Febraaiy 11, 1876. ] JOURNAL OF HOBTIODLTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



129 



I have had from the 21st of October to the 2l3t of January fi33 

 egga. They are liberally fed in much the same way as your 

 correspondent states in the Journal of January 2lBt. Eggs have 

 been so very scarce this season that I am inclined to think this 

 great success. I should add that one of these pullets has sat 

 without hatching owing to the extreme cold, and another is now 

 sitting. — A Successful Contkibutor. 



BRAHMAS AS EGG-PRODUCERS. 

 I NOTICE a few remarks on Dark Brahmas, in the manage- 

 ment of which " Ealino " appears to have experienced much 

 better results than myself during the past year. I must, how- 

 ever, correct his idea of " intruders visiting the nests ;" that is, 

 I think, completely guarded against. The strain may have 

 something to do with pullets' backwardness, though some of my 

 older birds have at last commenced laying on the 18th ; and on 

 the 26th two of my pullets (these just turned eleven months 

 old), where last year they began at seven mcnthe. I presume 

 " Ealing " is able to give his birds a wide grass range during 

 the day, which coupled with two feeds per diem I should expect 

 would prove more satisfactory than three feeds under more con- 

 finement. — Aqbicola, Liverpool. 



CRITICISMS OF AWARDS AT PORTSMOUTH 

 SHOW. 



I MOST fully appreciate fair and impartial reports of the 

 various exhibitions, as also criticisms upon the awards ; but, 

 being one of the Judges at the late Portsmouth Exhibition, 

 think a little more care should be taken by the reporter of your 

 contemporary ere he make such remarks as the following : 

 " Mr. Lingwood's Buff Cochins were remarkably distinguished 

 by being not even commended." Now, had that reporter taken 

 the slightest trouble he could have known that pen of Buffs 

 arrived without any label, and two pens being empty, Nos. 40 

 and 41 (which I afterwards learned were Mr. Lingwood's and 

 Mr. Tomlinson's), the Committee decided not to pen those birds 

 until they could be certain to whom they belonged, therefore 

 they were not in the pen when the awards were given in. 

 There were other cases where birds were exhibited with wire or 

 tape round their legs, consequently all such plainly-marked 

 birds were passed over. Possibly, when the exhibitors heard 

 such marks coxild not be tolerated they removed them, and 

 visitors not knowing the reason might wonder why they ijvere 

 not noticed. If possible the reporter should interview the 

 Judges, and thereby hear why this or that pen was passed before 

 he impugns the judgment. Again, birds arriving after the 

 class is judged should have cards " too late for competition " 

 attached. — W. B. Jeffbies. 



DORSET SHOW OF POULTRY, &c. 



This Show was held on the 27th and 28th January, and the 

 building much reminded ua of Oxford, the poultry being iu 

 the Corn Exchange below, and the Pigeons in the Town Hall 

 above. The Show was a complete success in every way, the 

 management being in the hands of Mr. Billett. The attendance 

 was wonderfally good, the whole country around turning out 

 to see the Exhibition. The Judges were advertised many 

 weeks ago as being for poultry Messrs. Hewitt and Hodson; 

 but, as we all are aware, the former geutleman has been too 

 unwell for many weeks to judge at the different shows where 

 he was expected, so Mr. Tegetmeier liUed his place here. But 

 we must say we think all shows which make a point of adver- 

 tising their Judges should most decidedly also advertise who the 

 substitutes are to be when they find that those engaged are, 

 from illness or any other cause, prevented from attending. At 

 Dorchester they certainly kept up the error even to putting 

 on their catalogues that the Judges were Mr. Hewitt and Rev. 

 G. F. Hodson, when they must have been aware, long before 

 the catalogue was in the printer's hands, that Mr. Hewitt would 

 unhappily not be able to be with them. We do most sincerely 

 trust that committees will take the hint, and when their first 

 advertised j udge cannot come will by means of a public advertise- 

 ment let the exhibitors (who have made their entries on the faith 

 of a certain gentleman judging them) know who the substitute 

 is to be, for it is well known that different judges have different 

 opinions about birds, and that while some are crotchetty on 

 some minor point, others think nothing of it. 



At Dorchester, as at most good old-fashioned shows, Dorijrajs, 

 the table bird of the people, opened the ball, and Mr. Whitworth 

 won the cup with a grand old pair; the second also being fine. 

 Silver- Greys were not good except the first-prize pair, while 

 in Whites Mrs. Hayne cleared the board with three good pens. 

 Brahmas (Dark) were good; Light not so tine as usual. In 

 Darks the winners all were well-known birds, and well placed 

 here. Lights were a large class, but winning was easy. Cochins 

 were very good. They had three claflses— Buffs, Partridges, and 



Any other variety. The cup pen of Buffs were grand. In Par- 

 tridge we almost preferred the third-prize pen (Crabtree). In the 

 next class the first Whites were a fair pen, but the cock seemed 

 down on his legs and looked overshown. Mr. Woodgate had the 

 best pen in the class, but the bird's tails had got crushed in 

 coming, and one or two feathers were broken off, consequently 

 the Judges decided to pass them by. Not knowing wbetherit was 

 the result of accident or design, we were much surprised at this, 

 for they stood out a long way the best, and it must have been 

 clear to any judge, we should have thought, that "faked " tails 

 would have been very different. We confess we saw no reason 

 why in spite of the broken tails the birds in question should not 

 have stood first. We frequently see such accidentally-broken 

 tails in Spanish and Dorkings (notably so the cup hen at Bristol), 

 yet they are not in consequence left out in the cold. The third 

 prize in this class was not awarded ; why we cannot conceive, 

 for if there was a pen worthy of being highly commended, as 

 there was (vide Mrs. Holmes), surely it was also deserving of 

 third. Spanish were good, the cup pen well shown. The 

 second prize-pen (Le Sueur) went on and won the cup at Ports- 

 mouth we believe, as too did Mr. Dring's highly commended 

 pen of Crevea. Game were a good lot and well judged. The 

 cup went to Mr. Jekin's Brown Reds. Hainburghs mustered 

 fairly, but besides the winners, which seemed for the most part 

 well placed, there was nothing much worthy of notice. Folands 

 were capital, good Silvers of Mr. Hinton's taking first; White- 

 crested Blacks second and third. Malays made a fine class, and 

 the quality was unusually good. French also brought two good 

 classes. The first Boudans were the first-prize 'Tunbridge WeUa 

 pen, and deserve their place. In the next class Creves,LaFlBche, 

 and Creves won in the order named. The Variety class was 

 various and varied. Mr. Tegetmeier made, we thought, a most 

 happy selection ; perhaps we might have placed Mr. Long's Black 

 Hamburgh third, but there was not much wrong. Bantams 

 made large classes. Game especially good, and the Judges 

 picked out the winners well. We are sure the most critical 

 could find but little fault here. The Laced classes were con- 

 spicuous by the absence of Mr. Leno. We could not understand 

 why this gentleman, who seems ubiquitous, should not have had 

 a " go in " here where there were a Laced class and good prizes. 

 In the Variety Bantam class good Blacks were first and second, 

 and White-booted (not White-breasted as stated in catalogue) 

 third. This latter pen was very white, but a trifle too large. 

 The Sale classes were large, and many of the birds good and 

 cheap. 



Ducks were large classes mostly, and the quality capital, Mr. 

 Fowler's cup Aylesbury being very fine. In Blacks the first 

 drake was simply gorgeous in colour, but rather large by the side 

 of Mr. Kelleway's. The Variety Duck class was one of the best 

 we ever saw, pen after pen of surpassing excellence. The 

 winners were beautifully shown and well selected for their 

 places. We were again glad to see our friend Mr, Fowler's most 

 useful Cayugas in the list. The first-prize Turkeys were old 

 friends. Second and third also good. In Geese the winners 

 were enormous, and ran in first. 



There was a class for Pheasants, and a most beautiful one 

 it was, we never remember a more charming Bit;ht. The 

 pens too for them were large, and they were well attended to. 

 First went to Reeves, a little shabby in tail, still well first. 

 Second went to Japanese, a wonderfully good pair. The Gold 

 and Silvers were beautiful. We much admired Lady Heath- 

 cote's pen, and almost thought them deserving of third place. 

 There were also Pied. In fact it was one of the best classes ever 

 seen. 



Rev. G. Hodson and Mr. Tegetmeier judged the Dorkings, 

 Brahmas, and Cochins together ; then Mr. Hodson, we believe, 

 took the Malays, French fowls, and Variety Bantams, while Mr. 

 ■Tegetmeier did the remainder. This report was laid on one side 

 by mistake, and hence the delay. 



We published the list of awards and notes on the Pigeons last 

 week. 



THE BARB, OWL, &c. 



I WAS much pleased in our Journal of January 21st with the re- 

 marks from the ever-welcome "Wiltshire Rector's" pen on 

 Dr. Morgan's article on the Barb. With the Rector I admire 

 the Doctor's writings very much. His descriptions of the 

 Pouter and Fantail were admirable, but in my opinion he is not 

 quite so happy in his last on the Barb, no doubt trom not having 

 seen the bird in its best form. As " Wiltshire Rector " re- 

 marks, the show Barb of America must differ a good deal from 

 ours. The best Barbs are certainly not small natty birds such 

 as Dr. Morgan would aeem to wish them to be. The Tumbler 

 style is bad. The best birds look really bigger than they are 

 when handled, rather loose-looking in feather, with very long 

 wings broad at the points. I think it is certainly a mistake to 

 attempt to breed them down to a delicate point. 



I cannot imagine how Dr. Morgan thinks the Barb and Carrier 

 so like each other ; unless iu being both wattled birds they 

 really have very Uttle resemblance. If one could fancy the 



