July 9, 1874. ] 



JOUBNA.IJ OF HORTIOOliTUBE AND OOTTAGK GAKDENEB. 



43 



Gardener was first with a nice Yellow, and oaghfc aUo to have 

 atLMiuttl the secoud pUce with a BIuh, the eecoud beiug the 

 third be.st. Jacjbiua were a Bplnudid class, not oue bad bird 

 beiugbhuwu; the first aad Beooud-prizea were Ueds, and third 

 Blaukd. lu Fautaila Newark was a^aiu to the front, and the 

 class very good. Dragoons, first a graud Blue, secoud a good 

 Blue, aud tuird Red, splendid iu colour, but not quite up tu our 

 iiie^s of a good Dragoon iu other respeota. Autwerps were well 

 placed, all the wiuuers being Silver Dau9, aud very good as 

 Sbort-faces. A White Afrioaa Ovvl won the first prize, aud 

 most deservedly the piece of plate iu tbe Variety olasa. A uioe 

 Nun was sncoud. There were classes for local cooipetitioQ iu 

 both poultry and Pigeous, and same of the birds were very 

 good. 



PIGEONS. 



CARRiERq.— Btocfc.— Cocfc— 1 and '2, tt, Fulton. 3, H. Yardley. Hen.—l and 3, 

 R. KuIWj. -i a'i'i lie, Et. Oiint Dun. -Cock:. -I aud 3, K. Falton. U, K. Cant. 

 fl«/i— lani2. R. PuitoQ. 3, H. Yurdley. 



ftUTSKti,— Cork or den. -1 and 2, K. Pulton. ^, J. E. Palmer. 



TodBLEHs —Atitund.—laad^. K. Falton. ^, J. Furl, /le, .1. Ford ; H. Yardler. 

 e, ■!. Uardener; J. Ford. Hhirt faced Balds. ~l and i, W. Wooibouse. S. K 

 FnltiiD. h'\J. Ford. Skort faced Beardf — i, 2. dUd 3, W. Wooddouje. Any 

 otlirr variety —1, K. Falton 2. rt. UAUt. iJ,J. E. faluer. fcc.R. Oaut; J. Bakdr ; 

 R. FuUon. c. A. M H. Silvester. 



B^EBH.— 1 and 2. K. Faltoo. 3, H. Yardley. he, J. Young. 



TnauiTs.— 1 and c, J. Gardener. 2, J. Biaer. 3, J. Young, fee, H. Yardley; 

 R. Put [.on. 



Jacoriss.—I and 3, R. Fulton. 2, W. Woodhouse. ft-c.-I. Yoang; G. F. Claro. 



FihTAiLB.— 1 aud 3, J. F. Lnveraidt^e 2. K. f uUon. he. W H. T.imlinaon. 



D lAG 1 »N>i, -1 and he, W. Smith 2 and i, K FuUou. c, H. Yardley, 



ANTffrtRPd. — 1. .1. Girdener. 2, H Yardl«y 3 aud kc. J. Orod-iland, jun. 



Amy othgr Vakirtv. — Jup and 8, K. Fuiton. 2, J. Young, he, J. Mield; H. 

 Ya dley; ). Younj;; A M. 4. tiilvearer: F. "teel. 



HBLLLSG Cl.*.8s —I, G. BayoB. 2, H. Yir iley. 3, J. Nield. 



Loo^iii GLABi.—Any variety.—l, K. Buffham. 2 and 8, T. H. Dows. 



RABBITS. 



IjOP-EiBED.— BIrt.'*fc and Wkits.—Biicv or D3e.—\, F. Banka. 2, J. Hnme. 

 S,T. viytin. Dill'' aad White —I, Whhhed. 2 r S. Laoey. Yellow and W kite. 

 — I W. \Ilirtnn 2,G S Barton Grey aud Wiite —t, K larb 2. ' . Waart -n. 

 Tnrt'}ises>ielL—\ an 12. F Bxntta. H V. Aly on i» ic.C. Kin^. Any whole colour, 

 exc-pt rortoiseslwU.—! and Cnp, F. Baniia 2. J Armjirong. 



Uihalava^.— 1, vy. Syhit*vortli, juQ, 2. C. King. 3, J. daUas ; J. H. Brand. 

 Vhc T. d D >wa. 



silvkr-Gkey. -1, Mi-iB Mortimer. 2, T. H Dowa- 8, J. Hallas ; J. H. Brand. 

 he, (VIiHs Kivftt Carnac; J dalias. 



Bkloi&n aaaR.— 1 and Plat^. T. H. Dows. 2, J. Hailaa. 3, T. H. Dowa. he, 

 S. U. WhiTan. c. \. C. Wi-eman 



AnGiha.— 1 and v'm:. — Swe[..u*n. 2. G S. Burton S.S.Bali. 



AsY oTHEa Disn.vcT Variet?.— 1, J. Hallaa. 3, S. H. Dowj. Sandi'/is, J. 

 IrT.ug. 



Hbavibst.— 1, R. Baffham. 2, Mrs. Wasa. 3, Master J. W. Cappa. 



Mr. Edward Hewitt, of Sparkbronk, Birmingham, wag the 

 Jadge. 



CARE OF YOUNG CHICKENS. 



After the newly-hatched chicken emerges from the shell, it 

 is Writ all over, aad each tuft of dowu is euclosed iti a very ihiu 

 membranous sheath, but as the chick dries with the warmth of 

 the heu, the down expaud-s and assumefi tbat appearance so fas- 

 oiuitin;^ to all young amateurs. Chickens do not require f.>od 

 for at least ten or twelve hours after hatching, daring which 

 tima they should be left with the mother eutirety uudisturbed ; 

 they re>jaire the heat of the livini» body to nourish them, aud it 

 would seem to impart vitality to them which no artifiuial warmth 

 oau do. 



The first food of young chickens ahoald consist of eggs boiled 

 hard and chopped up, mixed with double the bulk of bread 

 crumbs, and the whole slightly moistened with milk ; this they 

 will pick up quite freely as the appetite begins to sharpen. At 

 first they will eat very little, and seldom driak any during the 

 first day; but provided they are tolerably strong on their legs, 

 aad lively, nothing should be doue to induce them to eat beyond 

 placing food aud drink before them. If anything comes naturally 

 to auimals of any kind it is eating, and therefore any attempt to 

 teacb chickens tbisact is a work of supererogation. Some people 

 still entertain the idea that it is necessary to remove the horny 

 scale which is to be found on the beak of nearly every newly- 

 hatched chicken, by meaus of which it breaks the shell, with 

 the thumb nail ; but thia is not at all necessary. Nature never 

 provides any animal with au appendage which it i^ necessary to 

 remove by artificial means. It will of itself drop off in due time. 

 If aay of the newly-hatched chickens show debility, it would ba 

 well to supply a stimulant, aad a little raw egg beaten up with 

 brandy miy he giveu. After a few days the chopped eg^ and 

 bread crumb may be discontinued, and a regular dietary scale 

 corameticed. 



Ground oats, oatmeal rather coarse-ground and mixed with 

 about one-third barleymeal, where both can bo afforded, make 

 an excdlent diet, varied occasionally with some kind of grain ; 

 wbeat screenings are, perhaps, the best. Buckwheat, cracked 

 corn, and barley may also be given. For very expensive 

 chickens, canary or crushed hempseed may be given in the first 

 iuirauce ; but as this is expensive, it cannot long be given with 

 profit. If it can be supplied at small expense, then their soft 

 food should be mixed with milk instead of water, and for early 

 chickenH, new milk warmed given them to drink early in the 

 mi>raing has a wonderful effect on their growth and iu bringing 

 them through cold weather ; but care should be taken that it is 



not left too long BO as to get sour; if so, it may cause serioua 

 trouble. A little meat chopped fine may be supplied, of wliich 

 youug cbicbeus are very foud, and it greatly a■^blbts in maturing 

 them CUickens are very early risers, aud have generally good 

 appetites, aud should, therefore, have an early breakfast, tu 

 Bummer they will bo thoroughly awake at four o'clock, aud 

 should then have something to eat; we have found it a go'jd 

 plan to place a little food within easy reach of them after dai k 

 the previous night, so that when they pass out in the moruiug 

 they can satisfy their huuger. Long fasting is very prt-judicial 

 to thtir growth aud happiness. As a rule, food should be f^iven 

 BO as to fully satisfy their fippetitea and no more ; just as much 

 thrown down as will be all clean picked up, leaving none to be 

 trodden into the ground, or to remain over. Chickens for the 

 first two weeks ought to be fed every two hours ; after this, and 

 until they are a mouth old, every three hours; aud after that 

 four times daily will be sufficient. In thia country, where milk 

 is cheap, curd, of which they are very fond, may be given to 

 chickens. A little alum in the new milk will cause it to curdle 

 immediately. 



Nothing conduces so much to the health and growth of young 

 chickens as a good grass plot, where it can be obtrtined. Early 

 in the season, however, no matter how wide may be the range at 

 other times, this will be impossible to procure ; it is, therefore, 

 very necessary to provide a substitute; this will be found in a 

 head of early lettuce, which, if occasionally given, will be found 

 of great benefit, aud also a great preventive of diarrboei. 

 When the weather admits of it, chickens ought to be cooped out, 

 the coop 80 placed that the back will face the wind , anil be shel- 

 tered from auy sudden Btorm that may arise ; by this means the 

 hen is confined while the chickens have full liberty. For other 

 reasons also it is beneficial : it prevents in damp or cold weather 

 the hen bringing the chickens too far away and getting wet and 

 chilled, from the iujurioua effects of which they may never 

 recover. Ouce a chicken is thoroughly chilled, it rurt-ly if ever 

 gets the better of it; and even if it does, it checks the growth 

 and injures it in many ways. 



The importance of dryness under foot in rearing chickens ia 

 very great. Some breeds will endure dampness better than 

 others, but dampness under foot will be likely to bring on 

 cramped feet. In the early part of the season boarded floors 

 will be beat, but they must be kept well sprinkled with dry 

 ashes to prevent ia-iects, au 1 when the we-ither admits of it, 

 cooped outaide during the whole or part of the day. 



When chickens arrive at between six aud eight week^ of age 

 the mother will iu all probability show signs of leaving them if 

 allowed her liberty aud not kept cooped, or she may begin to lay 

 at this time if she has been allowed to partake freely of the 

 chickens' food. In either case she will begin to lose that fond- 

 ness of them previously 80 noticeable, and some m^aufi sh »uld 

 be at hand to provide for this contingency. If the weather is 

 still cold, a dry warm place ought to be ready to put them in at 

 night, which should be daily cleaned out, else it will soon be- 

 come so foul that the chickens will not resort to it, or will catch 

 some disease by continuing to remain in it at night. In such a 

 place, kept nice and clean, it is surprising how long they will 

 continue to resort to it, huddling up together and keeping each 

 other warm. Sometimes, if the hen is permitted, she will go to 

 the perch at night, and the chickens will follow her, and as many 

 as can will get under her winga, where she will still continue to 

 brood them; but this will not continue long, nor is it desirable 

 iu the case of some breeds that it should. Large breeds should 

 not be allowed on the roosts until they are fully three months 

 old, nor in the case of birds for exhibition would we allow them 

 to roost at auy age until after maturity. A crooked breast may 

 be the result, even with the utmost care exercised, which to 

 exhibition birds is a disqualification. Chickens, however, should 

 not be allowed with the old fowls under any circumstances, bub 

 should be kept apart and fed freely. 



In the case of birds for show they ought to have as much aa 

 they can use — a more than liberal supply. When they are grow- 

 ing fast, any check to their growth will be of permanent injury. 

 Four good meals must be regularly given, one of which, at least, 

 should be of soft food mixed nice and dry, aud if the place 

 admits of it, scattered about so as to allow them room to pick 

 it up clean; but if not, it should then be placed iu vessels kept 

 clean, and free from sourness. Milk, if it can be had, may still 

 be given them, even up to the age of six months if the range 

 be good ; but if kept in confinement, not more than about three 

 m inths ; in such cases, it ia too much for the sluggish digestive 

 organs. At the age of from ten to twelve weeks the cockerels 

 ought to be separated from the pullets, and kept by themselves. 

 They never grow so large when the sexea are kept together, 

 besides which it saves trouble, and the cockerels are not so 

 ready to fight among themselves as if with the pullets. In all 

 the large breeds there will be little difficulty in picking out the 

 cockerels, the comb and spur of which will be a pretty sure 

 indication of their sex. In cases where a good run is impossible 

 and the chickens are kept in em ill yards, these should be kept 

 re^alarly swept out, and occasionally sprinkled with carbonate 



