October 21, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



331 



The prizes have been greatly increased this year ; several valu- 

 able extra caps are offered, and when it is considered that one 

 pen of poultry has the chance of winning prizes to the amount 

 •f £22, there can be but little doubt of the show being well 

 supported. The prizes for Pigeons, cage birds, &c., are good. 



DEARS GAME CHAMPION CUP. 

 This cup, manufactured by Mr. J. W. Benson, Ludgate Hill, 

 is of silver, very solid, very handsome, and is gilt inside. The 

 form is Etruscan, and the cover is appropriately surmounted 

 by a Game cock. On one side is this inscription: — "Dear's 

 Champion Subscription Cop, for the best Pen of Black-breasted 

 Bed Game Chickens. Hampshire Ornithological Association." 

 This cup will be competed for at the Hampshire Ornithological 

 Association's Exhibition, commencing on the 9th of November 

 next at Southampton. The cup has been subscribed for by 

 some of the most celebrated breeders of Game, among them 

 being Messrs. Dear, Hodgkinson, Stagg, Ames, Fletcher, Gibson, 

 Parkin, Matthew, O'Grady, Eussell Hall, Eigden, and Loe. 



OAIfHAM POULTRY SHOW. 

 It is far from a pleasant task to criticise the arrangements 

 of gentlemen who undertake the oftentimes thankless work of 

 getting up a poultry show ; and yet these criticisms, if given 

 and taken in a proper spirit, cannot but be productive of good. 

 I remember last year that complaints appeared in your Journal 

 respecting the Oakham Show. It is clear, from the notices in 

 the prize list just issued, that the committee are anxious not 

 to give occasion for grumbling this year ; and yet I would 

 suggest that in one respect there is room for improvement — 

 namely, in the time the birds are expected to remain at Oak- 

 ham. They must be there not later than 7 a.m. on Tuesday, 

 the 23rd — i.e., they must travel, if sent from any distance, on 

 Monday, and they must remain until a.m. on Friday, the 

 26th — i.e., they will not return home until some time on 

 Saturday. Only those who have shown good birds know what 

 this means, and as an exhibitor who has won a very fair share 

 of prizes this year, I can assure the managers thot I should 

 not think of exposing my birds to the risk such a lengthy 

 detention involves. Why not have them in on Tuesday even- 

 ing, judge them on Wednesday until one or two, and send 

 them home on Friday evening? — A Pkize-Winner. 



CHELMSFORD POULTRY AND PIGEON SHOW. 



Ukdsr the sfrilfnl management of a very careful Committee, this 

 meetLDE; has greatly increased in public estimation ; so much so, in- 

 deed, that the number of pens exhibited this year was nearly double 

 that of only a couple of years back. A single glance at the printed 

 catalogue shows that poultry and Pigeons from almost every principal 

 breeder in the kingdom were entered for Chelmsford. In the hope — 

 tiiongh it indeed appears almost time and trouble misapplied and 

 disregarded — of directing the attention of owners to the folly of for- 

 warding birds by the last train, we again record that a very large 

 number of excellent pens were dehvered at the Chelmsford Corn Ex- 

 change considerably after Biidday. and consequently long after the 

 .Tadges had returned their awards. As many of these pens bad 

 travelled several hnndrede ef miles to the Show, the money loss to 

 the owners must have been very considerable, and the vexation still 

 •reater. We again urge. " w«««r trust to the last train for the transit 

 »f jmiliry to any exhibitum." 



Although the Corn Sxohaage is large and exceedingly well adapted 

 for the purposes of a poaltry show, this meeting promises ere long to 

 quite exceed the dimensi«as of the building. This year, having a 

 doable tier all round, and a double tier of pens placed back to back 

 down the centre, was anavoidable, so great was the increase in the 

 ■amber of the competitorB ; and the general appearance of the Show 

 on entering was nnusually excellent. 



Grey Dorkings were the first class in the catalogue, and they 

 afforded quite a treat to mj breeder ; they were, in fact, throughout 

 saperior. The Oame clastea were good, the P> lack-breasted and other 

 Reds more particularly s». The Buff and Partridge Cochins were 

 much superior to the Whito ©nes, with the exception of a few special 

 fens of the latter. The Spanish were the best classes of chickens we 

 have seen this season ; and in respect to the Brahmas, whether Light 

 or Dark-feathered, it is isspossible to speak more highly than they 

 deaerred. Forty pens of Light Brabmas were exhibited. Although 

 somewhat select as to nambets, the Hamhurghs were generally good. 

 The French fowls had a class to themselves, which was remarkably 

 well filled, some of the chickens being exceedingly early and well 

 matured. The Game liantams of this year greatly surpassed any that 

 had been shown at preceding Chelmsford shows. It was in Ducks, 



Gfeese, and Turkeys that the highest position was attained, and as it 

 may interest many of our readers, we give the weights of the heaviest 

 pens. The pens each consisted of a pair — male ard female. Tur- 

 keys, 31 lbs. 9 ozs. ; Geese, 441 lbs. ; Aylesbury Ducks, 16 lbs. the 

 couple. Any of onr readers who can remember the poultry of some 

 thirty years back, will thus be able to estimate the important national 

 benefit that has arisen from exhibitions as regards the utility of 

 poultry for table purposes, altogether irrespective of the home pleasures 

 of their production, and the even greater satisfaction of seeing the 

 best breeds in the country in open competition, side by side. 



The Pigeons were, without doubt, a chief feature of the Show, and 

 though the bulk of them were in heavy moult, a number were in 

 plumage that could not have been exceeded even at spring time. 



Another unusual feature of the Show was a class for pairs of 

 dressed chickens, and a similar one for Ducks. We append the 

 weights of three pairs of each as they lay for exhibition : — Chickens, 

 14Jlbs., 13 lbs. 15 ozs., and 13 lbs. 10 ozs. Ducks, 10 lbs. 10 ozs., 

 10 lbs. 1 oz., and 9 lbs. 13 ozs. 



The day of the Exhibition was remarkably fine, and the attendance 

 was most satisfactory. We published the prize list last week. 



{From a Correspondent.) 

 Darling cockerels stood first, but these hardly seemed to be so good 

 as I expected to find them. The pullets were decidedly better. Game 

 were next. The Eev. F. Watson was first and second with two capital 

 birds. I preferred the second one, as be appeared to be a more pro- 

 mising bird, but the diBference was so slight that it must have pozzled 

 the Judges on which to decide. Cochins were numerous and good. 

 Mrs. Woodcock's two Buff pullets, and Mr. Sidgwick's cockerel and 

 two pullets in the "Any variety " class, were esjecially worthy of 

 notice. Mr. James was first in Sjmnish. with a splendid fellow pos- 

 sessing a beautiful white face, good comb, very long in the ear-lobe, 

 and in capital feather. The second was also a very good bird, bat 

 slightly deficient in the comb and almost without a taU. Pullets were 

 good, but the second prize was awarded to birds hardly deserving of it. 

 Those highly commended were certainly whiter and larger-faced than 

 the r more fortunate rivals. This breed does not appear to be very 

 fashionable iu Essex, for out of the thirteen pens exhibited nine were 

 sent from London. 



The pride of the Show were the Brahmas, which were magnificent ; 

 they alone were worth the journey to see. Many only mentioned here 

 would have gained a prize elsewhere. The first-prize Dark cockerel 

 was hardly in feather, but he will make a grand bird. The Dark 

 pullets were eqnallv good. In tho Light class a silver cup was offered 

 for the best coikerel ; this was awarded to Mrs Williamson's beantifnl 

 bird. For Light pullets, Mr. Crook was first with two which were 

 very handsomely marked. I did not notice one bad bird in the whole 

 of the Brahma class. 



Hamburglis were few in number. Mi-. Pickles took the first prize 

 for pullets, Silvers. These would have been perfect if a little lighter. 

 In the French varieties I noticed a cock which was certainly not 

 hatched in this year, whose age was stated in the catalogue to be 

 eight months. I was glad to see written on the ticket number, " dis- 

 qualified—old bird." in the class for " Any distinct variety," pullets, 

 were some good Polands. These arrived " too late for competition." 

 What a pity it is to find esiibitors waiting until the last train, ani 

 after all the expense and trouble, shutting themselves ont of the com- 

 petition. 



The Black and Red Bantams were a fine class, especially the first- 

 prize bird, which by-the-bv had a narrow escape of losing the prize, 

 and, perhaps, bis life. He belonged to Dr. Webster Adams, of 

 Ipswich. On the doors being opened to the public in rushed that 

 gentleman to see what prizes his birds bad won. Judge his surprise 

 on finding no bird in the pen. He soon commenced making inquiries, 

 but was told it bad not arrived. The doctor knew better He bunted 

 for the basket, which was soon found beneath the pens. There was the 

 bird aUve and well, and a little beauty he was. Had not Dr. Adams 

 been present, he would undoubtedly have lost the prize and, perhaps, 

 the bird. How careful ought Secretaries to be in ascertaining if all 

 the baskets have been examined, especially when there is an empty pen. 

 Game Bantam pullets were also good. 



Kouen Dueks were very good ; the first-prize pair were very large 

 and in excellent condition. Aylesbury Ducks not quite eo good. Some 

 of the Geese were immense. Turkei/s were a good class. 



In the selling classes there were to be found some excellent birds, 

 equal, if not superior, to some of those which had been awarded prizes. 



Pigeons made a good show, far better than at any other exbibitioB 

 held at Chelmsford. For Carriers, Mr. Wiltshire was first with a 

 splendid bird. Pouters were hardly in feather. Here Mr. Fnlton was 

 first, as be was in Tumblers. Jacobins were uncommonly good, par- 

 ticularly Mr. A. Van der Mpersch's Reds, which were first. Fantails 

 were numerous and good ; Barbs a migniticent lot ; Trumpeters a 

 very good class. In the "Any variety class " there were some beantifal 

 birds. n i J J 



This was a very well-managed Show, the birds were well fed and 

 looked after, but I must condemn the system of allowing certain pri- 

 vileged people to claim birds before shows open. Before the puhhc 

 were admitted many birds bad been difposed of. This, to say the 

 least, is very unfair, and will, no doubt, be rectified in fuiure years. 

 Now, a question as to committees generally. How is it they take so 



