360 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTDEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ May 4, 1876. 



defray the cott of a peneral secretary. Once sacli a Bcheme was 

 proi.'erly put on foot by energetic, well-known, and loyal fanciers, 

 and the subscriptions arranged so as to bring the clubs into the 

 range of all, we should see no more of those infamous awards 

 where hens take priiw; at show after show instead of pullets, 

 where a bad ana wrong award is repeated at place after place 

 to keep op a former award made in miiitake, of cock Pigeons 

 taking prizes as hens, of champion caps being awarded to un- 

 worthy spec mens. We say, were such clubs but started under 

 the wiug of a national club in whose muster roll were the real 

 and loyal fanciers, they would check all these unpleasant doings, 

 for from their very numbers — from their enormous power which 

 that number would consequently afford them — they could 

 chfke out all such abases. We do not mention what else they 

 might do — how they could arrange schedules, bring out new and 

 good men as judges, which abound if only they were properly 

 brought out, arrange the proper proportion of prize money to 

 the various breeds — we say nothing on those subjects, because 

 they should be apparent to all. 



We are fully aware that poultry clubs have been Btarted 

 before, or that a general poultry club has been proposed, and 

 that no permanent success has ever attended them. And we 

 believe the reason was, either because they were not started by 

 the right sort of people, or else that the fancy had an idea that 

 at the root of the affair some private end was to be attained. 

 Now, for a club of the sort we should like to see there should 

 not be even a breath of suspicion of any such underlying pur- 

 pose ; should be nothing more nor less than a general enrolment 

 of all frinciers with a nominal entry fee ; but members should 

 of course be balloted for, and it should be for the purpose of 

 airing and ventilating opinions about awards, prizes, cups, and 

 in fact poultry matters generally ; and the smaller branch clubs 

 such as the Leghorn Club, or any others which might be made, 

 would, we are sure, help on the meeting of the mother club all 

 they possibly could, for without such assistance no real good 

 could be attained. 



We would never recommend an exhibition being held by the 

 club. It is not necessary. The two great London meetings, 

 and those of Birmingham and Oxford in the midland counties, 

 would afford ample opportunities for fanciers to meet together 

 and talk about the business and affairs in general ; but as we 

 stated before, the grand annual meeting should be held at one 

 of the Palaces where fanciers of all sorts and grades are wont to 

 meet. 



We have been asked for our opinion on poultry clubs, and 

 we give it, and any help that we can afford which lies in our 

 power we will very gladly grant; but we feel that before any 

 ziational club is started, smaller ones for the various breeds should 

 be set on foot to help on the movement and bring the various 

 fanciers of the different breeds together, and then an amalga- 

 mation can be formed with a general annual meeting. But as 

 we said before, w'e think all who belong to a branch club should 

 certainly also be considered as members of the greater one with- 

 out any further payment, for the money must be had in small 

 sums from the many, not in large sums from the few, for any 

 permanent good to accrue ; and all such money collected in sub- 

 scription would of coarse be expended upon cups, prizes, and 

 such like, or to the help of exhibitions which fail through no 

 neglect of their own. But these matters would, of coarse, be 

 settled by the committee, in whom the clubs would put full 

 confidence, only electing such men for the purpose as they 

 thought up to the mark in every way. — W. 



POULTRY AND BIRD NEWS. 



At the coming Tiverton meeting of the Devonshire County 

 Agricultural Society the Baroness Burdett Coutts is offering 

 J£i0 in prizes in a class for undubbed Game. The first prize 

 will be .£5, second £2 10s., third ,£1 10s,, and fourth £1. It will 

 be interesting to notice if any of the undubbed cockerels of last 

 year will appear again here, or whether they went home and 

 were dubbed as soon as the meetings were over. 



We bear that the celebrated Light Brahma fancier, Mr. T. A. 

 Dean of Marden near Hereford, is going to emigrate : his adult 

 birds were put up to auction on Tuesday last, but the chickens, 

 which are generally this gentleman's forte, will be sold in the 

 Bummer months. If the quality is as good as the birds were 

 last year we expect to hear of some brisk bidding. 



The Royal Counties, Hants and Berks, meet this year at 

 Abingdon, near Oxford. We are glad to see their schedule has 

 been remodelled and the Pigeons better seen to, and we under- 

 stand that Mr. T. C. Burnell is to be thanked for this improve- 

 ment The Jodge is not announced, but we generally find our 

 old friend Mr. J. Baily of London cfHciating here. 



The entries for the Bath and West of England meeting at 

 Hereford close on Friday (to-morrow). We hope fanciers will 

 patronise this old meeting, for we hear there is a probability of 

 the poultry department being discontinued. We hope to attend 

 and give our annual report. 



White Call Duck fanciers wanting a class for this breed 

 should apply without delay to llr. J. King, 111, St. Aldate's, Ox- 

 ford, for unless some help is promised, or a certain number of 

 entries is guaranteed, we hear that this class will be expunged 

 from their new schedule, for lovers of the breed do not support 

 it, and last year there were only three entries. — W. 



INQUIRIES. 



A FEMALE Swan is now sitting. I am told she will not hatch 

 till there is a thunderstorm. Is there any truth in this notion ? 

 — Centurion. 



One of my hens lately died when her chickens were about a 

 month old. She was in a rip on the grass. Not knowing what 

 to do, I partially filled the rip with hay and shut them in. The 

 next night they went in of their own accord, and have done so 

 ever since. They do not look as well as those that have mothers, 

 but they do not lack " gumption," and bury themselTes well in 

 the straw. — E. A. 



My Carolina Dacks ought now to be sitting, but I cannot even 

 find they have made a nest. Will someone help or advise me ? 

 — Croydon. 



Is it advisable to allow Golden and Silver hen Pheasants to 

 Bit on their eggs? — Beginner. 



ACCRINGTON SHOW Oi; POULTRY, &c. 



This took place on April 27th. Turner's pens were used, and 

 the entries in all were about 520. Game had four classes, and a 

 cup was also given. In Black or Brown Eeds the first was a 

 cock good in all points but breast, which was quite clay colour. 

 The cup was also awarded here. Second was a handsome cock- 

 erel, which in appearance we preferred to the first. Third a 

 oock, rather thin but good in style. In next class Duckwings 

 were first and third, and a Pile second. In hens Brown-breasted 

 won all the prizes, and these were very good. In the next class 

 first was a Black Game hen, which is faultless except in eye, 

 which is undoubtedly too dark ; second a Duckwing, and third 

 a Pile. Dorkings a capital lot and all noticed. Cochins, BuS 

 or Cinnamon, were all of the former colour and mostly in grand 

 show form. One of the best pens of the Cochin classes waB the 

 first-prize Partridge, which was a truly grand pen ; second were 

 also Partridge, and third Whites. Spanish were good and well 

 placed, the hens in the winning pens especially good. In 

 Brahnias the first and third were Dark and second Light ; the 

 latter might have been third more correctly. Singularly Ham- 

 burghs were very small entries, but the few that were ahovm 

 were very good, especially the first in Gold-spangled Hamburgha 

 and the first Silver-pencils. In Freyich fowls the winners were 

 Creve-Coears ; the first generally good, but the second-prize hen 

 was by far the best in her class. The Variety class was won 

 by Gold Polands ; Black Cochins and Cuckoo Cochins, Silkies, 

 Malays, and White-crested Polands making up the class. In 

 the Variety class were some cheap birds, and smart work was 

 manifested in securing some of these. Single Game Bantam 

 cocks. Black or Brown Reds, was a good class. The first Black, 

 and second Brown Red, the latter of which we preferred to any 

 other, being about the most perfect bird of his colour that has 

 ever been shown ; third was a grand old Black Red. In the 

 next class first was a Duckwing of great beauty, second a Duck- 

 wing, and third a Pile which looks worse of its late work. In 

 Black or Brown Red hens, as in cocks, we would have placed 

 the second first, although the first was a very good Black Red, 

 and third also of that colour. In hens of any other colour 

 first and third were Piles, and second Duckwing, the first very 

 hard in feather and young-looking. In the Variety class of 

 Bantams first and second were Black, and third Laced. The 

 awards in our opinion in the first two cases being made to ear- 

 lobe, as others combining much more valuable properties were 

 but highly commended, the class being very good. 



Pigeons were a good lot, but shown in pairs, and many other- 

 wise good were left ont on account of not matching. Carriers 

 and Pouters w-ere, however, shown singly. In Carrier cocka 

 first was a Dun, not in as good order as is desirable, but very 

 good in all properties; second a Black, losing only in eye; and 

 third also a Black. Many good birds were in low condition. 

 Carrier hens also a large class. First a well-developed Dun, 

 second Black with grand beak, and third Blue with capital head 

 properties ; some in both classes too well got up about the eye- 

 wattle. Tumblers in pairs did not muster well. First Almond, 

 of splendid ground colour and good head properties, the hen 

 especially ; second also Almond, a grand pair as regards head, 

 but cock rather dark ; and third Red Agates. Barbs wev'^ first 

 and third Black, and second Reds. Owls were a mixed class ; 

 White Foreign first and third, and Blue English second. In 

 Pouter cocks first and second were Blues, and third Wbiie; the 

 first in grand order. A smart Blue was first in hens, the second 

 quite equal except in being too grey ; the third a handsome 

 White. FantaUs a fair lot, and all White. There were some 



