February 10, 1876. J 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIGULTUnE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



121 



that, while there is plenty of means for ventilation, it may in 

 cold (lamp weather be so closed as to avoid any draught. A 

 well-covered shed next to the house, if it can be built, will be 

 found of great advantage in winter. With a pile of well-faifted 

 dry ashes under it they will often be found there dusting and 

 sunning themselves when the snow-covered ground has greatly 

 contracted their available room. — Cais. E. Long. — [American 

 Fanciers' Journal.) 



[The above is a pleasantly written article, and will be useful 

 to our American friends. The state in which the Game Bantam 

 fancy among us is, as it appears to me, as follows ; — When they 

 were new birds they pleased everyone except the steadfast 

 fanciers of the old varieties. The entries at our shows were 

 extremely large. This went on for some time ; but, as in all 

 fancies, a turn came. Thus at the last Bristol Show, the third 

 largest in the kingdom, there were more Black Bantams shown 

 than there were Game Bantams (Black-breasted and other 

 Reds), and the Sebrights were nearly as numerous as the Game 

 Bantams of any other variety. The class for Game Bantam 

 coclis again was not very large. The winners in all the Game 

 Bantam classes were good, but the classes generally not so 

 good as formerly. 



It comes I think to this, that now Game Bantams have found 

 their proper level and their right place. They are a beautiful 

 variety, but at one time tliey threatened to extinguish all the 

 other varieties. Sebrights have advanced. So have the Blacks, 

 and I much wish that more Whites were shown, though they 

 are looking up without doubt. 



Next for a special word about Game Bantam cocks. A time 

 will come when I hope all dubbing will be at an end. I am 

 glad to sec that a case has recently been brought before the 

 magistrates in regard to the dubbing of the larger breed. Game 

 Bantams being frequently ladies' pets, I thiuk they might be 

 shown "dubbed or not dubbed." This would be the thin end 

 of the wedge, and it could be driven home by improved public 

 opinion presently. Once let all Game cocks be dubbed and 

 cockfighting is for ever done away with. Its kindred sports 

 (sports indeed !), bull-baiting and badger-drawing, are no more, 

 and ihe duellist and prizefighter are equally blackguards in the 

 eyes of society, and both can be arrested and punished. We 

 are now heartily ashamed of the cruelty of our forefathers, and 

 may every trace of it be washed out, and one trace is dubbing. 

 — WiLTSHiKE Rector. 1 



PROFITABLE POULTEY-KEEPING. 



In your last week's Journal, under the heading " Unprofit- 

 able Poultry- Keeping (?) " a correspondent gaveja statement of 

 the number of eggs he had in the year from his fowls, and what 

 they cost in food, &c. He stated his profit on the year to be M5 

 odd, and he considered the result unsatisfactory. I am able to 

 give what I hold to be profitable fowl-keeping. 



Your correspondent began the year with twelve hens and two 

 cocks. I commenced on I?ebruary Ist, 1875, with nine hens (two 

 were young pullets) and one cock — cross-breeds, some good some 

 bad. On March .30th I had one more hen — a very poor Black 

 Hamburgh. Enclosed I hand you the results obtained. My 

 stock now for the most part consists of good birds — a mixture of 

 Brabmas, Cochins, and Dorkings, having exchanged or bought- 

 in two good Brahma cocks. Having sold many of the eggs and 

 consumed the remainder, killed some of the fowls and pullets 

 for home use, and reckoned all at average market prices and care- 

 fully taken stock, I find the profit for the year to be as nearly 

 £7 as possible. My gardener who is a lover of all live stock has 

 had the entire management of my poultry. He feeds early in 

 the morning with warm stimulating food, and thrice daily with 

 Indian corn. The accounts I have carefully kept myself : — 



1S7.5. 187.5. 



February Kojnber of Egga laid 55 October Number 'of Eggs laid lOli 



March „ „ 188 November „ ' „ 13!) 



April „ „ 132 December „ „ 220 



May „ „ 153 i 1876. 



June „ „ 127 ! January „ „ 295 



J"'y „ „ 118 I 



■August „ „ 128 ! 1,779 



September „ „ 6i ■ 



— W. W. Webb, Lonjlamls, Stourbridge. 



position that they oconpied before, that we could hardly believe 

 a year had elapsed since we saw them there. The samc^ Parrot 

 with long list of his sayings was t )wards one end of the Corn 

 I'^sohauge, and hard-by was the same Parroquel still whistling 

 " Merrily danced the Quaker's wife," as if he bad never whistled 

 it before. One Parrot in a voice of t'arilliog harshness per- 

 petually shrieked " Fanny," and it was interesting to see how 

 large a proportion of the fair sex among the crowd started re- 

 sponsive to the call. We were greatly struck by the generally 

 fine condition of the more tender of the foreign birds. The 

 aviaries of Mrs. Monk and of Mrs. Holmes were largely repre- 

 sented ; they mast, indeed, be a sight. Vv'e were specially 

 struck with a lovely pair of Pekin Nightingales from the former, 

 and with some sweet, tiny, "Zebra" Doves from the latter. 

 The gorgeous foreign songsters by no means displaced our own 

 British birds, of which there were seven particular classes, 

 besides a large and most beautiful variety class, to which several 

 extra prizes were awarded. The owner of a little Zsbra-shell 

 Parrot invited public attention in the catalogue to the fact, that 

 "the bird never takes any water," and we could not help being 

 a little amused at seeing an emphatic order ou the cage that 

 this element should not be offered it. We were once shown 

 over a prison by an eccentric warder, who remarked, " The 

 prisoners never take any wine." Upon our inquiring if it was 

 ever offered them he replied, " Oh, dear, no, sir!" Perhaps the 

 little Parrot would be no more averse to imbibing than some of 

 the prisoners, if he had a chance. The Corn Exchange is a 

 charming building for tho Show, and well lighted. We were 

 glad on the first afternoon to see it quite crowded. 



Pigeons. — Jacobins. — The first-prize pair were excellent Reds, 

 close in hood and good in chain. Second were Yellows; one 

 of them a trifle long in beak, and neither very regular in hood; 

 we suppose their colour attracted the Judge. We preferred the 

 neat Red pair which were third and Mr. Baker's unnoticed pair. 

 Turbits. — First were Silvers. This award was generally con- 

 sidered a mistake; the cock had a very suspiciously wanting 

 peak, and the colour of their bars is poor. Second were very 

 tine Reds, not an exact match in colour, but very good in head. 

 Third Blacks, a capital cock unequally mated. We admired a 

 young pair of Silvers shown by Mr. Salter. Owls, — First came 

 a Silver pair, the cock good, but the hen very long in beak; the 

 best judges seemed to think this award a mistake. Second were 

 nice Blues, and third Silvers again. Fantails. — Mr. Baker car- 

 ried off the three prizes with birds that are pretty well known 

 now. First and third Whites, second Blues. This class was 

 not equal to many in the Show. Mr. Cresswell showed a pair 

 with very flat though somewhat broken tails. Magpies had two 

 classes ; we believe they are a specialiU of the Oxford fanciers, 

 and hence were particularly favoured by Reading neighbours. 

 Both firsts went to Mr. BuUey of Magdalen College, Oxford. 

 We hardly thought that his Blacks merited first honours, the 

 hen being very " high cut ;" but the Reds were a beautiful pair, 

 as were Mr. Salter's second Yellows. In Barbs the throe prizes 

 went respectively to Blacks, Y''ellow8, Blacks, all good. The 

 Variety class was a large one. First were a beautiful little pair 

 of foreign Owls. Two second prizes were awarded — viz., to 

 Scandaroons and Black Archangels. We could not see the 

 beauty of the latter ; they certainly had the Archangel form, 

 but that draws one's attention to the want of the lovely pris- 

 matic copper hues of the ordinary birds. Third w ere reddish 

 Frillbacks. We certainly thought some Trumpeters and foreign 

 i Owls hardly dealt with. 



READING PIGEON AND CAGE BIRD SHOW. 



We expressed a hope last year that an annual treat might be 

 in store for us in the Reading Pigeon and Cage Bird Show. It 

 has come round again with February 1876. The Pigeon Show 

 was decidedly a better one than last year, many classes having 

 been added, and that cf cage birds was at least as good, which 

 is much to say. The arrangements were as before excellent, 

 and the temperature charming (we fear the birds on their home- 

 ward journeys will not say the same of the external atmo- 

 sphere), and so exactly were many of the specimens in the same 



NANTWICH SHOW OP POULTRY. 



This was held on the 4th and 5th inst., when the following 

 prizes were awarded : — 



DOEKINOS.— 1, A. Darby. 2, W. H. King S, W. Copple. Cochix-Chisa.— 1. 

 A. Darbv. 2, H. Tnmlinson. Brahma PoOTRA.-Darfc.— 1, 8. Lloyd. 2. J. 

 Powoall.' 3, A. Eamford. Light.— l. — Tedd. 2, R. E. Horsfall HAiiBURGHS. 

 — Penciiffd.— 1. W. Speatiinan. 2, Mrs. Smith. 6'jJ(ini7ffrf.— Cup and 2, Mrs. 

 Flynn. Any OTHER liREED.-l, Messrs. Silvester. 2, A Darby. 3, J. Powelt. 

 Spanish.— J, S. L. Edwards. 2, F. Cooper. Gamb.— Coc/cpre/.— Cup, Sad'er 

 and Watson. 2, T. Burgess. 3, G. Walters. Cocfc.— Cup.Sadler & Watson. 2, 

 K. Ashley. Blackrbreatted Rcds.—l, R. Ashley. 2, E. Winwood. Broirn- 

 hrra.^lrd Bedn—i. Sadler & Watson. 2, R. Aahley. 3. J. rheslers. Other than 

 mark or BTOzcn.lremted ned3.~C\xv* R. Ashley. 2. E. Winwood. 3, G. F. 

 Ward. Beiu —1, J. Cheaters. 2, G. F. Ward. m. Sadler & Wateon. Pullets.— 

 Cun. T. Burgess. 2, H. Saxton. S. Sadler & Watson. Black-bremted Bed.— 

 Chickens.— \, C. HuRhes. 2. T. Hassall. 8, J. E. Pratt. Brown-breasted 

 Bed.t. — Cliickem. — 1, Saaler & Watson. 2, K. Ashley. 3, T. Billington. 

 Bantams.— Game, Black-breasted Rfdn.—l, T. H. stretch. 2. T. Foulkes. 3. W . 

 Griffiths. Game, Brown breasted Reds.-I, J. Lees. 2. W. BaskerviUe. Game, 

 other than Black and Broirn /;f(t?.-l, Messrs. Farrington. 2, R. .T. Goodwin. 

 3, J. Goulden. Other than Gawe.-l, R. H. .Ashton. 2 and S, J. W. Lloyd. 



DvcKS —1 and 2. S. L. Edwards. 8, Miss Silvester. Tubkevs.— 1, R. Beckett. 

 GEESE.-I, K. Beckett. „ „ „ . „ 



Pigeons.— Carriers. — 1, J. Chesters. 2, W. Yardley. Draooons.—l, W, 

 Yardley. 2. A. McKenzie. Pouters —l,Vf.YardUy. Bftrij.^.-I. J. Chesters. 2, 

 T. C. ironncer. Auii.'s.- 1. W. Tedd. 2. J Hinde, jun. Tumhlers.-l, E. 

 Whi'.e. 2, E. Lee. Fantails —\ and 2. J. F. LoTersirige. Ja^.obins.-U W, 

 Yardley. 2, R. White. Trumpeters.— Cup, F. S. Barnard. 2, A. H. Holt. Owls. 

 —EraUsh.—l, W. J. Warhust. 2. E. Lee. Turbits.— \. R. E. Horsfall. 2. E. 

 White. /]n(uTrj«.—l, W. Yardley. 2. T. H. Stretch. Other Ihantke foregoing. 

 — 1 W Yardley 2, W. J. Warhurst. Doves.— \, Mrs. HockeuhuU. 2, Miaa 

 Toinlinson .Sflimj C(as8.—1. E. J. Rowley. 2. J. i W. Harding. 



Singing Bird". — Canaries. — Yellow Belgian.— \, S. WiPiamson. Buff 



