs, not having been able to stand for the last fort- 

 night. Previous to this he seemed quite well. I suppose it is 

 rheumatism from the constant wet we have had this year. I 

 have purged him with castor oil three or four times, and fed 

 on bread soaked in ale, but he is no better. Can you recom- 

 mend anything ? 



Is there any poultry fancier at Truro or Plymouth ? — A. G. 

 Crewe. 



[We consulted one of onr best skilled keepers of Brahma 

 Pootras on this case, and he has replied as follows : — " I do 

 not think the cause of the loss of power can be the constant 

 •wet, no birds stand the evils of this life better. If he have 

 utterly lost the use of his legs — in other words, is paralysed, I 

 should strongly suspect some foul play ; a hard blow across the 

 back, giving concussion to the spinal cord would cause it, and 

 in this case I think the bird had better be killed. I gather 

 from the letter that it has been a sudden affection, and, there- 

 fore, I am more disposed to think that may be the cause. 

 Have the birds a high roosting place? If so, the concussion 

 might be done in the coming down. Eight inches from the 

 ground is enough for all large fowls. If, on the contrary, it 

 has, though coming on suddenly, at last been noticed that the 

 bird crouched and squatted to eat, and did not go many steps 

 without sitting down, there is deficiency of leg power, probably 

 both muscular and bone. For the latter some phosphate of 

 lime mixed with his meal, and two or three grains of quinine 

 and iron (citrate), twice a-day might do good. Unless he is 

 really a promising bird, and fat-producing food can be stopped, 

 and unless he rapidly recovers I should kill him, and for this 

 reason, the crouching position will give a bad carriage and make 

 him gawky-looking. 



" Second, Mr. Nicholas Barter, Secretary to Poultry Show, 

 lives at Plymouth." 



The Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval, near Penzance, could 

 give you information on the subject.] 



LIGHT BRAHMAS AT BIRMINGHAM. 



Finding that sweepstakes are seldom or never popular, I am 

 trying to get up silver cups, value £5 each, in lieu of first 

 prizes in classes 23 and 21. This will give ns six prizes to 

 compete for. The following have already subscribed £1 each : 

 Hon. Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mr. Pares, Mr. Pigeon, Mr. Stevens, 



THE CHELMSFORD POULTRY SHOW. 



It is impossible for us to speak more highly than it deserves of the 

 management of the Chelmsford Poultry Exhibition, as every doty of 

 the Committee was carried out with strict exactitude. The Corn 

 Exchange at Chelmsford is eminently suited for the purpose of a show, 

 the light being as good as could be desired ; it is very lofty, and gay 

 banners were not wanting to complete the decorations. Another cir- 

 cumstance, highly favourable to the success of the Show, was that the 

 weather was sunny and summerlike. 



The Grey Dorkings were capital, and although Dr. Campbell 

 managed to secure all the premiums in a large class, still this was 

 not done without close competition. The Silver-Grey and the White 

 Dorkings also are worthy of especial mention. In fact, one favourable 

 feature of the Chelmsford Show throughout was that the most useful 

 classes of poultry were the best represented. The (lame prize birds 

 were exceedingly good ; but the bulk of the chickens entered in these 

 classes were not sufficiently matured for public exhibition. The 

 Cochins can only be spoken of as unusually bad, with the exception 

 of the three first-prize pens, so much so, that it will be seen several 

 of the prizes were withheld altogether. This was a feature quite con- 

 trary to general expectation. It is long since we met with so excellent 

 a class of Spanish chickens — thev were sufficiently good to add great 

 credit to any show ; and as to Brcilimas, both Dark and Light-feathered 

 ones, the entry was such as we have not seen for a long time, being 

 very numerous, and yet there was scarcely a bad pen. The singularly 

 limited amount of entries iu the Hamburgh classes, of every variety, 

 although good prizes were offered in all four classes?, was one of those 

 results which it is difficult to explain. The Hamburghs entered, with 

 one exception, were decidedly inferior. A very moderate Hamburgh- 

 breed< r might easily have secured the whole of these premiums. But 

 few entries were made in the Polish classes ; but the birds were of 

 good quality. For the French fowls now so popular — viz.. La FlicJte., 

 Orevt ('our, and Iloudans, separate classes were appointed. The 

 collection was not amiss ; but we regreted to notice that several decidedly 

 " roupy " specimens were exhibited among them. By referring to the 

 appended prize list, onr readers will find that the Any other distinct 

 variety class was well filled. The best of the /l.mt-ois were decidedly 

 Sebright* ; but the Game Bantams were considerably below par. 



The Geese, Aylesburv Ducks, and TurJceys were worthy of all praise', 

 although several pens of Turkeys were thrown out from non-compliance 

 with the printed regulations requiring them to be poults of the present 

 year. 



The Silling class was quite a success, the first prize falling to as 

 good a pen of the old-fashioned Red-speckled Dorkings as we have 

 seen for many years past, whilst the second prize Buff Cochins would 

 have pn.vcd quite a relief to the general Cochin classes. 



Mr. S. Mathews's Duckwing silver cup Game cock was a remarkably 

 good one, and shown in faultless trim. The other classes for single 

 cocks contained many good specimens. 



The collection of Pigeons was exceedingly fine, and from the easy 

 access to London, most of the classes were well tilled. 



In the Extra class a curiosity appeared, entered as " A little girl's 

 Playthings," a kind of " happy* family," but an oddity in the lists of 

 a poultry show. It consisted of a handsome cage, in which were con- 

 fined a pair of Angora kittens, ornamented with red and blue neckties, 

 a couple of Canaries, a pair of Doves, a Himalayan Rabbit, and an 

 old (inineaPig, with its litter of young ones, all being the best of 

 friends. It proved a popular feature of the Show to ladies and the 

 yonnger visitors. 



Prizes were offered for dead chickens, shown in pairs and trussed 

 for table. When we tell our readers the largest weighed 15 lbs. 10 ozs. 

 the pair, and the least 9 lbs. 8 ozs., they will see there was not any 

 want of competition. One pair, however, were passed by, being ab- 

 solute deformities. 



Dorkings (Coloured).— First, Second, and Third, Dr. Campbell, Brent- 

 wnod. Higblv Commended, W. H. Walker, Shenfield, Brentwood. Com- 

 mended, J. Frost, Parham, Wickham Market. 



Dorkings (Silver-Grey).— First and Second, Dr. Campbell. Third, F. 

 Parlett, Chelmsford. 



Dorkings (White).— First and Second, H. Lingwood, Barking, Need- 

 ham Market. Commended, I. Perry, Shrublands, Chelmsford. 



Game (Black-breasted and other Reds).— First and Second, S.Matthew, 

 Stowmarket, Suffolk. Third, J. Jeken, Eltham, Kent. _ 



Game (Duckwing and other Greys and Blues).— First and Second, 

 W. W. Pyne, South Lancing, Sussex. Third, J. J. Hazell, Great Bromley, 

 near Manningtree. „ „„ ,» ,- , 3 



Game (White and Piles).— First, Rev. F. Watson, Messing, Kelvedon. 

 Second and Third, H. Banks, Worcester. 



Cochin-Chinas (Buff).— First, H. Lingwood. Second, W. Tippler, Rox- 

 well. Third, Rev. C. H. D"Aeth, Knowlton Court, Wingham. 



Cochin-Chinas (Brown or Partridge).— First, J. R. Rodbard, Aldwick 

 Court, Wrington. Second, withheld. Third, H. Lingwood, Newboume, 

 Woodbridge. _ _ , „, ... 



Cochin-Chinas (White).— First, Rev. M. R. Barnard, Margaretting- 

 Sc cond, withheld. __ „ __ ,. 



Spanish.— First and Second, J. R. Rodbard. Third, W. H. Walker. 



