September 30, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



271 



on the 16th and 17th of December, lies before me. They have, 

 I see, changed their quarters to the Drill Hall — a happy augnry 

 that they may have many volunteers to the Pigeon fancy. 

 The President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Honorary Secre- 

 tary are our old friends — Messrs. Montgomery, Muir, Wallace, 

 and Kuthven. The schedule is divided into two portions : — 

 classes for members' competition only, for birds bred in 1869, 

 which must be bred by the exhibitor ; and class prizes given 

 by the Society, open to all competitors. In the former tho 

 prizes consist of twelve silver medals for Pouters, value one 

 guinea each, two for Carriers of two guineas' value, one of the 

 same value for Barbs, and the same for Short-faced Tumblers. 

 With respect to the class prizes given by the Society, and open 

 to all competitors, there are fourteen prizes of '20s. each for 

 Pouters, and the like number of 10s. and 5s. prizes, and a 

 silver medal, value £'2 2s., as a special prize for the cock 

 Pouter, best in form and carriage, and a similar silver medal 

 for the best hen Pouter, offered by Capt. Heaton. Then five 

 prizes for Carriers and a medal ; two for Short-faced Tumblers 

 and a medal ; two for Barbs and a medal ; FantaiU one prize 

 — j.t'., one first, one second, and one third; this is the case 

 throughout. Jacobins, two and medal ; Trumpeters, three and 

 medal; Tnrbits, one and medal; English Owls the same; 

 Foreign Owls also the same; Nuns a prize; so also Beards, 

 Balds, or Tumblers. A prize is also given (20s., 10s., and 5s ) 

 for Antwerps. Most properly " it is requested by the Society 

 that exhibitors attach to the entries for this class certificates of 

 performances as flyers, which will be published in catalogue." 

 The schedule finishes with a prize for Dragoons, and one for 

 Fancy Pigeons, not otherwise classed ; and a prize of a guinea 

 to the pair of birds most beautiful in plumage. I heartily wish 

 the Committee a good show, good weather, and plenty cf 

 visitors. — Wiltshire Bectob. 



PENCILLINGS FROM AYLESBURY. 



Yon know, Messrs. Editors, what a rambler I am ; how at 

 one time I am in Surrey, at another in Susses; how on one 

 occasion I found myself at Clifton, at another at Leighton. 

 You will, therefore, I trust, forgive me if I send you the results 

 of a ramble which I resolved upon for the purpose of viewing 

 the poultry show held at Aylesbury on the 22nd inst. 



The place is, indeed, quite a type of a country town, having 

 a good open square in the centre, a noble market and Corn 

 Exchange, to eay nothing of the church, which has been 

 restored and beautified in no ordinary manner, in a great 

 measure, I am told, through the efforts of that veteran fancier, 

 Mr. John Fowler. Accompanied by a friend, who had come all 

 the way from Surrey to see the Show, and as he hoped, to 

 carry off a silver cup, I wended my way to the Market House, 

 whither the chorus of the chanticleers summoned us in terms 

 which could not be mistaken. At the door were eager ex- 

 hibitors, anxiously awaiting the signal for admission ; a few, 

 however, seemed to be already aware of the results in certain 

 classes, though how this was managed your deponent knoweth 

 not. Some members of the Committee can probably explain 

 the difficulty. About one o'clock we learnt that the Judge's 

 labours were almost over, and that we might enter. Consider- 

 ing that thirteen or fourteen silver cups were offered for com- 

 petition, we naturally expected a first-rate show ; but this it 

 can scarcely be called. Some of the classes were unquestion- 

 ably good. The Horkittijii, in particular, were pronounced to be 

 excellent, and seventeen entries from all parts of England 

 proved that there was a determined struggle for the possession 

 of the two silver cnps. The award of the Judge with respect 

 to these no one appeared inclined to question ; but the third- 

 prize pen certainly seemed inferior to some others, the comb 

 of the cock being such as would have frightened Mr. Hewitt. 

 Close by was a magnificent cockerel with a pullet equally good, 

 which seemed worthy of some notice ; broken and twisted toes, 

 and possibly crooked breasts, may have led the Judge to pass 

 them by. An exhibitor in this class seems to have made a 

 mistake with regard to his birds. They reminded me (hearing 

 as I did but one opinion from the most experienced fanciers) ,of 

 the old saying, that "men are but children of a larger growth," 

 which here appeared to run, " cocks are but cockerels of a 

 larger growth." A similar mistake, it was confidently asserted, 

 had been made in the Spanish class, round which at one time 

 words ran high, and voices were far too loud to be musical. The 

 Ducks, it need scarcely be said, were very good ; Mrs. Seamons 

 and Mr. Fowler, aa usual, holding their own. The Turkeys, 



though few in number, were good. Here, again, it was con- 

 fidently declared that an old bird was entered in a class in which 

 chickens only could claim a prize, and the old scales on the 

 hocks offered ocular proof of what no one coull doubt. Tho 

 French fowls were fairly represented ; and everyone would admit 

 that Mr. Leno deserved the first and second piizes he won with 

 his Banta77>s. The Geese were excellent, but in one pen two 

 ganders led one to suppose that the owner was scarcely aware 

 of the conditions of the Show. The Hamhurghs and Polaiids 

 were far from numerous, and the Light Brahmns did not 

 obtain even a commendation, their darker brethren being de- 

 cidedly good. 



As the question of compound foods has been before your 

 readers, 1 may mention that I was assured by the owners of 

 two of the finest pens in the exhibition, one of them the 

 winner of a silver cup, that they had used no compound food 

 whatever in producing what really were first-rate results. 



My ledections on returning from my ramble, I found, were 

 of a very mixed character. Delighted as I had been to see 

 such beautiful specimens of my feathered friends, I could not 

 but regret that so many charges of dishonesty should be brought, 

 and I fear with too much truth, against some who ought to 

 care to win only with honour. To enter "Id birds as chickens, 

 or ganders as Geese, is really an attempt to obtain for yourself 

 what belongs to another, and no man with a spark of good 

 feeling would condescend to such tiioky shamelessness. 

 Honesty, however, is after all the best ijolicy — it is the good 

 birds, and the honest exhibitors, that in the long run win ; and 

 even if a judge is now and then deceived, the deceit does not 

 last an hour, while the exhibitor earns for himself the con- 

 tempt of all whose good opinion is worth having. I wished, 

 too, that certain exhibitors would take with them a larger 

 supply of good temper. To hear the language of some of them, 

 attacking first one and then another, never content except they 

 had appropriated everything to themselves, one would sup- 

 pose that no one else possessed anything worth having. Hap- 

 pily this is not the case with the great majority of poultry 

 fanciers ; for myself I may say that the fancy has led me to 

 make the acquaintance of many whom I cannot but esteem, 

 while it has solaced hours of sadness, and relieved the tedious- 

 nesa of a wearying occupation. — E. M. B. A. 



The following ia the list of awards : — 



DoBKlNGS (Any varitty).— 1, J. LonHland, Grendon. 2, Eer. E. Bar 

 trum. Great Bprkhainpstead. 8. J. Smith, SMUinglee Park, Sussex 

 he and c, L. Patton, Hillmore, Bishops Hull. 



BR4H3IA3 (Any yariety).— 1, Cup, and 2, H. B. Morrell, Cae Mawr, Clyro. 

 3. H. Brown, Putney Heath, he, Mrs. Burrell, Ipswich; C. Layland, 

 Morris Broolt, Wiirrinffton ; .1. K. Fowler. 



Spanish— 1. J. Laming, Cowhnrn, Spalding. 2, W. R. BiiU, Newport 

 Papnell. 3 and he, F. James. Peckham Rye. 



Cochins (Buff).— 1. C. Sidgwick, Kyddlesden Hall, Keighlcy. 2, J. H. 

 Dawes, Moseley Hall, Birmingham. 3, F. W. Rust, Hastings, he, Mrs. 

 Burrell. 



Cochins (Partridge).—!. C. Sidgwick. 2 and 3, J. K. Fowler, Aylesbury. 



Game (Black-breasted and other Reds).— 1 and Cnp, J. R. Fletcher, 

 Stoneclouqh, Manchester. 2 and 8, S. Matthew, Stowmarket. he, T. 

 Dyson, Halifax. 



Game (Any other colour).— 1,T. Dyson. 



French Fowls (Creye-Cceurs).— 1 and Cop, J. J. Maiden, Biggleswade. 



2, Miss E. Williams, Henllys, Berriew. 3, Mrs. M. Seamons, Hartwell, 

 Aylesbury. 



French Fowls (Any other variety).— 1 and 2, O. Quibell, Newark. 



3, C. Layland. 



Hamborohs Gold or Silyer-pcncilled).— 1 and Extra Prize, R. E. Parker, 

 Ipswich. 2, J. Laming. 3,- Barford. Aylesbury, ftc, S. Burn, Whitby. 

 Hamborohs ( Gold or Sihor-spangled).— 1, J. Laming. 2, — Barford. 

 Game Bantams.— 1, H. C. Rogeis, Newport Pagnell. 2, W. Adams, 

 Ipswich. 3, F. Pittis, Newport. Isle of Wight. 



Bantams (.\ny other variety).- 1 and 2, M. Leno, Dunstable. 3, J. 

 Laming. 



Any other Variety not Before Mentioned — 1, J. Laming. 2, J. K. 

 Fowler. 3, C. Sidgwick. 



Ducks (Aylesbury).— 1. Mrs. M. Seamons, Hartwell, Aylesbury. 2 and 

 3, J. K. Fowler, he, H. .Jones. Dinton, near Aylesbury, c, Mrs. Burrell. 

 (Maiden Class).— 1. W. Weston, Aylesbury. 2J J. Funge, Long Marston. 

 3, T. Kingsley, Borascroft. he, J. Funge. 



DccES (Ronen).— 1, J. K. Fowler. 2, S. H. Stott, Rochdale. 3, J. L. 

 Lowndes, Aylesbury. 



Ddcks (Any other variety).- 1, S. Bum. 2, C. N. Baker, Chelsea. 

 3, Lieut.-Col. H. B. Lane, he, C. N. Baker ; M. Leno. 



Geese (.\nyyariety).—l, J. K. Fowler. 2, Mrs. M. Seamons. S, S. H. 

 Stott. he, J. K. Fowler ; Mrs. M. Seamons. 



Turkeys (Any yarietyi.-l and 2, L. Patton. 3, S. H. Stott. 



Guinea Fowls.— 1, iliss T. A. Cresswell, Hounslow. 2, J. Treadwell, 

 Upper Winchendon. 



Pheasants (Any variety).— 1, M. Leno. 2, 3, and ftc, J. K. Fowler. 



Selling Class.— 1, J. K. Shrimpton, Easington. 2, H. Jones. 3, H. 

 Brown, Putney. 



Pigeons.— Carriers (Any variety).-!, P. H. Jones. Pnuters (Any 

 variety).— 1 and 2, P. H. Jones. Fantails (Any variety).— 1, P. H. Jones. 

 2, F. Graham, Birkenhead, he, J. F. Loversidge, Newark. Any other 



