500 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Juno 24, 1875. 



them, bat for those who have Bmall bare yards •without 6hai>, 

 and exposed to the rays of the sun all day. They can make 

 good li-ving shade by planting or rowing Eunflowers and Jeru- 

 salem artichokes ; it is surprising how quickly they grow, and 

 what splendid shelter they affnid. Thobe who keep the light- 

 coloured breeds which are so liable to tan and burn, such as 

 White Dorkings, White Cochins, and Light Brahmas, cannot do 

 without some shade in the summer. Shelter afforded by doors 

 and posts is almost useless. We want the shade of living undtr- 

 growth, beneath which the chickens can creep and rest. The 

 sun has the same browning effect on hackle feathers as it has 

 on the leaves. 



Chickens, again, must be occupied. Those runs which are 

 only a few yards square, and which are daintily swept over every 

 day to make them look tidy for visitors, are useless for chickens. 

 Nothing can grow or keep healthy in those smooth billiard-table- 

 like runs. Chickens want to be occupied and must be kept busy. 

 The runs must be dug up, and piles of the loose dirt thrown up 

 one day on one side and one day on another, and the chickens 

 will delight in levelling these. A capital way of keeping chickens 

 on the scratch is to throw their whole corn always down among 

 loose dirt or a lump of straw. 



The sexes, too, must be separated in good time. Some breeds 

 are more precocious than others, and so we can fix no positive 

 date for this separation ; it must depend on the breed and the 

 breeder's experience. There is, however, another point which 

 we think quite as important — namely, moving every little while 

 the pullets of the larger breeds, where size is a desideratum, 

 from yard to yard, for we are convinced it retards maturity and 

 laying at an early age, and so greater size is procured. 



Lastly, one word on exhibiting at the early chicken shows. 

 We know when we have some promising early chickens how 

 very tempting it is to send them to these exhibitions. The 

 pleasure of winning is of course great, but that is nothing to the 

 honour of being well to the front in chickens. We are certain — 

 and we speak from experience — these shows have ruined many 

 a noble chicken. We have had the most promising cockerel of 

 the year literally stop growing from the date of his first show ; 

 his comb and his hackles matured, and he became set, increasing 

 in neither weight nor size from that time. This is not a single 

 instance; we wish it was, for hundreds can testify to the fact, 

 and we only introduce it here as a warning to amateurs not to 

 be too eager when they have a good chicken to have it earning 

 its living. — W. 



GBIEVANCES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



Fully agreeing with your article of last week that a great 

 deal of unnecessary and foolish correspondence is sent to editors 

 and secretaries, yet there are real grievances which ought to be 

 published as a deterrent to malicious injury, and for the protec- 

 tion of exhibitors. Such a case, I think you will agree with me, 

 is the following : — A friend of mine had a beautiful Game cock. 

 It had taken several local prizes at country shows, and he was 

 indnced to send it for trial at one of the more pretentious ex- 

 hibitions. He did so, and was rewarded by its taking first 

 honours in the class for single Game cocks amongst many com- 

 petitors. Yon will easily imagine that such an unexpected 

 result was proudly received by my friend, and he eagerly looked 

 for the return of his treasure, feeling that as the season was 

 Btill young many subsequent triumphs awaited him. Imagine, 

 if you can, his chagrin and vexation when, on taking the bird 

 from the hamper, the sickle feather was found to have been 

 broken — broken past recovery for that year. Imagine, too, bis 

 indignation when a close examination disclosed the too palpable 

 mark of a human thumb, a certain indication that the injury 

 had been wilful and malicious. Complaint to the committee of 

 the exhibition brought no satisfaction. "The bird was right 

 when put into the hamper." Amidst the doubt as to the per- 

 petrator of the outrage, and the uncertainty as to when and 

 where such was committed, I refrain from giving the name of 

 the exhibition, but I can guarantee the facts to be as above 

 stated, and, if necessary, send you the name should any doubt 

 be thrown upon the statement. — Beta. 



[The difficulty in such cases ia proving who was the delin- 

 quent. The only preventive is having travelling baskets with 

 lids so formed and padlocked that no feather can be exposed or 

 fingers inserted. — Eds.] 



HANTS AND BERKS SHOW. 



Certain spots are haunted, and there are few to which remi- 

 niscences do not belong. They maybe forgotten for a time, but 

 when we see them again memory goes back, and the past returns 

 fresh as a thing of yesterday. It was so when we approached 

 the showyard at Portsmouth. We recollected some years since 

 the thirty thouBand people who thronged the showyard on 

 Thursday, and as we talked of it one remarked " In spite of bad 

 weather." That caused an "ugly pause." We had travelled 

 to the trysting place in wind and rain. We had hoped as we 



joir.nf y;d things would improve, but we hoped in vain, and as 

 we entered Portsmouth it rained faster than ever. It also blew 

 a hurricane We said to ourselves, " The elements will wear 

 themselves out, and to-morrow all will be calm." The morning 

 brought no change. We have seldom seen such a hurricane as 

 it blew on Tuesday morning. Tents and screens were blown 

 down, strong men could hardly stand against i^, and it seemed 

 the sole occupation of many to run after their respective hats. 

 It is, however, the good fortune of those who have the control 

 and management of this Show to have only recollections of 

 success. Nothing disturbs them. Like the Captain of the 

 Trirene, " if the wind blows hard the shorter will be the voyage ; 

 if the weather be calm it will be safer." None of the officials 

 seemed to have any misgivings. 



It is true there were large puddles of water in places, and that 

 everything that was not protected was blown away, but the Show 

 went on as if in halcyon times. The Judges worked in cloaks 

 and great coats, giving their backs to the wind, and the " Royal 

 Counties" Exhibition was, as usual, a fine display. What a 

 change from the time when a show was held for a few hours in a 

 field at Basingstoke ! Now there were flowers, dogs, instruments 

 of all kinds ; not merely agricultural and useful, but all sorts of 

 things of luxury — cement that made broken china stronger than 

 it was before, hand machines that put out a fire before it had 

 time to burn up, steam engines that could do anything but clean 

 the drawing-room windows, seed establishments that were of 

 themselves an exhibition, cunning contrivances of marionettes, 

 some rowing boats, some fishing, some ringing bells, some walk- 

 ing about — i e., a*? soon as the spectator chose to obey the civil 

 address to be read at the bottom — " Please to pub in a penny, 

 and set the machinery in motion." " Vivat Begina, and no 

 money returned " thought we. Capital appliances for the 

 gardens — terra cotia lions, Barberini and Portland vases, migno- 

 nette boxes, greenhouses that may be turned inside-oat by the 

 judicious use of two or three ropes, hand-glass frames and bells 

 that were in reality small hothouses, tents for lawns in hot 

 weather (glass at 48°, and wind blowing a hurricane), we could 

 not help asking where the fireplace was ; carriages so light they 

 wanted no horse to draw them, churns that would do more with 

 milk than ordinary ones with cream; in fact, there was every- 

 thing wanted, and everything besides; a good experienced staff, 

 and every man at his post. 



The prize-list we publish wiU tell the names of the winners 

 in the poultry department. Our task will, in consequence, be 

 confined to a running comment on the different classes. DoV' 

 kings have fallen off in numbers, because they have improved 

 in quality. Paradoxical as this may seem, it is not the less true. 

 Very few agriculturists could hope for success in competing 

 with Mr. Burnell, but we did think they could make a better 

 fight for it. A Show cf this kind should be not only an exhibi- 

 tion, but it should be a saleyard where profitable birds may be 

 bought. Another, and perhaps a still more usefal view of it is, 

 that it affords an opportunity of comparing our own birds with 

 those of others. 



There were very good specimens of Cochin-Chinas, and the 

 four colonrs— Buii, Partridge, White, and Black— were well 

 represented. Our experience of the Blacks is not favourable. 

 We bred these many years ago. We have tried them since. 

 We have no diifioolty in keeping Black hens, but we cannot 

 keep a Black cock ; they moult either red or white feathers. 

 The Game fowls were perfect ; we use the word advisedly. We 

 have seen much worse classes at larger shows. It may be used 

 for the Black Reds, Brown Reds, and Duckwings. Some White 

 Game were shown, but they are never equal to their coloured 

 brethren. Using a power placed in his hands by the liberal 

 managers of this Show, the Judge awarded extra prizes both to 

 Game and Coi^bins. The Polands were weak classes, but the 

 quality of the Silvers was good. There were average specimens 

 of Sjianish. Among them there was the present trouble of birds 

 with cauliflower faces that wrinkle and grow till they shut out 

 daylight from the eye. We believe a smooth face to be one of 

 the signal merits of a Spanish cock. The Golden-pencilled 

 Hamtfo-^/js were excellent. The first-prize was almost a fault- 

 less pen. These birds are always good in these counties, but 

 the Silvers have become worse and worse till they have suffered 

 extinction so far as the prize-list is concerned. On this occasion 

 both prizes were withheld. The Golden-spangled were very 

 good. The Silver-spangled deservedly gained an extra prize. 

 It will be seen the Spangled varieties distanced their Pencilled 

 brethren. We are sorry for it. There is room in the United 

 Kingdom for both breeds, and when we think on what has been 

 done we cannot help feeling disappointed that no one will 

 rescue these useful and handsome birds from their present 

 neglected and retrograde position. 



Brahmas, both Light and Dark, brought large classes, and 

 many of the pens were made up of excellent birds. They 

 had size, weight, and form. These valuable fowls have held 

 their own during many years, and will continue to do so. 

 They have the qualities that should commend them to every 

 farmyard where a good hearty fowl ia wanted— one that will 



