548 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICOLTURB AND OOTTAGB GARDBNBB. 



[ Deoomber 17, 1874. 



aud I may also add that the greatest care and attention is paid 

 to the birds. — Tbomab Lvon Fellows, East Tuddenham Vicar- 

 age, Morningham, Norwich. 



PORTSMOUTH POULTRY SHOW. 



" A wind came up out of the t^ea, 

 And fcftid, ' Oh, mibts, make room (or me.' " 



We certainly were surprised to see two Shows advertised for 

 Poitsmouth within eight weeks of each other, especially as, 

 fidiu the advertisements, it would seem as if they were at cross- 

 I ui poses, the one against the other. But it is not in our province 

 10 po into the reasons, whatever they may be, for holding the 

 two Exhibitions within so short a space of time. We can only 

 cor elude that in spite of all the vaiious shows clashing, as they 

 did last week, the mists did obey Mr. Longfellow's wishes, and 

 made way for a new wind in the shape of an extra Show at 

 Pcrtfmouth, where the quality was decidedly good. There 

 were no less than twelve shows on last week, making the average 

 of two per day ; and with Mr. Hewitt laid up, as we are sorry to 

 hear he if, the other Judges must have been well worked. We 

 found Messrs. Leno and Howard judging here, and very weU 

 they did their work. We never saw at any show less to find 

 fault with, or heard so little grumbling even among the dis- 

 appointed ones. We feel sure the Judges must have taken pro- 

 digious pains at this Exhibition. 



The Show was held in the Fifth Hants Royal Volunteer's Drill 

 Hall, which was most tastefully decorated with banners and 

 fiagB. The birds were well attended to by Drewitt, and we 

 especially approved of the mixture of sharp gravel with a layer 

 of chaff over it for the bottom of the pens over the boards. 

 There were on exhibition also some new poultry baskets of all 

 sizes, and very moderate in price. They are made by Mr. 

 Curry, of 84, Exmouth Bead, Sonthsea. They have locks and 

 keys, and a kind of curtain which draws round the inside and 

 must prevent all tail-pulling and meddling with birds at 

 stations, &c., besides adding very much to convenience when 

 penning, as the birds cannot possibly escape when the basket 

 is opened till this upper curtain is undrawn. 



Brahmas, especially Light, always muster well at Ports- 

 mouth. The two colours brought fifty-seven pens on this oc- 

 casion, and they opened the catalogue. In old Light Brahmas 

 Mrs. Williamson won the cup. The hen in this pen was a great 

 beauty, one of the winning Birmingham hens we think. The 

 second-prize pen had a large cock and fair hen ; and the third 

 also good, but wanting more leg-feather. Fourth (Turner 

 Turner), a good square cock. In Light Brahma chickens the 

 first were a fine well-grown pair. "The second had a beauti- 

 ful- shaped cockerel; and the third were also very good, though 

 the cockerel had an indifferent comb, or might have been 

 higher. 21 (Williamson), had a good pullet, but badly washed 

 and dried. In Dark Brahmas the first were a good pair of old 

 birds, the cock being massive and square, and the hen a good 

 colour and well pencilled. The second contained a fine cockerel, 

 but his companion was poor in pencilling and colour by the side 

 of the first. The third had a good hen, but the cock with her 

 had a bad comb. In the £5 Brahma Selling class, the first were 

 nice Darks ; second good Lights, the cockerel especially nice in 

 shape; third very fair. Several good and cheap pens being 

 highly commended. Cochins came next. Old Buffs had only 

 one entry. They were a good pair. In Buff chickens the 

 winners were all good and nicely shown. 59 (Hodson), con- 

 tained a capital cockerel, but the pullet lacked leg-feather. In 

 Cochins (Any other variety), Mr. Woodgate won first with a pair 

 of old Whites. The cook very white indeed and large ; the hen 

 large and white, but a little narrow in the shoulders. Coloured 

 Dorkings were a nice class. The cup went to good chickens, 

 and the second to old birds. This latter pen, though larger 

 than the cup chickens, were rather out of condition and white 

 in ears, as, too, were the third, though otherwise a nice pen of 

 chickens. We dislike white ears in the Dorkings as much or 

 more than in Cochins. Mr. Burnell's pens were empty. In 

 the Variety Dorking class good Cuckoos won. They were neat 

 in shape and fine in comb, and of a good colour. Second went 

 to very fine old Whites, the cock very good in colour ; and the 

 third to Silver-Greys, the cock rather small or else of most ex- 

 quisite colour and shape. 76 (Pasley), fair Silver-Greys, but 

 with white ears again. Game were not very first-class. In old 

 Reds no first was awarded, and the second were not very smart. 

 Pen 8-J (Winwood), had a cock with a bad back. In Red 

 chickens the winners were well placed. In the next class Duck- 

 wings won all the prizes. There was not much between the 

 first and second, but the hen in latter pen had a bad comb. 

 {>'.'• (Winwood), had a cock with a deformed head, one side being 

 higher than the other. Spanish were a fair class. The first 

 were good young birds with nice faces. Second also, but not so 

 pood in comb. Polancls only mustered three pens. Nice 

 Silvers were first, and good White-crested Blacks second. 

 108 (Edwards), good Blacks. French were not so good as usual. 

 Old Crevea won first, nothing very grand; and La Fli^ohe 



second. A very fair pen. Ill (Chilton), good Crfives. 113 

 (Bainton), large Houdans, but much too light. The three classes 

 for Hamburghs only contained seventeen pens. The first, 

 Golden-penciUed, were nice birds. Second also fair. We pre- 

 ferred the cockerel in pen 118 (Cresswell), though his ear-lobes 

 were rather small, his comb and carriage were very good, but 

 his pullet was poorly pencilled on the breast, and the markings 

 too coarse, still we should have placed them second. In Silver- 

 pencilled good chickens won first, no second being awarded. 

 In Spangles, Silvers were first and second, and Gold third. In 

 the first-prize pen the cock looked sickly about the head and 

 seemed to need care and rest. The third contained a nice 

 pullet. In the Variety class, very fine Malays won first, being 

 good in plumage and colour. The second award we did not 

 like much. They were Black Hamburghs, the cockerel very 

 white in face, still there was not much else in the class to go to. 

 132 (Ridley), good Malays in colour, but round in back. Game 

 Bantams were good. In the Red class, smart Black Reds won 

 all the prizes, and in the next class, Duckwings were first and 

 second. We quite agreed with the awards, but had we been 

 Mr. Entwisle we would have mated these two pens differently, 

 changing the cock of the one to the hens of the other, and vice 

 versa. Third very fair Piles. In the Variety Bantam class fair 

 Blacks won first; badly-booted Whites (rose combs), second; 

 and Silver-laced third. 158 (Kitchen), heavily-booted Whites, 

 but cock very ill with roup, and his eyes all closed. 



Aylesbury Ducks only one pen, which were given a second, 

 but not worth it. Bouens better, the winning birds being good. 

 In the next class Blacks won everything, the winners being 

 small and of nice colour. 



Turkeys brought four capital pens. 



The Selling classes were large and the winning birds well 

 chosen. Pheasants had a class to themselves. Lady Heathcote 

 won first with a most splendid pair of Silvers, shown in beauti- 

 ful plumage and condition. Second nice Golden. 



A SPLIT in the Cabinet is frequently followed by a diesolation 

 of the Ministry. Some time back it was reported that some dif- 

 ferences had arisen between Mr. Barnes, the Secretary, and 

 some of his colleagues ; and it was generally anticipated there 

 would be no Show at Portsmouth this year; but quite the con- 

 trary, some of the old Committee have elected a new Secretary 

 and announced their Show, while Mr. Barnes and a few friends, 

 with Captain Warren at their head, have collected their forces 

 in opposition, taken the field before them, and held their Show. 

 We have no desire to go into the merits or demerits of the quarrel, 

 and shall confine our remarks at present to the Show which has 

 just been held, and which does not appear to have suffered 

 in the least from the opposition, a very small prize schedule 

 having brought together lJO-1 entries. The result we have little 

 doubt was produced in a great measure by the popularity of Mr. 

 Barnes, who has always managed his shows in the most satis- 

 factory manner to the exhibitors. 



The Brahma classes were filled. Lights with a cup to compete 

 for taking precedence in the prize list. In the class for old 

 birds Mrs. Williamson won with a grand pair ; Mr. Maynard, 

 second, deserved their position ; third, rather closely pressed by 

 their next-door neighbour. Chickens, a very fine class (Mrs. 

 Drummoud) winning with a good pair, sound in colour, with 

 good leg-feathering ; second and third both good and well 

 selected. The Darks were not so numerous as the Lights ; first 

 (Rev. J. Ellis), a fine pair, old birds ; second (Lingwood), a fine 

 cockerel, beautiful in colour and neat in comb ; the hen was 

 not so good, and not up to Mr. Liugwood's usual standard. 

 Third-prize (Peake), a splendid hen matched with a very duck- 

 shaped cock. Pen 32, highly commended (Captain Warren), was 

 the next best in the class. The Brahma class limited to birds 

 under the value of £5 secured twenty entries ; first and third 

 prize went to Darks, second to a very pretty pair of Lights. 

 Cochins were poorly represented : in the old Buff class Mr. 

 Lingwood walked over with a very fine pair of old birds, and in 

 the Any other variety Mr. Woodgate 's pen was unapproachable. 

 Dorkings were better. Rev. G. Hodson and Mr. Lingwood run- 

 ning a tight race for the first honours. In the Any other 

 variety Mr. Cresswell's Whites and Silver-Greys had to succumb 

 to a very fine pair of Cuckoos. 



The Game Classes were very poor in quality. Spanish, 100 

 (Brown), first contained a heavy-faced cockerel, well shown ; 

 hen moderate ; the others in the class were far behind. 

 Polands,a good pen of Silvers (Hinton), first; second a fine 

 cock, but the hen was not so good as the one in the next pen. 

 French class contained a few good pens, Mr. Stuart wiuniug 

 with Crcves. Hamburghs, two or three nice pens could be found 

 in each class. Any other variety, a good pen of Malays (Hinton) 

 were first ; a pen of Black Hamburghs (Long) second ; and a 

 pair of Andalusians were third. Game Bantams, the class for 

 Reds was a good one : first (Webster Adams), a smart cockerel, 

 deserved a better hen ; second (Mr. Anns), a neat pen ; third 

 not so good as we generally get from Mr. Entwisle. The next 

 class, two pens of Duckwings (Entwisle) were first and second; 



