76 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTDBE AITD COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ January 28, 18C6. 



hibitor. after mv flrat letter on tliis topic, wrote me thnt he 

 iihoul.l bo nleOKod to Bond me £1 tovf»r<>s any exptnscs i migtit 

 incur. Pcrhspn " onr Baiters " mieht be inihiced to aflsist ns 

 bv acting «« Trcnoiircrn. 

 ■ I nmy rftnlc tlmt rIo.I i»s I shonUl be to meet any nnmber of 

 mv fLllow-maniiics i>n this or any other 9ubjc<'t connected with 

 poultrv, my duties tie rae too completely at home. 



I hope no^t week to draw np a form of reinii.Mtion that 1 

 think may form the Rronnd-work, subject to hints from any 

 persons interested in the matter.— T. B. A. Z. 



eggs in eight hours. I am qnite certain of this, for I have only 

 three hens of that breed, and one is eitting. I took three eggs 

 out of the nest on Sunday, and I am positive that thero was 

 not any in on Saturday night. The hen is eight uioutha old. 

 Both the eggs were perfecliy shelled. — rouLTEV. 



THE rOULTRY BOOK. 



1.N the notice of " The Poultry Book " in The Jocrnai, or 

 Hor.TicLi-TiTRB for January IGth, it is stated that '• it is ' Jhe 

 Poultn- Book,' publiiihed pome years since, edited by Mr. Wipg- 

 fielJ aid Mr. Johnson, re-ananged with additions. We think 

 it rij;ht to apprise our readers of this, as Mr. Tegetmeier's 

 name only appear.^ on the cover and in the advertisement, from 

 which they might be led to believe tliat it is the production of 

 that gentleman." Permit me to state as follows: Messrs. 

 Routledge, the projirietors of the copyright and plates of the 

 original work, having determined to issue a new poultry' book, 

 entrusted me with its preparation. Any portions of the old 

 edition which might bo serviceable were placed at-my disposal. 

 Finding, however, little of the letter-press avaUable, and that 

 Bnch portions as I adopted would have to be so modified, that 

 it would bo unfair to render Messrs. Wingfield and Johnson re- 

 sponsible for them, it was determined to issue the work solely 

 under my name. In the part which has appeared, less than 

 three pages of the original matter are retained out of the 

 twerty-four of which the Number consists. How far the 

 quantity of introductory matter thus adapted ta proportion 

 much in excess of what will occur in the body of the work) 

 can be said to support the statement that this is the original 

 " Poultiy Book, re-arranged with additions, " I leave your 

 readers to determine. — W. B. Tegetmeiee. 



rWe are obliged by this communication, as it antlioritively 

 informs our readers what " The Poultiy Book," by Mr. Teget- 

 meier. is to be. The name is the same as that published by 

 the Rev. Mr. Wingtield and Mr. Johnson, and the plates are 

 the same. Wlien Messrs. Eoutledge placed any portions of the 

 old edition at Mr. Tegetmeier's disposal, they could not have 

 imagined that Mr. Tegetmeier would be disposed to commit a 

 wholesale plagiaiy. Five (not three) pages of that old edition 

 are included, without any acknowledgement, in the first twenty- 

 four pages. — Eds.] 



PROFIT OF POULTRY-KEEPIXG. 



Mv stock consisted of a Dorking cock and three hens, and 

 three Brahma hens. The return has been 814- eggs and sixteen 

 and a half pairs of chickens, the latter averaging 7 lbs. per pair 

 when Icilled, for an outlay, including food, wire and string 

 netting, and all expenses, of £.3 us. i>d. My fowls have only 

 a small run, and except for an hour in the morning, when they 

 are allowed a run in a neiglibouiing meadow, are constantly 

 shut in. As egg-protlncers, 1 find the Biahmas give three eggs 

 against two of the Dorkings ; the latter cannot do without their 

 hour's Uberty in the morning, and I think all Brnhmns would 

 be lest where the birds cannot have entire liberty, their quiet 

 behaviour also makes them great favourites with all parties. 



The birds should be kei)t young. My plan is to dispose of 

 the two oldest hens annually, two puUots taking their places ; 

 this keeps them at the same average age, and also secures two 

 winter lasers at least. As to food, I use barley, barleymeal, 

 oatmeal, soaked bread, potato raw or cooked, and plenty of 

 green meat. They likewise have clean pump water, and clean 

 houses. This mnnaginiciit will keep the birds in good con- 

 dition ; but to produce eggs they must have, in addition, as 

 many worms, snailii, and other small insects as their owner 

 can possibly supply them with. The return of eggs varies 

 considerably in d^erent seasons ; {or 1864 it was 486, whereas 

 in 1863 it was 8-JO.— J. M. S. 



THE WALS.VLL EXHIBITION OF POUJLTRY 

 AND PIGEONS. 



TnKqnality nn.l tlio iinantity also of the upotimcns eutcrcdfor tbi* 

 Show vcrv far exceeded the expectations of its promoters. The en- 

 tries were fullv donble the nnmber which the most Fiuiguinc of the 

 Committee had ever calculated on. and combincil with this nnexpcctcd 

 result (as so mauv otlur shows were taking place siniultaueously, or 

 within a day or so), the names of the exhibitors who would eompcto 

 foretold, what proved to he the fact, a vely heavy Show. Placed in 

 so unexpected a difficultv. the Committee did all that then hiy in 

 their power to accommoclntc every ono ; hut to find phices for donblo 

 the number of i)eus in the space calculated for onc-balf that number, 

 was a problem of no easv soluUou. The only coarse was, ■■ it must 

 be done." As being the most accissihle pens of any to light, arrange- 

 ments were made with Messrs. Turner, of Shclfield. for the number 

 requiied, and their man did all he could to confine the pens withm 

 the preserihed space. A large proportion of the pens for the smaUcr 

 varieties of poultn,- were consequently overiapped m front some 

 inches, in no way addmR interest to the Exhibition ; but it was the 

 oulv resoui-ce to save space, and even then the lower tier of pens was 

 artiaUv on the floor of the (luildhaU, and the upper ones were so raised 

 above the line of vision that benches had to be provided all round for 

 the Judges, Messrs. Hewitt and Cottle, during the time of making 

 their decisions. As the p,.uUrv pens in all eases crossed the w-uidows 

 the diifieultv of seeing the bilds tins situaUd was great and this cir- 

 enmstauce tended mneh to exclude the light from the remainder. Ihe 

 cas thon-h liberallv introduced, seemed only to eanse a eonlused com- 

 hination of light with extreme shadow, rendering minute inspection 

 impossible alike to Arbitrators and viaito.-s. Mishaps are generaUy 

 twin-bom, and the morning proved wet and lowering, and so the 

 weather continued until past mid-day. It may be said, that uo provm- 

 cial first show ever yet contained so many tirst-rato specmiens : and a 

 like successful result, we are informed, will be fully provided for at 

 future meetings of the Walsall Society. The budding, at present only 

 in course of erection (not being vet roofed ml. wiU, by another year, 

 be completed. It is intended to serve as a place of exercise for the 

 district Kiflo Volunteers, and will he of ample size to accommodate 

 auv number of pens under a thousand, and the light will m aU parts 

 be'food. This is. indeed, a vastlv improved prospect for the future; 

 and, evidently, Walsall will shortly bold a place among the firet ranks 

 of local shows, as many enthusiastic exhibitors are to be found among 

 tlie inhabitants of the surrounding district. .v • t 



But to the Kxhiliition itself. A most singular feature was, that ot 

 the large number of pens entered, not n.cre than a dozen were found 

 vacant. Tlvrhmis were the tir.st class, and a capital coUecUon they 

 proved : thov onjovcd the best light in the whole Show, fhe hens 

 throuahout tlic cJass showed to great advantage, but some few of the 

 cocks seemed ailing and over-exhibited. One or two of the cocks bad 

 the spurs placed outside the legs, which lunounts to a positive mal- 

 fonuation. The !<im>,ish class was indisputably one of the verj- best 

 that has been met with for a long time, almost every pen being excel- 

 lent All the best pens in this v.arictv bad, therefore, to be taken to 

 fresii pens, and placed in a full light, side by side, before any positive 

 npinioii of relative merit could be arrived at, and tbe same dilatory 



1 1 :*i. "-*" *^«' other varieties. Mr. jCoabarda 



The Partridge-coloured Cixldns 



process w as compulsory with not a few other varieties. 



cup pen was marvellously well show_. 



were ROod. aud spleiubdly formed : but many of the cooks were rnddj 



cup lien was marvellously well shown, 

 were "ood, aud splembdlv formed ; bu^ ui^^y ... . — — 

 on the breast, and the hens absolutely buff -throated. Mr. Jenmson, 

 the cup winner in Bnff Cochms with bis adult pen, 

 of the exhibition was considerably increased to the 



Two Eoos IN A Day. — I have a Cochin hen which has per- 

 formed the unusual feat of laying two eggs in one day. The 

 first egg was laiet about 3 p.x. on Sunday morning, and when 

 she went up to roost at 4 she had laid another, thus laying two 



of Manchester was 



and the atti-action „ - - »f„„„ 



pubUe, by the order of the Committee to take this splenOjd lot from a 

 lark bottom pen into a light opposite an avenue, to replace another 

 - - ' ■ ' ■■ hown bv the same gentleman, by whidl 



this pen of Cochins 

 to evei-v visitor. The J Inmhiiri/h classes 



pen. •• highly commended." 



arrangement (after the prizes were nwardedl this pel 

 proved of easy inspection to eveiy visitor. The JInmh 

 were especially good ; but tliev <bd not show to the same advantage as 

 thev (b) when" placed in full daylight. Many of these pens were evi- 

 dcntlv much injured by over-exhibition, and a pen or two so much so, 

 that thev were returned to their owners ns unfit to remain in their 

 present diseased stnto in close proximity to valuable healthy compefa- 

 tors The rrJamls. tliooc;h a bmited entry, were excellent m quality. 

 The' Gmnc classes were among the best in the Show ; but these vanehe* 

 happened to stand among the least blest with the Uglit of day. Mr. 

 Jas Fletcher, of Stoneclough. near Manchester, took the prmcipri 

 prizes with Brown K«U aud Ked Piles; some cxtraonlmaoly good 

 Black-breasted Reds were also shown. Tbo " Any other Vaiicty 

 class was exeeedinglv good. In Game Bantnms the competition was 

 as is always the case in the present day if good prizes are offered, of 

 first-rate quaUty. Mr. John Crossland hero stood first with such a 

 pen of Dnckwingsas would do credit to any breeder, nor would they 

 have ever returned homewards had not the price placed on them been 



