October 1, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



307 



lower rooms at times — so much so that we almost trembled for 

 the lives of some of the birds ; but this was all seen to, and the 

 rooms better veutilated at once. The birds were in Turner's 

 pens, and well fed on Spratt's food, &c., and the pens were kept 

 well cleaned out, and the birds generally most carefully attended 

 to. Oue word only about the pens we must have : We do 

 not care for the way they were arranged. We like them to 

 run on smoothly in rows, and not up and down as here. It is 

 not only puzzling to follow, b,^t hardly puts all the exhilntors on 

 a fair level, for a bird in the top pen has an immense advantage 

 over a bird ou the floor, especially as the pens in the bottom 

 tier were very dark. We hope next year some plan will be 

 contrived to make the hall lighter, and we hope sincerely 

 the Show will end ou the Saturday, so as to give those who 

 wish it an opportunity of taking their birds home. Five days 

 are too many, especially with youuf birds, at this season. We 

 put forth these hints in the most friendly way, for the other 

 arrangements were indeed very satisfactory. O.ie plan especially 

 we noticed as good : the numbers of all the p ns were written 

 out in order on sheets of paper at the door of the hall, and as 

 each pen came in or went out the number was crossed off the 

 list, and it was thus seen at once what really did come in and 

 what went out. The Judges were Messrs. Hewitt and Felton, 

 and Rev. G. Hodson. We were glad to see Mr. Felton judging 

 his old friends the Cochins, and his awards seemed to give 

 great satisfaction, as, too, did those of the other gentlemen. 

 This is saying a good deal, for it must have been a hard matter 

 to do so at a show like this, where the quality was so good and 

 the numbers so great. 



Dorkings had four classes. They came to the front well. 

 In Coloured chickens Mrs. Arkwright cleared all the prizes. 

 The first were very large, but we fancied the cock was a 

 little open in tail. The pullets in the second-prize pen 

 looked elderly, and had very sooty feet. In the third-prize 

 pen the cockerel, judging by his spurs, looked a very early 

 bird. The pullet was very dark, and had white ears. Still 

 they were three splendid pens. Tue Sdver-Grey class was 

 very good. The cup was taken by a pen of chickens. We 

 never remember such splendid colour, and this is the best 

 pair of Silver-Greys we have seen for some time. The second 

 were very large, but inferior to the first in colour. The 

 third contained a beautiful cockerel. White Dorkings were 

 very few, and, save the first-prize, not very good. The first 

 were wonderful in colour and size for their age, being only five 

 months old. In the £S 3s. Dorking class the first were not 

 very large, in fact we did not think much of this class. 



Coc/ji«s had five classes. Buffs came first. We were a little 

 disappointed in them ; we did not think them so good as they 

 should have been. The best pullet was in the cup pen, and the 

 best cockerel iu the second-prize pen ; both the pullets, however, 

 were good in coloar, and the cockerels also. We liked the third- 

 prize pen immensely; the colour was beautiful, and we should 

 have thought this cockerel might almost have been first, but 

 he lacked Aug rather, and was poorly feathered on the legs. 

 Pen 49 (Nash) contained a gigantic Cinnamon cockerel ; and 

 pen 50 (Walker) had a splendid pair of chickens, not very 

 large, but grand in colour. The Partridge Cochins were very 

 good. Ttie cup pullet was grandly fluffed, but not very 

 large ; the cockerel very rich iu colour. The second-prize pen 

 must have run them closely for the cup ; they were a grand pen 

 all round. Third went to fair birds. Pen 69 (Tudman), very 

 good indeed, also pen 67 (Tudman), very large, but in the dark 

 and not properly seen. The White Cochins were very good. 

 The cup pen was considered the best pen of Cochins in the 

 Snow; they were in exquisite condition and dazzling whiteness. 

 Tfiere was a cup for the best pen iu the Show except Brahmas, 

 and this pen of White Cochins and a Duckwing Game hen were 

 considered the best two pens, and the champion cup lay 

 between them. It was eventually given to the Game hen; we 

 almost think a pair of Cochins should have the first chance 

 before a single Game hen ; but she was a beauty, and of lovely 

 coloar. The second White chickens were also very good ; the 

 cockerel immense, the pullet very young. The third-prize pen 

 contained a grand pullet, but the cockerel with her was very 

 juvenile. Pen 73 (Birch), highly commended, had a capital 

 pullet, but a leggy cockerel. Black Cochins were a good collec- 

 tion, in fact the best we have ever seen of this colour. Good 

 birds won the cup ; the hen nice in colour and shape ; the 

 cockerel very large, but badly leg-feathered, and rather leggy. 

 The second was a large pen, but the cock had grey under hackles, 

 and was not good in legs. The third went to chickens. They 

 were very promising, but we should have placed, most certainly, 

 pen 89 (Darby) before them. This latter pen contained a grand 

 hen, in fact the best we ever saw. Pen 85 (Nash), very promising 

 and good. The ±'3 3s. Cochin sale class was not up to much, 

 though the first-prize pen was good and colour nice. Pen 106 

 (Watts) was good, and should have got into the list, we think; 

 pen 91 (Burnell) good in colour, but small. 



Brahma (Dark) cockerels were thirty-five in number, and a 

 generally good class. The bird which won the ilO 10s. cup was 



immense in size and good in shape, yet the second bird must 

 have run him closely, and the third too almost. They were three 

 grand birds, we first thought one the best and then the other, 

 they were all so grand. Pen 131 (Cresswell) was a large bird, 

 good in colour and of fine shape; he will make a splendid bird. 

 Pen 132 (Wright) was a large cockerel, but he is not made up 

 yet; he will, all well, develope into a huge cockerel. In Dark 

 Brahma pullets we thought the winners very good, but hardly 

 up to the quality of one or two other pens, but they were iu so 

 dark a place that it is hardly fair to criticise. Pen 144 (Walker) 

 was a grand pullet. So were pens li)4 and 195 (Watts). We 

 did not much care for the third-prize pullet; she was rather 

 light. Light Brahmas were good. We admired the pullets much, 

 Mrs. Williamson's most especially ; but the cockerels were 

 hardly old enough for them. There was an inclination to yellow 

 in the cocks. The second-prize pen seemed as good as any. 

 Pen 208 (Holmes), was most promising. Pen 198 (Williamson) 

 will make a wonderful pen. 



The £3 3s. Selling Brahma class was not so good as we 

 expected. The winners were cheap birds, still we expected to 

 see more bargains in this class. 



SjianisJi. we did not think much of. The secoftd-prize went to 

 good chickens. Pen 264 (Walker) had a good cockerel. 



Game were on the whole very good. The cup cockerel was 

 rather coarse. We liked the thirdBlack Red cockerel very much; 

 also pen 2S4 (Matthews). In Duckwing hens the cup bird was 

 truly superb, we doubt if we ever saw her eqral. Mr. Matthews 

 may well be proud of her. 



Hamhurghs did not muster very strongly. We expected a 

 larger entry from Goitstock. The cup Gold-spangles were iu 

 exquisite condition. We admired this pen immensely ; their 

 colour was good, and so was their style. In Silver-spangles the 

 cup pen was beautiful. Second also good. In the Pencilled, first 

 in exquisite feather, tliird pressing closely on the second. Pen 

 ■ 363 (Feast), good. In Black Hamburghs the first were good, so 

 I were the third; in fact the pullet in this pen was of most 

 gorgeous colour, almost the best Hamburgh hen shown. 



Polands were a capital lot. The winners' names show the 

 quality. In the Dark variety the third pullet was the best in 

 the class, but the cock with her too youug. 



Houdans brought nearly thirty peus. The first were good, 

 but we liked pen 391 (Dring), or 405 (Wood), as well as any. The 

 second looked like the Faversham stamp too. Crives were good; 

 the winners well placed. 



il/«ia!/s were splendid. The first were in good plumage and 

 hard feather ; but the second pressed them closely. The birds 

 in the third-prize pen were very youug and good chickens. 



Silkies. — With these we were much pleased. The judging 

 was good. Mr. Hodgson does carry one stamp of bird in his 

 eye — such a relief after the execrable judging of this variety 

 we saw at Bath. We liked the second-prize pen best ; the first 

 were a trifle coarse. The third had the best pullet in the class. 

 Pen 436 (Darby), very good. Pen 433 (Cresswell), an admirable 

 pullet. 



In the Variety Class poor Sultans won first. A smart pen of 

 Minorcas which was second we liked much better, or even a 

 good pen of Leghorns (Fowler), which were third. 



Qsim.& Bantams were not so good as we have seen at other 

 shows of this year, though the cup pen was grand in colour. 

 These were Piles. 



Laced Bantams were good. We were delighted to see so 

 many entries, and hope they will muster as well at O.'iford. Mr. 

 Leno's Silvers were of beautiful colour. Black Bantams also 

 good ; the winning pens fully up to the mark. In the 

 Variety Bantam class Pekins won first. They were rather 

 out of condition. White-booted second; the hen rather 

 too big, but the cock of the purest colour. Third very pretty 

 White Frizzled. We should have almost placed this pen higher 

 in the list. 



Turkeys were very large and good generally. We admired 

 pen 522 (Fowler) as much as any, though the first-prize pen 

 were very large and heavy-looking. In Goslings, two huge 

 birds won, but they looked a trifie elderly. We should have 

 placed Mr. Fowler's Embden gander second. Aylesbury and 

 Rouen Ducks were good. We think the first pen was the cup 

 Aylesbury pen. The third were also a grand pen, as, too, were 

 the third Rouens. Of the Black East Indians we really can- 

 not speak. They might as well have been in a coal-cellar. 

 The pens were so dark it was impossible even to see if they 

 were empty or full. We heard, however, the awards were placed. 

 The Variety Duck class was again badly situated, but the collec- 

 tion was a most uncommon one, and we never remember seeing 

 a prettitr collection. 



This ended the poultry section. We have criticised this 

 department as honestly as possible, but we could not get at the 

 birds from the crush of visitors and darkness of most of the pens 

 to do that justice we would have wished to those pens which are 

 not iu the prize list. We fancied many birds were worthy of 

 high commendations which were passed by without one. To 

 some amateur exhibitors a notice of any kind is certainly a kind 



