December 11, 1666. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



453 



strong, barn-door cock of the same breed boing struck dead in 

 less than three minutes, by a Ginger Red Game cock of half his 

 size and weipht. So much for- Mai ays fighting'. My Malaya 

 were very quiet birds, but I keep none now. — Newm.vuket. 



BIRMINGHAM POULTK? SHOW. 

 "Eiohtei i \ . id til i . There is a history in those 



three .words. For eigbtei I years there has.beep a treat in 



aton Foj those who fcaki n in the e matters, and. it is looked 



forward to just as the D< times are. K has appealed 



to us through oui is, and has found i >nse till we have 



identified ourselves with it. Ta misa the annual Exhibition at Bin Ee; 



Hall would be to amp on ; and so in fine and bad weather, 



iu good mid bad tin itever may be the result of the ironmasters' 



monthly meeti ■ •: is up or down, whether war gives an 



impetus to the gun trade, or peace makes it languish, like "Master 



Walter. ' there it stands and none of the man;, thousands who are ia 



the habit of attending ever fail. 

 But there must bi a acces Royal roads are scarce. 



Those who direel I ari men of progress. Every 



year we have new arrangements, fld i act change would seem to be 



an improvement. People accept them in the proper spirit, testifying 



confidence in those who direct : hence the success of the undertaking. 



It had small I eginnings, and the subject was not understood. To let 



well alone is ofi but in many cases it is wiser to profit by ex- 



perience, and to adopt things that are manifest improvements. SThc 



Committee have done this. The old pen of cock and three hens has 



disappeared to mak :<■■■ in for rows of single cocks and pairs of hens 



and pullets. The change has been progressive, and after the experi- 

 ence of this Show, a 



The last change of all : Many had misgivings. It 



seemed a pen of poultry could not co] than a cock and two 



hens or pullet-; ; others favoured it to encourage and to suit pure] 



It was an old compls , t] it in buying a pen it was always or gene- 

 rally made up in the chicken classes of the most unfavourable of all 

 elements — a brother and two sisters. Formerly it was a grievance, 

 that in order to bu] i was n ary.to buy two pullets or liens, 



and via vers . Then hen and pallet classes were introduced, and 

 ingle cock class* 5, to meet the convenience of purchasers. For 



1 366 the Poultry Co] sufficiently able and versed in the subject 



to originate, and i trong i aough to carry out an idea, di I c nined all 

 classes should be made up of pens containing either a single cock, or 

 two hens or pullets. It certainly caused dismay in the poultry world 

 when it was announced, and the constant inquiry, " Have you seen 

 the Birmingham list?" was accompanied by a slow-, melancholy shake 

 of the head. One who < I ited a pen of Bantams now and then, 

 said " he should withhold all his entries ;" while another, who, in the 

 middle of .the Show and in the course of a two-minutes conversation, 

 tinds time to tell you " he always shaves with cold water, and for 

 twenty-four years has never missed going to bed as the cl n k struck 

 ten,' : declares all changes to be mistakes, and anticipates the ruin of 

 the Society. Few approved, and even fiiends lamented the certain 

 falling off there would be in entries, and the diminished attendance 

 that would be the result. What wag the result ? Entries of poultry, 

 1897; of Pigeons, 418; forming an unparalleled show of '2315 pens, 

 with an attendance that hardly felt the loss of the fat catti 

 means of attraction. 



We have dwelt at length, on this great change, for it is one. Ex- 

 hibitors can tell the d if making np a pen, and purchasj 

 rejoice over the opportunity of buying only what they want The 

 single cock or the two pullets would seem to be within reach of all, 

 and writing while 1866 is still open, we are looking for a larger entry 

 :n 1867, It cannot well be otherwise, because every change in the 

 pens is coupled with an increase in the prizes offered for competition. 



Although mere weight cannot determine the merit of a Dorking 

 cock, yet, as one great element of success, and one of the desiderata 

 in all food- producing classes, the Judges determined to weigh the 

 principal pens, which were as follow : — 11A lbs., 11 lbs., 10 lbs. 5 ozs., 

 four of iM lbs., many of 9 lbs. The heaviest bird in the class was 

 Capt. Lane's, the best conditioned Admiral Hornby's, the best of all 

 Mrs. Arkwright's. The same lady took the lead in young cocks. 

 The prize list and the commendations already published will give the 

 names, and it will .save both space and time if we pass the classes in 

 review, mentioning the principal objects and results of each. Thus, 

 the weights in the cock class, for birds of 1806, were 9 lbs. 3 ozs., 

 9 lbs.. S : lbs., si lbs., 8| lbs., and many of 8 lbs. Wo were somewhat 

 disappointed, not in the average weight of these classes, but in that of 

 the successful pens. We think we have seen them heavier, and we 

 are sure all will agree with ns when we say they do not hold their 

 proper position when compared with the hens, which weighed in Ad- 

 miral Hornby's case 17 lbs. 12 ozs., while Mr. Hustlers readied 17 lbs. ; 

 the others were 16$ lbs., 15 lbs., and 15 lbs. The pullets weighed 

 11 lbs., 13 J lbs., and many L31bs. It is worthy of remark in this 

 class, the heaviest bird had travelled from Scotland. There is no doubt 

 it is difficult to exhibit old Silver-Grey cocks. We should be almost 

 tempted to believe the white spots on the breast and the silvering of 

 the sickle feathers of the cocks are the snowy witnesses of age, and in- 

 separable from it. The Silver-Grey Dorking class is a revival. It ' these classes must be highly spoken of. 



was difficult among the adults to find a sufficient number of prize 

 birds; but the Countess of Dartmouth b would have been distinguished 



:""'.'. h:ie. ;n: | in t IlO face of a 1 1 . I !0 1 1 1 [ ■■ ' I 1 1 h -II . The |,itlle|,S of this 



ire ■ j beautiful, and fully justify the favour the j meet at the 

 bands of the ladies of the aristocracy. The. White Dorkings were 



\rvy good ; bnt a few names always take th. , |, n /. 



'rim in their different classes were worthy of their best days. 

 The curi were e ■■> tl< at in colour, pi rfect in ahap ■ and comb, and of 

 g iod weight. One bird was so beautiful iu all particular . that we 

 cannot refrain from an i (genial notice. We allude to the fit I i i 



cock of 1866, shown by Mr. Causer. Although both classei wei »od 



in weight, that which was s;iid of the Dorkings may be rep tated here. 

 Due allowance; being made for the difference in sex and stature, the 

 h rei'i much heavier than the cocks. Mr. Fell's first-prize hens 

 weighed ;'.»} lbs. They were followed by L9 lbs. 2 oz >., L8J Lbs., 

 IT ,' lbs., and 17 lbs. The pullets were quite as good. Fift\ i 

 nominations in the p : ■ bers as well as 



the merits of the Bufl and Cinnamon classes. Brown and Partridge- 

 coloured Cochins seem exempt from the infirmities of old age. While 

 th i re undeniable proof i that they are old, they a I hose that are 

 not inconsistent with what is poetically called " a green old age," or it 

 may be that as they are longer in coming to uaturity, i they are more 

 durabL ; u fact] they arc the oak i of the poult The first- 



prize old cock ul this breed was really a grand bird. He belongs now 

 to Mr. Fenton. He formerly belonged to Capt. Beaton, who does not 

 appear this year, because his poultry-houses and part of his stock 

 di sappeared in the disastrous fiopds near Man ' ie time since. 



The old birds in tie -.- els were better "than th We do not 



know whether we may attribute it to the kind interference of the Rev. 

 F. Taylor, but there was am a ■ ti aprovement in the White Cochins, 

 respect. The vulture hock, that came in after Mrs. Herbert 

 retired, gets. legs every year; at this Show it wi L; perceptible. 



Much credit is due to those who bred the prize birds of this year. 



Those who prophesied BraJimaS would one day hold their own, and 

 were laughed at for a time, may now look np. They took and held 

 their rank among the principal classes. The show of cocks was a dis- 

 play, and many a highly commended bird deserved a prize. Eighteen 

 had either prizes or honourable mention among the codes only ; but 

 they may be shown heavier. The writer of this has had cocks weighing 

 13^ lbs., without especial care or painstaking. The heaviest in this 

 class weighed only 11^ lbs. The) were, however, carefully selected, 

 and the plumage is now well understood. The same may be said of 

 the pullets and hens. They left nothing to desire. Light Brahmas 

 arc no longer consigned to the eccentricities, but have two numerous 

 and well-filled classes. The first prize and a piece of plate went to 

 Mr. Pares, whose bird deserves especial mention for its perfection. 

 This breed has established itself, ami from its beauty, purchased at no 

 sacrifice of useful properties, it will be a favourite whi h ver the atmo- 

 sphere is favourable to white plum tge. 



■ - I came our old friends, the Malays — eight good birds, but sub- 

 ject to the same difficulty that besets Scotch terriers, and even some 

 human beings ; their beauty is deemed ugliness by some. People 

 should recollect there are different ideas of beauty. 



( revi Ca ■■■hid two classes to themselves, and justified the gift. 

 Fifteen pens received honourable mention out of thirty-three entries. 

 The prizes, both first and second, went to the same yard as last year, 

 while the first chicken prize was gained by alien of unusual merit, 

 belonging to Col. Smart Wnrtley. 



Spanish were decidedly better than they have been the last two 

 year-. Most of the prizes, in remembrance of Mr. Rake, and thanks 

 to his judgment in past years, still hang about Bristol ; but Yorkshire 

 and Lancashire seem disposed to creep up. The prize fdr the best hens 

 or pullets went to the former county, with two very remarkable hens. 

 The question of smooth or rough faces is exciting a good deal of at- 

 tention, and some controversy. It will remain a difficulty. A young 

 cock will show as great a depth of face as an old one. The former will 

 be smooth, the latter wrinkled ; but it is not so in hens. No Spanish 

 hen attains her full face (ill she has passed her second year. It will 

 then begin to be wrinkled; but if the eye be still well open, if the face 

 have lost none of its depth, and the tops of the inequalities have no 

 red on them, we do not sec why the nnsmooth face should be a dis- 

 advantage We were much pleased to see the improvement in this 

 breed. 



The Black Mamburglts were very good, and these again have jus- 

 tified the allotment of separate classes to them. We know few more 

 stylish fowls. Golden-pencilled Hamburghs were good, but the cocks 

 were hardly so good as the pullets. We are i mvinced that how- 

 ever good old birds of these classes may be for breeding, they should 

 not be exhibited. Their plumage appears to wear out, and the pen- 

 cilling become mossy. This is truer of the Silver thau the Golden ; 

 but it applies to both. There is a truth and brilliancy of marking 

 in the pencillmgs of pullets, that we look for in vain in hens. We 

 are not wishing to speak lightly of good classes; but we have not the 

 same equality of merit in both sexes which we had in the days of Mr. 

 W. Worrall and Mr. Archer. Many pullets were perfect ; but it would 

 have been difficult to mate them worthily for exhibition. The Golden 

 and Silver-spangled birds were very beautiful, especially the former. 

 Among the cocks of the latter, the* lacing and bailing of the wings 

 have been neglected in the search after clear tails ; but the whole ef 



