42 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTDBB AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



1 July 9, 1874. 



squeaker conld be, and ready to peck my fingers' ends off in 

 search for milk. I popped it l^ack at once into tbe ne&t pan, and 

 the old birds were bo delighted with the resuecitatiou of their 

 baby that they Bet to work and fed it handsomely. To-ni^ht I 

 have slipped it under a Baldpate, and have taken a young one 

 from the latter to put in the oven. — T. F. S. 



THE POULTRY-KEEPER.— No. 10. 



LA FLECHE. 



HEN — CHABACTEKISTICS. 



Of rather Bmaller tize than the cock Firm and confident 

 walk. Eye lively and bold. Body slender, rounded-off. Legs 

 of middle length, strong and sinewy ; all the fleshy parts well de- 

 vebiped. Flesh fine and abundant. Head strong, beak strong. 

 Feathers of the abdomen thick, but slightly spread-out. Plumage 

 black. (See fig. ii.) 



Fig. 12.— La Fleche Hen. 



Weight. — At full age 6J lbs., and sometimes 7J lbs. ; as a fat 

 chicken, 8J lbs. to 9 lbs. 14 oza. .'^*^.''*' 



Stature — From the upper part of the head to under the feet, 

 in an ordinary position, 17i^- inches; from the back under the 

 feet. 14-1^6 inches. •^'" 



Head ^Long, strong, having all the characteristics of that of 

 the cock, hot smaller. 



Comh — With very small horns, but very noticeable from 

 their inclined position in front. 



Wattlex. — Much rounded, ly^ inch long. 



Ears. — White, and very apparent by their decided colonr and 

 the large space they occupy. 



Nostrils. — Like thoee of the cock. 



Beak. — Strong and long. 



Eye — Of the same colour as the cock's. 



Physiognomy of the Head — Very sharp and very sprightly, 

 much like that of the cock. Its comb in the form of horns 

 causes it to have the local name of " The horned hen." 



Foot. — Strong, of middle size ; toes solid and long. 



Feathers. — Pretty abundant and compact on the body, but 

 behind less developed. All the feathers of the body shiny, 

 black, iridescent with violet and green, with the exception of 

 those of the abdomen, which are greyish-black; feathers of 

 the legs are a dull brown black. 



Laying.— Oooi and precocious, the eggs of a large size. 



Sitting — A non-sitter. 



BOSTON (LINCOLNSHIRE) POULTRY SHOW. 



Most favournble weather fortunately ushered-in the morning 

 of the Show; but even had it by mischance proved the reverse, 

 ample provision had been made by the Boston Committee for 

 the security and accommodation of the largest and best collec- 

 tion of poultry ever consigned to their care. Au extraordinary 

 attendance of visitors was the result, and we heartily congra- 

 tulate the managers of the Show on the well-earned success of 



this year's undertaking. The classes opened with Grey Dorkings, 

 and, strange to say, with au entry of only three pens in both 

 classes. These were, however, very good, both the cock and 

 also the hen shown by Mr. Moffitt being particularly so. Bat 

 why so limited an entry? The Buff Cochins were almost as 

 small in numbers, Mr. Crabtree winning with acock shown in 

 the highest condition and feather, but still not nearly a first- 

 class specimen, being grizzly-winged, and not the even colour it 

 might be expected in a first-prize fowl; he had, however, none 

 to dispute his honours. Mr. Crabtree's prize Buff hen was aa 

 exceedingly good one, but now fast dropping into moult. It is 

 not the best policy to exhibit her too frei^uently now whilst the 

 plumage is being reproduced if her future successes are to be 

 fairly consulted. She is a goud specimen, and well deserves 

 care. In tbe next class the rivalry was strong, and here again 

 Mr. Crabtree won first and extra plate with a grand- feathered 

 Partridge Cochin cock, with a quality of plumage as though 

 just moulted for a Christmas show, and yet they are his old 

 feathers, and of late he has spent nearly the whole of his time 

 either on the rail or iu the show pen. He appears to be one of 

 those strong-constitutioned fowls nothing will injure. A very 

 fine White Cochin of Mr. Whitworth'a took the second prize, 

 the latter exhibitor also taking first with a very fine White 

 Cochin hen. With the exception of the two prize Dark hens 

 the Brahmas have certainly been better represented at former 

 Boston shows. The Spanish could not be expected at this 

 season to show to especial advantage. Mr. Beldon's prize cock, 

 however, was of the highest quality of face, and in very respect- 

 able feather ; all the others were coarse in face and mostly out 

 of all show trim, whether cocks or hens. Hamhurghs proved 

 exceedingly good, Mr. Beldon keeping mostly to the tore. The 

 Committee, however, would do well, if they cannot give separate 

 classes to every variety, to reconstruct their prize schedule, so 

 that the Pencilled n*ight compete together, and the Spangled 

 follow the same course, as having Pencilled and Spangled in the 

 same class is a decidedly awkward arrangement. Game were 

 few, but some were decidedly good, especially Mr. Martin's 

 Brown Red pen. 



We regret to have again to call attention to one of the most 

 ill-judged arrangements that railway officials can posoibly 

 arrive at— viz., putting fux terriers and poultry or Pigeons iu 

 the same van ouring transit, as any reflecting person must 

 expect nothing but mishap can ensue from such mistaken saving. 

 In this case one of the fux terriers, under the influence of the 

 hubbub around him, sought his own pleasure during the journey 

 to the Show iu rippiug-up the basket and worrying one of Mr. 

 Fletcher's best Game cocks, a bird that no doubt, even in angry 

 battle, would easily have held his own against any feathered 

 biped, but was now quite outmatched by his vicious quadruped 

 opponent. It had become so lacerated during the inelfe that its 

 destruction wa^ a matter of compulsion. When will railway 

 officials consult their own credit and their employers' interest 

 by abandoning this foolish save-penny arrangement ? It is cer- 

 tainly time they did so, as such annoyances are constantly oc- 

 curring, and often in cases where money cannot replace tbe loss. 



The Game Bantams were among the best classes in the Show 

 tent, Mr. Eutwisle being there, as last year, with a very fine 

 collection, securing almost all the prizes, but missing the extra 

 plate Bantam prize, which was awarded to a capital Red Pile 

 cock of Mr. Fletcher's. The Local class Any variety, restricted 

 to residents within fourteen miles of Boston, was a decided 

 failure, the first prize going to Silver-spangled, the second to 

 Golden-spangled Hamburghs, both very poor, the birds being 

 scarcely worth the prize money awarded to them. French fowls 

 were of high merit, the Ctevea being in the ascendant. Some 

 of the best of Golden and Silver Folands were present, and ob- 

 tained great successes. 



Gfcse and Turkeys, always a short entry about midsummer 

 as to numbers, proved meritorious. The Aylesbury and Ruaen 

 Ducks were good, especially the first-prize Rouen Ducklings. 

 A pen of singularly well-plumaged Viduaia Whistling Ducks 

 stood ahead in the Variety Duck class, and a very fine-grown 

 pen of White Muscovy Ducks were the winners of the second 

 prize. 



Appended are the awards for Pigeons and Rabbits, which did 

 not arrive in time for publication last week along with those in 

 the poultry classes. 



Pigeons. — The entries of these were quite equal to those of 

 poultry, Mr. Fulton carrying off most ot the first prizes. In 

 Carrier cocks the same exhibitor succeeded in taking both tbe 

 first and second prizes, Mr. Yardley's bird losing owing to want 

 of condition. Iu Pouters the first prize went to a grand Blue, 

 the second to a Yellow, and the third to White, the whole being 

 good in all points ; aud in Tumblers, Almond, the colour and 

 marking of the first and third were most exquisite, tbe head 

 properties being also good, and the second was a grand bird. In 

 Balds and Beards Mr. Woodhouse won five out of the six prizes 

 with excellent stock. In Any other variety all the winners were 

 Agates, and in Barb all three were Blacks. For Tiubits Mr 



