114 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



r F«brn*i7 6,1886. 



receive the attention they demand. Besides, if a deptitation 

 wait on the Diiectors, it can set fortli the various (grievances 

 much better in a few minutes than can be explained in pages 

 of print, and it might at the same time make the suggestions 

 most likely to remedy the evils complained of. That poultry 

 shows benefit railway companies no one can doubt ; therefore, 

 I think the Director.- cannot object to meet ns on more equit- 

 able grounds than at present. 



Why cannot a uniform rate be adopted by each company 

 for, say, distances above and under fifty miles on each line, up 

 to an average weight for each hamper — I myself adopt a hamper 

 of about 3 or ',) lbs., and if all exhibitors do the same, the 

 average weight will not exceed HO lbs. — the charges to be the 

 same cither by passenger or van train. 



That railway charges are a great drawback io many exliibi- 

 tors is well known. Take, for instance, the following variety 

 of charges I have had to contend with during the last three 

 months, and could the most enthusiastic poultiy fancier patro- 

 nise the company making such glaring mistakes ? I sent to 

 the Dai-lington Show two hampers, a distance of less than two 

 hundred miles, vii'f the (Ireat Western and Midland llailways, 

 for which I had to pay 10.?. Od. by van train ; the same fowls 

 and hampers came back for (j.<. 7'/. by passenger train. I also 

 sent two hampers to the late Chehusford Show, having to go 

 on two companies' lines, the distance being under 110 miles, 

 and the carriage to and fro was I'tf. 8(7., besides the birds 

 an-iving at the Show some five houi'S and a half too late for 

 competition, though I took the precaution to asertain fi-om the 

 railway officials at the starting point whether they woidd be 

 delivered in time. In consequence of this I paid both fare 

 and entrance fees for nothing, and am then informed by the 

 Secretary of the company on whose line the delay occurred, 

 that they are not responsible, though they detained the fowls 

 some fourteen hours. 



1 think that a uniform rate will be much better understood 

 than the present mode of charging, and the company sending 

 the fowls back for nothing. If both advantages can be se- 

 cured so much the better. AVhy cannot the " frank" system be 

 adopted, just as in the case of the newspapers carried by most 

 railway companies ? In my opinion its adoption would be a 

 great boon, for e::hibitor3 would then be able to ascertain at a 

 glance the amount they would have to pay for carriage, which, 

 at present is an impossibility, more especially when the birds 

 have to go over two lines. 



I think the Poultry Club being a body, will be the most likely 

 to take the matter in hand ; and the sooner something is done 

 to bring about a remedy the better, for the grievance is very 

 great at present. 



I also think that every praise is due to " Y. B. A. Z.'' for his 

 able article, and liberal offer to assist as far as lies in his power 

 in bringing about reform. Do not let either names or funds 

 prevent the affair being gone into in a thoroughly systematic 

 way; and if all the principal exhibitors wiU attach "their names 

 to a petition, and express their wilhuguess to contribute their 

 share of the exp 'm es incurred, the amount for each to pay 

 will not be very great. As the charges stand at present we are 

 great losers. — Caxtus. 



NANTW^CH EXHIBITION OF POULTRY AND 

 PIGEONS. 



The promoters of this Exhibition have now for the pirioj of seven 

 yc.irs seen their Show annually inji)roi-ins, and certamly the meeting 

 of last week presented to jmbUc riew one of the best "collections of 

 both poultrj- and Pigeons at any local Show that we have seen 

 for some time. Being ever willing to take advantage of the ex- 

 perience of former meetings, this Committee alwavs seem to look 

 forward only to the improvement of their annual' Exhibition ; uo 

 petty jealonsics ever intnije npon the harmonv of their actions, and 

 hence in uo small degree may be traced the almost nualloved success 

 that has attended it from its first institution. The Toiim Hall at 

 Nantwich is exccecUugly well calculated to afford a perfect light to 

 every pen, and the show pens of the Society .ire very superior iii their 

 arrangement, whether considered merely as to the easy public inspec- 

 tion of the comppting stock, or as offering perfect protixtlon from 

 outbreaks of temper between neighbouring competitors. The patron- 

 esses and patrons of the Society embrace almost every family of 

 distinction ia the neighbourhood, and. consequently, under such 

 favourable auspices the continued success of the Nantwich Poullrv 

 Show is fully secured. 



SiMininh fowls headed the list. and. as trathfal jonrnalists, we must 

 say not only was this breed not so gnod as at some of the previous 

 meetings of the Society, hut also that there was an extreme amount of 



trimming of the faces in somo of the pens. The Aylosbnry Dwkx 

 were excellent, nor were the Ronens less deserving of our e«pecial 

 notice, ileex, as is always the case at Nantwich, wito of extreme 

 merit, Mr. Jiurgess, of Bnrleydam, exhibiting both Embdens and 

 Toulouse that would be hard to Iwat at the largest of poultry meetiii«[8 ; 

 nor can we speak otherwise than with equal pniise of the two splendid 

 pens of Cambridge Tmki-ijx exhibited by the same gentlenUD. Of 

 White fiorkiKfj.i only one ]»en was entered, but they proved rery good. 

 The Grey Dorkings were extraordinarily fine well shown birds, Mr. 

 Burgess again being a most successful "exhibitor, with specimens of 

 great merit and of exceedingly good jilumage. The lion. Mrs. Sugdon 

 exhibited some extraorihnaiily good Buff Cuchiiis. as did Mr. Tudman, 

 of Ash Grove. Whitchurch, Partridge-feathered ones. It is ver,- rarely 

 that so nice a collection of White Cochins is to be met with," though 

 very limited in number, bcinc only three pens. In the Selling Class 

 were shown some perfect Silver Polanda and some very fine Dark 

 Brahmas, all of which speedily ch.ingcd hands. The Committoo's 

 silver cup, open to all England, for the best pen of (lame fowls, 

 regardless of breed or colour, caused much sensation and a hard 

 competition. Mr. J. Fletcher, of Stoneclongh. near Manchester, was 

 the successfij competitor, \rith a marvellously well-shown pair of 

 Brown Reds. It is a very rare occurrence to witness so great a per- 

 fection of feather, combined with snch faultless condition, as existed 

 in this pen ; but it must not be for a moment supposed that the com- 

 petition Wiis an easy one, Messrs. Burgess, Gallev, Green, and Dyas, 

 showing iwns that it would be difficult to beat when shown in the good 

 condition that they were. The other Game classes were confined as 

 to the competition to within a circle of thirteen miles of the place of 

 exhibition, as in fact was the whole show, except the one class for 

 Game before referred to. All these general Game classes were very 

 good, and we were ghid to observe, so far as trimming of feathers was 

 concerned, that not a single attempt at deception was discovered. 

 There were, however, we are sony to sav, three or fonr cases m which 

 spnrs had been most extensively tampe'red with in old cocks, in the 

 hope to make them do good duty as cockerels. They were necessarily 

 disqualified, but we are bound to sav that we never before saw any 

 attempt of like kind so artistically carried out. The Game hens were 

 very good indeed, for the Game amateurs around Nantwich are 

 evidently breedei-s quite as much for the pit as for the exhibition 

 pen. For exhibition, a greater amount of care m matching the 

 colour of the legs would be most desirable. For the Nantwich 

 AictuaUers' Cup the excellent Brown Red cockerel that proved the 

 winner was soon clamied from Jfr. Edwards, of Nantwich, at the 

 price put upon it— riz.. five gnmeas. The Spanjlcd Hnmburfihs were 

 all good, but the Golden varieties were undoubtedly the best of them. 

 The Pencilled Hamburghs were not so well shown "as thev might have 

 been. The Silver Poluivh were perfection. The Gmm Baiitams were 

 not so good as we expected to find them. 



Although the Rochdale Show, held simultaneously, no doubt took 

 away a portion of the visitors, the attendance was "perhaps greater 

 than at any prerious Nantwich meeting. Mr. Rhodes, the indefatigable 

 Secretary, was unremitting in his exertions to please everv one, and the 

 success of the meeting may be attributed to a considerable extent to 

 that gentleman's exertions. 



Sp.vxish.— First. J. Sid.lorn, Over Lane. Second, G. F. Ward, Wren- 

 bury. CTiictvn*.— First, .J. Dean, Wharton. Second, J. Siddorn. Com- 

 mended, J. Heath, Nantwich. 



Dicks (Aylosburj-). —Prize, Mrs. Hornby, Damhall. Highly Com- 

 mended. 31 rs. Hornby. 



Ddcks I liouen).— First, H. Prince. Nantwich. Second, T. Burgess, Bur- 

 leydam. Highly Commended. T. Burgess. 



DccKS (.Uiyothorvariety).— Prize, TiWhittlngham (Muscovyl. 



Geese.— First and Second, T. Burgess. Commended, W. Pomival, 

 Sound. 



TunKzvs.— First and Second, T. Burgess. Highly Commended, E. 

 Bowers, Broad Lane 



DoRKiNiis (White).— Prize, Jlrs. Tollemache. Dorfold. 



DoKKlXGs I Ureyl.— First, and Silver Cup for the best pen of fowls in the 

 Exhibition, T. Burgess. Second, .I.G. Pearson, Market Drayton. ChUlieiu. 

 — First and Second. T. Burfresf. 



Cochin-Chixa ICiuunmon. Huff, or P.irtridge*.— First. Hon. Sirs. Sog- 

 den, Stapelcy House. Second. E.Tudnmn, Ash Grove, fhickrtu. — Prize, 

 E. Tudman. Highly Commended, J. Withiiishnw, jun.. Xmtwicb. 



Cochin-Chisa (Wliite).~Piize, G. Willi.im-on. Nantwich. Chickm.— 

 Prize. J. Dodd. Minshull Vernon. Hifthly Commended, ,T. Dodd. 



Cochix-China Cock (Sweepstiikc.)- Prize, Hon. Mrs. Sugden. 



Sellixo Class.- First, G. Williamson (Polnnds). Second, J. Heath, 

 Nantw-ich (IJrnhmas). 



Game.— Cup, First, and Third, .J. Fletcher, StoncclouKh. Second, T. 

 Burgess. Fourth. A. B. Dyas. Madelev, Salop. Hishly Commended, W. 

 Galley, Nantwicli ; — Green, Thornton-le-Moors. 



Game (Black Ktds).— First, R. Ashlev. Nantwich. Second. J. Thnrs- 

 field, Lightwood Green. Cft icAriw.— First, T. Moore. Canal Wharf. Se- 

 cond, G. Warren. Market Drayton. Third. .1. Wlmllev. L.ardcn Gl'ecn. 



Gajie.— iBrown Reds).— Prize. T. Burgess. Hit;hlv Commended. T. 

 Bnrscss. (Viiclcn..— First, T. Whittingham. Second, T. Burgess. Third, 

 K.Ashley. . b , 



GAME(.\ny other than Black or Brown Reds).— First, P.. .\shlev (Duck- 

 wing Grey). Second. Miss Sadler. Whitchnnh iDuckwiiiK <oey).' Third, 

 R. Crewe, Burland (Grey). Hichly Commended, .T. Heath (Duckwing 

 Grey). C;iic*vn«.— First, R. Ashley (Duckwing). Second, Miss Sadler 

 (DuckwiiiB). Third, R. Ashley 1 Pile). Commended, .-i. Robinson, Wren- 

 bury (Duckwing) : T. Burgess (Pile). 



Game Cock (Sweepstake .-Prize, .T. Withinshnw, jun. (Black Red). 

 Highly Commended, H. O.ikes, Nantwich (Hrown Red). Hrii.— First, B. 

 Ashley. Second. W. GiUey, Nantwich (Brown Red). Tliird, T. Bnrgess 

 (Brown Red). Highly Commended, G. Basford, Nantwich. 



