April 15, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



301 



Brahmas, Cochins, Malays, and Game for their fighting propen- 

 sities, and perhaps the French breeds ; in the other we would 

 have Hatabnrghs, Polands, Spanish, Lpghorns, Silkies, Andalu- 

 gians, and snch like, and all breeds of Bantams. The first part 

 we would have for single birds, or cocks and pairs of hens ; in 

 the second cocks and hens together. We fancy we should thus 

 have more entries, please all exhibitors, and divide the prize 

 money more fairly. Of course at such leviathan meetings as 

 the Palace, and anywhere else where there is plenty of space 

 and money to lay oat in prizes, the classes can be divided off 

 even yet more for single birds. For aU ordinary exhibitions, 

 however, such a classification as we name would, we think, meet 

 all ends. For instance, Northampton has a superior schedule, 

 one which does Mr. Humphreys and his colleagues much credit ; 

 but if some such division as we name had been in existence 

 there the extra money gained by putting the Hamburgh, 

 Bantam, and such like cooks and hens together, would have 

 enabled them to give more classes for Dorkings, and a class for 

 Polands, Black Cochins, &c., which would have made their ex- 

 hibition more complete, and not have decreased, we feel sure, 

 the amount of entry money. 



For the early chicken shows cockerels and pullets have gene- 

 rally to be shown together, for there are very few societies 

 which hold their meetings in Jnly, August, and September that 

 can afford so many classes as the single-bird system entails, and 

 80 they must have pairs ; but even these can apportion their 

 money more fairly among the different breeds by better classifi- 

 cation than they are in the habit of doing. Perhaps, however, 

 it does not matter so much with those birds to be shown singly, 

 for they have generally lived on stimulating foods to push them 

 on for early showing, and the continual moving about from 

 show to show checks their growth and entirely unfits them for 

 any chance of being able to take part in the later and more im- 

 portant exhibitions. These birds thus shown about are very 

 rarely of any good afterwards, and by the end of September have 

 had their day. We are, of course, here speaking of those birds 

 which go to show after show during the hot summer months. 

 We feel certain nothiug is so bad for a bird as to be exhibited 

 before it is naturally matured and filled-out. We can quote 

 many cases when being exhibited only once while in a growing 

 state has checked the growth of the birds from that date. 



While on the subject we must say a word on classes for pairs 

 of hens or pullets. We know they are not fashionable, btxt we 

 have a great affection for them. We have the most pleasing 

 recollections of buying our first hens in pairs at a show, and now 

 we find but rarely opportunities of doing this. We think these 

 classes should still go on. Undoubtedly a pair of hens in a pen 

 axe much more attractive than is a single one ; but apart from 

 this we are unable to buy a pair of birds that match and suit 

 our requirements, for it always somehow seems unsatisfactory 

 to buy one bird, and very likely give as much for it, if we feel we 

 mast have it, as we used to give for a pair. The single-bird 

 system has in many cases checked the number of pens sold at 

 an exhibition, and we do not wonder at it. By all means we say 

 separate the cocks from the hens in the large breeds, but do let 

 us have sometimes an opportunity of seeing as well as buying a 

 really well-matched pair of hens or pullets. 



One more word in conclusion as to classes for the " abused " 

 breeds. We feel Leghorns, Minoroas, Sultans, Silkies, Black 

 Cochins, and even Malaya and Polands should have more atten- 

 tion paid to them. We must remember, though the leviathan 

 exhibitors do not generally go in for such " small deer," still their 

 admirers are people who work hard for the fancy, and help in no 

 small degree to make up its very backbone — people, too, who 

 spend their money nobly on their pets, for we know of a gentle- 

 man who gave t'lO 10s. for the first Palace Silky cockerel, a>id 

 £10 10s. would buy a good Cochin or Brahma, and is an un- 

 precedented price for a Silky. Surely, then, such fanciers 

 should be supported, and we confidently hope we shall gradu- 

 ally see more classes, till at length a " refuge " will be hardly 

 needed. — W. 



HOUDANS LAYING. 



Last June I purchased several Houdan chickens. They were 

 easily reared, and in every respect I was much pleased with this 

 breed. Five of the pullets were put on a run with a cock of 

 1873, the cock being no relation whatever to the pullets. I was 

 much surprised and disappointed by the lateness with which 

 the fowls in question commenced laying, not one egg having 

 been laid by them three weeks ago, although now they are in 

 full lay, and lay so remarkably well that they are helping to 

 make up for past deficiencies in that respect. I think the 

 Houdan a very useful fowl, but I should like to see it a much 

 earlier layer than it is with me. The experiences of the corre- 

 spondents of the Journal of Horticulture have been very in- 

 teresting to me, and also, I doubt not, to many others who have 

 read them. — WixTBR B. Aeundel. 



My friend, " D., Deal" asks for our experience with Houdans 

 as layers. I have now had them for five years, and I grow more 



fond of them every day. My birds lay well. My two pens of 

 prize birds, consisting of five hens or pullets in each pen, are 

 now averaging nine eggs a-day. They are confined in runs 

 35 feet by 12 ; and they have been laying since the first week 

 in February. Of course the average during that month was 

 not so great, but still good. I have some birds running quite 

 free, and they have been laying well since the end of December. 

 Does not "D., Deal," overfeed? I feed but twice a-day. — 

 E. Handlby, GloHtonbxiry. 



DEEAMS OF A POULTRY FANCIER. 



Eeadek, do you ever suffer from the visits of nocturnal hens ? 

 Do they ever pay you a flying visit ? Did you ever, for instance, 

 in your dreams go to remove that last promising hatch from the 

 sitting house, and, putting your hand into the nest for the 

 chickens, feel twining round your fingers thirteen cold but lively 

 young snakes ? Or did you ever observe that large grey tom cat 

 sitting in the coop with your chickens, and playfully scratching 

 the back of your best cockerel with blood-stained claws ? Per- 

 haps your disordered imagination never prompted you to try and 

 lift up one of your coops to put it under shelter during heavy 

 rain ; but if it did, no doubt you found it stuck so tightly to the 

 ground that your most frantic efforts failed to move it. How 

 the rain beat down on your perspiring head ! and how you 

 straggled and pulled until, with eyes starting out of your head, 

 you suddenly felt the top of the coop give way, and found your- 

 self rolling in the mud, horror-stricken at the thought that all 

 your chickens were either crushed vi the ruins or drowned by 

 the deluge ! What a horrid cackling the old hen makes as you 

 start up to find that the alarum is going off, and that it is time 

 for you to tarn out to feed your early chickens. 



Reader, if you are a fancier, and yet your breathing has never 

 been oppressed o' nights by heavy hens; if your disordered 

 digestive organs have never given birth to feathered monsters; 

 if your excited brain has never been over-run with broods of 

 starving chickens— be thankful. Perhaps they have dealt with 

 you more kindly, for these birds of night, I feel bound to say, 

 can make themselves agreeable when they like. It has been my 

 lot on more than one occasion to have first prizes and silver 

 cups awarded to me by proclamation during the witching hours 

 of night. 1 



It was not long ago that I appeared to be called upon suddenly 

 to pack xip one of my champions, and in company with another 

 f mcier, who also had his hamper, to proceed to a distant poultry 

 show. Our conveyance was an outside Irish car, and great was 

 our solicitude for the two hampers which contained cur precious 

 specimens ; and as we had not seen each other's birds, many 

 were the speculations as to which of ua would carry off the 

 champion cup. I confess that I felt an overweening confidence 

 in my own production, and still remember the feelings of 

 triumph and conscious superiority with which on arrival at the 

 show I cut the string and threw back the lid of my hamper. As 

 I lifted out my treasure, which in appearance resembled a very 

 pretty six-year-old child dressed in a white frock and blue sash, 

 did 1 manifest any surprise ? Not in the least. Such paltry 

 considerations as the differences between birds and little girls 

 in blue sashes are quite beneath one on these occasions. And 

 as my friend produced another little girl with a red sash, but of 

 a lankier and leaner description, my exultation knew no bounds. 

 I felt sure of the cup, and was quite sorry for my friend, who, 

 with crest-fallen look, leaned on his hamper as our two com- 

 petitors proceeded to pen themselves in their respective cages. 

 I am much ashamed of myself 'tis true, when I find that in 

 divesting myself of my dress I am unable at the same time to 

 lay aside the thoughts and cares that enwrap my brain by day 

 for the more suitable nightdress of oblivion. But so it is. Tell 

 me what you do by day, and I'll tell you what you dream of at 

 night. So now that I have disclosed my night vision you can 

 well guess what gives rise to them. And is there not a cause? 



Did you ever, my friend, look with pride and pleasure on the 

 tenants of your poultry-yard ? Did you ever, after careful study 

 of their various points, divide them with a view to future in- 

 crease, and wait with patience for the fruit of the union ? and 

 after a cold and dreary December congratulate yourself on a 

 mild January, which enlarged the combs of your hens and 

 painted them of a deeper red 7 Did yon watch eagerly for the 

 first egg, and finding it, bear it off in triumph ? Did you collect 

 these priceless embryos slowly day by day from your choicest 

 birds, and as the number multiplied think that, this year at all 

 events, you would whip creation ? Did you scour the country 

 for broody hens, and after much trouble and expense secure- 

 two ? Did you carefully make-up their nests in warm corners, 

 and commit to them these precious eggs, which you remark are 

 worth a guinea a-piece ? Did you retire that night to your vir- 

 tuous couch and reflect that at all events you had done your 

 share towards your future anticipated success ? Did you for 

 twenty days oarefuUy watch over and tend those hens and eggs, 

 and for twenty nights have sweet visions of silver cups and 

 j;20 notes ? Did you on the twenty-first day go to your nests 



