Jime 26, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURB AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



433 



notice in their order that there were only two pens of Cochins 

 to compete for three prizes ! Of the Hamburghs I mnst say 

 the Silvsr-pencilled were but iudifferent, the Golden the best 

 in both varieties, thongh one Silver-spangled was good, thongh 

 deservedly beaten by a very superior Golden pen. There were 

 thirteen pens of Hanibnrghs in all — not amiss, and so far from 

 the midland counties. 



The Brahmas are certainly advancing in favour. Eleven 

 pens here to two of Cochins. It was a case of " the old man 

 being beaten by the boy." Jlr. Pares was in his old place with 

 Light Brahmas, and Captain Lane first with his Dark. Among 

 the " variety class," a class which saoly needs dividing, was a 

 good pen of SHver-laced Bantams and a good pen of Malays 

 (Mr. Hinton's) ; these, I noticed, many fanciers admired. I 

 learnt from a very experienced London gentleman that Malays 

 were formerly, and I beheved now, much kept in some of the 

 most confined parts of London, and that in tiny back yards 

 they lived healthily and laid abundantly; so that if I be- 

 came rector of one of those city churches, and lived near them, 

 I stUl might keep a few Malays to cheer my eye, and their 

 newly-laid eggs would adorn my breakfast-table. I am glad to 

 speak a word for this variety, as my poultry-conscience tells 

 me I have given it many a hit, and the birds look so very 

 hard at me that I feel it best to keep a respectful distance from 

 the pens. It is certainly something that you can find a fowl 

 which will do well in a state of confinement, which even a 

 Spanish or a Cochin could not stand. So, Malays, you are not 

 handsome I must own. ; but if useful, and if you give pleasure 

 where no other fowls could do so, long may your long forms 

 be seen in little close back yards. Ducks, Turkeys, Geese, all 

 good and numerous. There were a few Pigeons — too few — and 

 some Rabbits, which gave interest to the Show. The doe with 

 young ones called forth praise from visitors of what our 

 Editors call " the Eve variety." 



For the first time in my life I must praise the refreshments. 

 I actually got a decent dinner ; not, as at Salisbury, being offered 

 a plate of coarse half-raw beef, a loaf with a bit of soft, wet, 

 unbaked dough in the middle, and when I asked for lettuce, 

 seeing some about, I was told by a facetious or, rather, impu- 

 dent waiter, " That's a growing. Sir." Though I went for my 

 lunch at but two o'clock, when there ought to have been plenty, 

 instead of decent food, I had offered me (I did not eat it), what 

 I know my servant boy would refuse. How long will English 

 people bear to be cheated in this way ? for I had first to pay 

 for a lunch ticket. At Reading I found good food and civility, 

 though no grand tent such as at Sahsbury. 



I never enjoyed any show more than the Hants and Berks, a 

 pleasant, sizeable, nice show it was ; jolly farmers with gig 

 umbrellas on their shoulders, kind agricultural faces, high-born 

 ladies, old poultry friends, and a fine, day, not hot, but plea- 

 santly cool, contributed to amuse, please and gratify — Wilt- 

 shire Recioe. 



success, making much fun : Take a red rag as large as your 

 two hands, and tie it on to the hen's tail firmly, and let her go; 

 she win not stop to sit. The rag must be very red. — W. L. P. 



EVIL EVENTS AT WOODBRIDGE POULTRY 

 SHOW, 



I AM one of the many unfortunates whose fowls arrived too 

 late for competition at Woodbridge ; the pecuniary loss to me 

 was about 25s. entrance money, and 7s. 6(2. can-iage. How- 

 ever, there is a doubt as regards the punctuality of my poultry 

 man, and, perhaps (in my case), the railway company were not 

 to blame, I give them the benefit of the doubt ; but there is one 

 little circumstance connected with that Show which I am 

 unable to understand. A beautiful pen of Pile Game Bantams 

 I sent, has never returned, nor can I obtain any information 

 respecting them. The Secretary wrote and told me that a tent 

 was blown down, and that several birds escaped. On inquiring 

 of him for the missing Piles, he has not honoured me with a 

 reply, so I presume the birds have " flown away," unless they 

 are being detained at Woodbridge (as a couple of Brahma hens 

 of mine once were), until another exhibition elsewhere be over. 



This is not encouraging on the whole, but I am still simple 

 enough to believe that if the fact be mentioned in the columns 

 of " our Journal," it may come under the notice of the holder 

 of the birds, and he may be induced to restore them. I have 

 plenty of their chickens, but I am sure none better than the 

 parents, so I really should like to recover them. — T. C. H. 



SPANISH FO-V\T:iS PLUCKING EACH OTHER 

 AT THE S^VLISBURY SHOW. 



Seeing in the Joumiil some remarks by "Wiltshire Rec- 

 Tor. " about the first-prize Spanish fowls at the Bath and West 

 of England Show, held at Salisbury, having plucked each 

 other bare, I beg to state that as soon as the judging was over 

 Dr. Brent, the senior Steward, allowed me to remove the hens 

 to empty pens ; but they were put back by Mr. Bush, and he 

 gave orders they were not to be removed unless one bird was 

 actually killing the other. The plucking was caused by one 

 of the hens only going to Beverley the previous week, and the 

 other hen being added for the Salisbury Show ; and though 

 they had all been previously running together, the temporary 

 separation for Beverley caused it. The refusal of Mr. Bush to 

 allow them to be removed after the judging was over has com- 

 pletely spoiled the pen for months to come. — Johd Mamis, 

 Poultry ilanager for Viscountess JlolmesdaU. 



PREVEN-Trsn A Hes Sittisg. — Seeing several remedies for 

 Bitting hens, I have one which I used when a boy with good 



THE THORNE AGRICULTURAL AND POULTRY 

 EXHIBITION. 



Fe»m the visitation of rinderpest all agricultural shows of the 

 present season have suiferetl exceedingly, whilst not a few anch meet- 

 inc^s have been much assisted this year by the ponltry department in 

 carrying cat the annual exhibition. We rejoice to say the Thome 

 Show just closed has been a most successful one, although the positively 

 drenching rains of the two preceding days augured most iuanspiciously. 

 The afternoon of the Tuesday was one continnous blinding sheet of 

 rain, and everything foretold a most comfortless meeting ; but happily 

 for all parties the Wednesday proved all that the most ardent well- wisher 

 of the Thome Meeting could desire. It is true that the look of the 

 morning sun was watery in the extreme on Wednesday last, and a 

 soaking day seemed then inevitable. As time went on, however, all 

 things began to brighten ; so much so, that the most downcast of the 

 Committee ventured then to hope for better things. About 10 A.M. the 

 weather seemed to settle down for a fine day, and the result proved 

 that such conclusions were the true ones, although an occasional 

 heavy drop or so of rain showed that the atmosphere was stLU change- 

 able. We cannot dwell on what might have been the consequence of 

 the weather had it continued as it was the day previous to the Show, 

 it must have resulted in an absolute faUure, however, as all the 

 Exhibition was thoroughly exposed ; but we turn with unfeigned 

 pleasure to the fact, that on the d.iy of the meeting all was summer- 

 like throughout, and every one who att«nded thoroughly enjoyed this 

 annual re-union. 



The Show was remarkably well attended, and the truly indefati- 

 gable Secretary, Mr. Kichordson, displayed, as usual, his willing 

 attention to every inquirer, and thus obtained not only the contintianoe 

 of the good \rishcs of old friends, but equally enUsted the Rood opinion 

 of those parties who now met that gentleman for the first time. Such 

 a Secretary is indeed the greatest acquisition to any show. 



The Spanish was one of the best classes on the ground, and the three 

 principal pens of this breed were very close rivals. Dorkiii/j.i, on the 

 contrary, were not nearly so good ; the condition of the birds throngh- 

 out bein^' not by any means perfection. At none of the previous 

 Thome Shows has there been so small an entry of CVWuhs, and al- 

 though the winning birds were quite equal, perhaps, to usual, the class 

 was bv no means remarkable for excellence. The Game cla.sses ne- 

 ccssarilv (in June) lacked that most important feature " condition ; " 

 Bo much so, that in the class for Whites and Piles the second prize 

 was altogether withheld. Many of the pens, of the Bralimns were ex- 

 ceedingly good birds, but the matching of the birds was most nnfor- 

 tunate? In the Single Game class there was a veiy good competition, 

 thongh the condition was not first-rate. In this class Mr. Vallentine, 

 of Littlchorough, the exhibitor of pen -198, had tried to impose upon 

 the Arbitrators by two or more feathers of his Game cock's tail bemg 

 tied on : a first glance easily revealed the deception, as it was dona 

 most bunglinglv, whoever might be the operator ; and these deceptions 

 when attempted certainlv require a Uttlo more artistic skdl than was 

 displayed in this instance. Decidedly the best class in the Show-yard 

 was the one for " A pair of single hens of any breed ; " in fact ao good 

 were they, that the Arbitrators admitted they scarcely " ever saw a 

 better.' 'The class for single cocks of any variety was scarcely lesa 

 creditable. 



Tiirh'iis and adult fifes': were well worthy of especial mention, but 

 the Rulls— or, as here called, " gibs "—that is, Geese of the current 

 year's hatching, were not so good and matured as would be natural to 

 the midland and southern coumtieB of England. Guinea Fowls wore 

 excellent. 



