264 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTOBB AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ April 1, 1875. 



Monday, to be judged on Taesday. Is it too late even now to 

 have this remedied ? The schedule, too, in other ways is behind 

 the times. Every pen must be sent in a separate basket. We 

 had hoped this rule was to have been obliterated from all 

 schedules. Then, Black Hamhurghs, which generally muster 

 strongest of the Hamburghs, are left out entirely. Game 

 Bantams are huddled into one class with only two prizes, and 

 there is no Bantam variety class. Pigeons have sixteen classes, 

 and no cups. "We are glad to see one of those sixteen is for our 

 friends the Archangels. No colours are divided; but Turbits of 

 all colours. Tumblers of all breeds, and Dragoons of all sorts 

 have each to go to their one class. — W. 



POULTEY-SHOW EXPENSES. 



We are frequently asked whether poultry shows usually are 

 self-snpportiug, and what expense a show of a fair size entails ? 

 We have before us the balance-sheet of a show held during 

 January last, and from it we may gather some of the items of 

 expense connected with such exhibitions. We must first, how- 

 ever, say that we do not think shows are usually self-supporting. 

 The expenses are legion. The outer world and exhibitors 

 generally have no idea of the large expenditure a poultry show 

 entails. 



Looking over the lists of shows held during the past ten years 

 we find very many which only continued two or three seasons. 

 They collapsed from the mere fact that the committee would 

 not endure loss year after year. There are, however, so many 

 towns and villages ready to have a show whenever a suitable 

 date occurs, that those discontinued are not missed. Of course 

 many summer shows have been going on for many years, and 

 seem to thrive, but they are generally connected with an agri- 

 cultural association, and conduce to each other's prosperity. 

 Then there are some shows which, perhaps, from careful general- 

 ship and genuine hard work do succeed and fight their way well, 

 and become annual events. Of such a show we cannot have a 

 brighter example than that held at Oxford. 



The Crystal Palace, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, and 

 such-like shows we look now upon as national institutions ; but 

 poultry exhibitions generally we do not think are profitable. 

 They commence with poultry, then a few Rabbits are added, 

 then cage birds, and then cats to make the family party happy. 

 But all these latter pets are merely added as elegant baits to 

 tempt in the outside world, who, busy in the daily avocations 

 of life, pass the very doors of the exhibition without turning in, 

 regardless of cocks crowing and of Canaries singing. Even 

 these baits are short-lived, and the people, when it ceases to be 

 a novelty, neglect to come. Then the show puts up its shutters 

 from waot of local support, without which shows cannot live. 



We often think the inhabitants of some places are more 

 energetic than others ; what else can account for the extraor- 

 dinary manner in which some poultry show rooms are filled 

 with visitors, and others literally empty? For examples take 

 Bristol and Oxford. We have been in the Drill Hall in the 

 former city and not seen more than a score of people, and the 

 whole of them almost fanciers from a distance — strangers to the 

 town, and this is, we fear, the state of things generally at 

 Bristol ; while we have been present at every one of the evenings 

 of the three Oxford Shows, and on each occasion found the 

 buildings so filled to overflowing that literally it was impossible 

 to move, and the whole crowd kept surging round the rooms 

 unable to see a feather. This we should like to see at all shows. 

 We do not mean an inconvenient crowd, but each show well 

 supported by its townspeople. 



Ari exhibition causes much money being spent in the town, 

 and in return the residents should all do their best to make it a 

 success. When we are asked for advice about establishing a 

 poultry show we always strongly recommend having two com- 

 mittees : the one composed of a few working fanciers who really 

 know what to do and are willing to do it, and the other consist- 

 ing of as many members as possible, each to guarantee X'l in 

 case of loss. This stimulates them to promote the interests of 

 the show and to enlist visitors. By it a large sum of money 

 is guaranteed in case of debt, which falling on many pockets 

 makes the sum for each to pay quite a nominal one, and so does 

 not prevent another trial being made. This is a good plan, and 

 we have known it to work well. 



Too large a working committee is most disastrous. Everyone 

 thinks he knows best, and nothing is arranged to the satisfaction 

 of all ; but on the working committee there must be some real 

 fanciers — men who know the ways and movements of exhibitors ; 

 a committee of novices fall into all kinds of mistakes and need- 

 less expenditure. 



The show of which the balance-sheet we have before us was 

 a first exhibition, and comprised poultry. Pigeons, cage birds, 

 Babbits, and Cats. Wo find the entries amounted to very 

 nearly a thousand, which is a fair, though by no means a large, 

 number for the amount spent in cups and prizes, which 

 amounted to £196. The entry money came to about £170, 

 making £25 difierence between the two. We always like to see 



the fees pay the prizes, and this should be the case. Here, 

 however, the dates were badly chosen, and a Sunday absurdly 

 included, which of course lessened the number of entries. We 

 find the charges for about eight hundred pens came to close on 

 £40, nearly Is. each. Judges' fees amounted to £19, which we 

 think reasonable, for the stall was a large one and good, con- 

 sisting of no less than six gentlemen. Labour, materials, 

 attendants, and food came to about £S0, and printing, advertis- 

 ing, and posting, £40 more. The rent of rooms and refresh- 

 ments for judges and staff about £30, making a total expendi- 

 ture of nearly £400. We must remember that the secretary 

 was an honorary one, and did not cost the society anything. 



This, then, is the expenditure for a show of about a thousand 

 pens. We do not consider that it was extravagantly worked, 

 nor peculiarly economically; but it was well done, and the 

 arrangements were good. Against the outgoings we find £143 

 taken at the doors on the three days of the show, £170 for 

 entries, and about £32 collected in the neighbourhood for cups 

 and pieces of plate, a great part of which was contributed in 

 half-crowns, the energetic houorary secretary having opened a 

 ladies' subscription list of 2s. ISd. eich, and so collected a goodly 

 part of the £32 without any especial call on anyone's pocket. 

 We can recommend very strongly this most useful and success- 

 ful plan of obtaining some prize plate to give a schedule a 

 healthy look; and then, lastly, there were about £10 commis- 

 sion on sales. Thus the receipts only came to £350 against an 

 expenditure of £-100, and a debt of £.50 remains. Now, had 

 there been only a small committee this debt would most likely 

 have prevented their holding another show ; but the two com- 

 mittees existed, and the second being a large one, the loss will 

 be equally distributed among all of them, and so no one wiU 

 really feel much inconvenienced, and they are, we believe, 

 already looking forward to holding their second exhibition. 



One word in conclusion to exhibitors and the fancy generally. 

 We think all should do their best for shows, not only in sup- 

 porting them with entries, but by being as courteous and civil 

 as possible to the show authorities, for they are mostly men 

 who from genuine love of the feathered world glee much valu- 

 able time and a large outlay of money to promoting the welfare 

 of the fancy, reaping, in many cases perhaps, as a return only 

 rude treatment from those whose interests they have been 

 serving. — W. 



HOUDANS LAYING. 



I AM sorry to see in the last two numbers of the Journal com- 

 plaints of Houdans not laying. 



From twenty pullets I have had an unfailing supply of eggs 

 since November; only two or three a-day in that month and 

 December it is true, but always some eggs. Now they are in 

 full laying. , i j 



I feed on bruised oats, small wheat, and corn dust slaked 

 with pot hquor, and mixed with kitchen scraps, given warm in 

 the early morning and again at noon, their last meal being the 

 best whole oats. 



They have a large grass run, but it has proved a snow run 

 mostly this winter for them, yet they have laid well, fine, large, 

 rich eggs. — Sabkina, Aherdeen, N.B. 



1 AM much obliged to your correspondents for their notice of 

 my questions about Houdans. Would not some more breeders 

 give us a fair and candid statement on this point ? for I wish 

 to be assured about it before I break up my yard. They have 

 other good qualities, and I admire their appearance ; but if 

 they are faulty in this respect I must change for some other 

 breed. — D., Deal. 



STANHOPE (NEAR DARLINGTON) POULTRY 



AND PIGEON SHOW. 



This was held in a large tent near the railway station on the 

 20th inst. The Show, although only small, contained some 

 very good birds. The Game were excellent and the entries 

 large. In single cocks there were thirteen; both prizes being 

 taken by the same exhibitor with Duckwing and Brown Red, 

 each superior, stylish birds. The three highly-commended 

 pens were Brown Reds. In Black or Brown Reds (cock and 

 hen) both prizes went to the latter colour, very good close- 

 feathered birds. The Dackwings were a good class, and besides 

 the prizes two pens were highly commended. The first-prize 

 Spanish won the cup for the best pen in the Show, and also the 

 cup for the best pen within three miles of Stanhope. They 

 wer3 very good, and shown in fine condition. The cup for the 

 best pen of Dorkings went to Darks. Neither of the Dorking 

 classes were good, and the cup certainly was of more value than 

 the birds. The Hamburgh classes were very fair for the locality, 

 but they might have been better; many of the combs were 

 faulty. The Game Bantams were of medium quality. In pairs 

 of hens a capital pair of Brown Red Game were first, a perfect 

 match, and good in all points; second went to Grey Dorkings; 



