March 16, 1876. ) 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIGULTUIIK AND UOTPAGE GABDENEB. 



223 



Every breeder of Game kaowa that two birds dubbed can fight 

 Bome time vriti'.out hurting each other very much ; but let un- 

 dubbed birds get together and the result ia quite different, for 

 after fighting a few minutes one would lose an eye or have a frac- 

 tured jaw, which must cause great siifferiug for many months, 

 and perhaps end in death. Would " Wiltshire Hector" advise 

 all Game breeders to resort to a cross with the Cochin, so that 

 if the birds ao crossed commenced fighting the battle would not 

 last long? If this is what we are to breed to we must drop the 

 name of Game. I cannot see any reason why a Game cock'a 

 comb and wattles should not be taken off as well as the dew- 

 nails from a dog, also cutting the ears and tail of the hound, 

 &c., all of which are necessary for the animal's comfort. 



I am no cock-fighter, atill I would always dub a Game cock if 

 it was only to avoid his comb being frost-bitten, which cauaea 

 the bird to auffer for months far more than ho would suffer from 

 dubbing ; for thia reason I am a great advocate of dubbing. — 

 Black Bed. 



NORTHAMPTON SHOW. 



We noticed the poultry and Pigeons in our last number. 



Babbits were not well treated as regards classes, there being 

 only eight in all, but the entries were good as usual, although 

 without cups or other extras the Lop clasaea will not fill, and 

 in this case only one clasa was provided for them, which in our 

 opinion is a great mistake. No show of Eabbita ia better 

 managed, clean atraw and good food makes them quite aa com- 

 fortable as in the hutches at home. In Lops, first was a Black- 

 and-white buck in fine condition and straight limbs, 22 inches 

 by 5; second a Tortoise doe rather gay 22 inches by 4^; and 

 third a Grey with aplendid head and eye, good colour, but rather 

 stiff in ear, 22 inchea by 5. Angoras were a grand clasa of 

 thirteen entries, the first very large, long in wool, and very 

 heavy cushion and dewlap, while the third lost only in that 

 point; the second being an excessively fine-wooled specimen 

 but smaller. Two others very highly commended came pressing 

 close in quality. Himalayans were a good class of twenty 

 entries, the winners and noticed Rabbita being scarcely out of 

 their babyhood. First about perfect ; two, evidently from the 

 same nest, losing only from one rather grey hind foot, and the 

 other a few white hairs on the ears. Second had the best feet 

 points but was rather narrow on the nose ; and third a fair all- 

 round specimen. Dutch (of which this locality is the home), 

 had fifteen entries. First a good Tortoiseshell, good nearly in 

 all points. Second Blue, good but somewhat uneven under the 

 belly; and third a moat perfectly-marked Black but with odd 

 eyes. Silver-Greys nineteen entries, and the competition keen, 

 the first and second perfect in shade and silvering, the second 

 losing only through loss of down, which was very loose and 

 ■ came off with the leaat touch. Third large and very even but 

 too light in shade. Pen 1110 was a grand small Rabbit at 1.5s., 

 and quickly claimed. The Variety class had fifteen entries. 

 First a large Belgian Hare ; second a young one of that variety 

 that must eventually come to the front ; and third a Silver 

 Cream small but of good shade. Selling class for the varieties 

 had twenty-six entries. First a nice IJlack Dutch ; second a 

 Silver-Grey; and third Angora. A fair class. Lop Selling class 

 had only five entries. First a Fawn-and-white, very good, 21} 

 by 4J inches; second Black, 211 by 4J inches, not in the beat 

 order; and third a Dun 20 by 4} inches. 



Of Cats there were fifty in the five classes. In Long-haired 

 malea first was a grand Red Tabby, very long and silky in 

 wool; second Grey; and fourth Black, not of particular merit. 

 Females of that variety, first a small Blue kitten but immense 

 in wool, which was very fine in quality; second White, but not 

 nearly so good ; and third, a Tortoiseshell-and-white. Tabbies, 

 males, first a grand tiger-barred Cat, evidently young, large, 

 dark in colour, and very distinct in marking. Second the well- 

 known lion, but losing in both colour and marking. Third a 

 Bed not well marked but large. The Variety class, male and 

 female, had first a large Black in splendid order. Second a 

 White of great size but not clean; and third a Tortoiseshell of 

 fair colour and marking. A Selling class produced six entries, 

 two Long-haired and a Tabby winning, and these were soon 

 sold. These were well attended to and looked aa clean and 

 comfortable as it is possible to induce them to appear. 



Judges.— Poultry : Mr. R. Teebay and Mr. E. Hewitt. 

 Pigeojis : Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier and Mr. F. Gresham. Babbits 

 a7id Cats : Mr. E. Hutton. 



AccRiNGTON Show. — This is abandoned or postponed. The 

 entries were so few that the entrance fees have been returned. 

 In the opinion of a good authority the arrangement of the 

 claasea was not good, and three days are longer than exhiljitors 

 like valuable birds to be penned up. 



The Late Mil. Dkino's Poultry. — We have received letters 

 from many asking whether we knew if the late Mr. Dring's 



poultry would be in the market or not. Wo are in a position to 

 state that Mrs. Dring will, for the present at any rate, continue 

 the poultry establishment, and will now book orders for eggs 

 and despatch them as she was in the habit of doing for her 

 husband. lu April we believe any of the stock birds will be for 

 aale, which will enable purchasers to breed from them in time 

 for the great winter shows. — W. 



THE TUEBIT. 



If " Wiltshire Rector " refers to my statement, he will 

 find that I said, in contradiction to his, that the point to the 

 Turbit'a head was the older style of the two, the Shell-crowns 

 only being of later date, he saying the Point was the last. In 

 1854 I won the ten-guinea cup at Birmingham, and at the same 

 ahow I took a prize with my Point-headed Turbits. In 1855 

 Mr. F. Bottom won the five-guinea cup with birds all bred by 

 me; amongst them were Point-headed Turbits. At Birming- 

 ham also in 1852 or 1853 I won with Point-headed Turbits, and I 

 showed also, previously to this, all with Points. Again, in 1856 

 I won the five-guinea cap at Birmingham, one pair of the Toys 

 being Point-headed Turbits. In fact, I never showed a plain- 

 headed bird, or I should not have had a prize. 



Shell-headed Turbits were not, I believe, in the prize-list 

 until about 1800. I think I ought to know something about 

 them, as I have had the rare opportunity of conversing with 

 and sketching the birds of some of the then old fanciers in my 

 young days, notably Mr. Bowler, who had the very best loft of 

 Pigeons I ever saw or ever expect to see again. One day being in 

 his loft I noticed some whole-coloured birds. Yellows and Reds, 

 with peaks, and frills, and gullets. He said they were Turbits, 

 and drew my attention to the fact that the Turbit always had 

 a point and Owls were without, for, though self-coloured, still 

 they were Turbits for that reason. I asked him how long that 

 had been so. He said he never knew them any other way. 

 The Plain-headed were in bis opinion nothing more than 

 colour-shouldered Owls. Mr. Bowler was then over seventy, 

 and I under twenty. Then that truly excellent Toy fancier 

 Matthew Wicking would not keep such a thing as a Plain-head 

 aa a good Turbit. In fact, aU the old fanciers were of the same 

 opinion. 



I did not say in my article there were no Plain-headed birds, 

 but that " Wiltshire Rector " was wrong about the antiquity 

 of the Point, and I say so atill. The Shell was the later intro- 

 duction. I have been Judge at Birmingham a number of 

 years ; if I live, and again have the honour conferred on me, I 

 think the next Show will be my twenty-first appearance in that 

 capacity, and during the whole of that time I neverremember 

 Mr. Cottle (a first-class fancier) or myself ever awarding a prize 

 to a Plain-headed pair of birds. 



As regards Mr. Eaton's book, when he presented me with a copy 

 I pointed out to him that the "Turbit should have had a peak. He 

 said, "Well, Dean (meaning Mr. Wolstenholme) made a mistake 

 there ; but he was unsurpassable at an Almond." I have known 

 my good kind old friend Wolstenholme about thirty-five years 

 as a fancier in that way ; also he knew any kind of Short-faced 

 Tumbler. Who does not remember with pleasure his Short- 

 faced Baldheada and his Black Mottlea ? He was my chief in- 

 structor in those breeds, and no one ever had a more gentle 

 master or one more up to his subject. 



Aa regards Mr. Brent, I never looked on him as any authority 

 excepting in German Toya, and I do not value hia opinion more 

 now it is in print than I and others did when he wrote. I 

 never aaw a good bird in hia posaession. I always looked on 

 him aa more of a naturaliat than a fancier. — Harrison Weib. 



EXOTIC BEES. 



The spread of the Ligurian bee, and the general satiafaction 

 it has given to the apiarians of both the eastern and western 

 hemispheres, has inatigated a further search for a variety still 

 nearer to perfection ; and in addition to our old Engliah friend, 

 the cultivation is extending of several other varieties. There are 

 the Egyptian, Dalmatian, Carniolian, Smyrnian, and Cyprian 

 bees. A stock of the third variety I had the pleasure of ex- 

 hibiting at the last Crystal Palace Show, and the fourth and 

 fifth were contributed by Messrs. G. Neighbour & Sons. The 

 Egyptians we are acquainted with ; but I am not aware that the 

 Dalmatians have yet appeared in England. 



By judicious crossing of varieties breeders have attained many 

 valuable improvements in our cattle, and horticulturists have 

 done the same with our plants ; there is no reason, therefore, 

 why the thoughtful careful bee-keepers should not eventually 

 effect the like desirable end with our bees. There is room to 

 improve their productiveness, hardihood, and docility. If we 

 could find a breed without stings, or persuade the workers to 

 keep their dreaded instrument for foes of their own species, 

 what a muUitode of people would turn bee-keepers. 



The Carniolian bee is a native of Hungary. It is well known 

 in France, where it has the character of being very mild- 



