Mavoli 6, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTDEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



209 



that I am persuaded a detailed description of Blacli Bantams 

 will not be unacceptable, to some few amateurs at least. 



Black Bantams are of diminutive size, the cock never exceed- 

 ing, when full grown and in good condition, more than 20 ozs. 

 at the utmost in weight, and the hen weighing about 2 ozs. less 

 than the cock. The plumage of both sexes is of a very rich 

 black throughout. The hackle of the cock is full, the feathers 

 of the saddle and hackle being long, those of the latter flowing 

 well over the shoulders. The tails of both cock and hen are fuU 

 and expanded, and are carried upright ; the cock's tail is adorned 

 with handsome weU-curved sickle feathers. The comb, which 

 is double, and fits close and straight ou the top of the head, 

 without inclining on either side, is square in front, and is very 

 much more developed in the cock than in the hen. The comb, 

 the top of which is covered over with small points, has a peak 

 behind which turns slightly upwards. The wattles of the cock 

 are rather long, broad, thin,' and well rounded ou the lower edge, 

 those of the hen being very small and thin. The comb and 

 wattles, as well as the face, are of a bright vermilion colour. 

 The head is small and round, and is carried very erect by the 

 hen ; and by the cock is carried well back towards the tail. The 

 beak is rather short and curved, being of a dark horn colour, or 

 black, becoming rather lighter towards the point. The deaf-ear, 

 which is one of the chief points of beauty, has a flat and even 

 surface, without wrinkles, and is of a pure opaque white, free 

 from any stain. The deaf-ear is a beautiful contrast to the rich 

 black plumage and the bright red of the comb, wattles, and 

 face. The carriage of both cock and hen is upright and strut- 

 ting, the cock being particularly bold and erect, with a very 

 proud gait. The breast is round and prominent, and is carried 

 forward by the cock. The neck of the cock is very taper, and is 

 gracefully curved well back, so as to bring the back of his head 

 into close proximity with his tail. Their legs are short and 

 clean, and of a dark leaden colour, or black; their thighs are 

 also short. 



Many exhibitors of Black Bantams confine their fowls prior 

 to exhibiting them in a dark aud warm room, which has the 

 effect of increasing the purity of whiteness of their deaf-ears, 

 which are apt to become tinted with red from too much exposure. 



There are many amateurs who have not sut'licient accommo- 

 dation to keep the larger breeds of fowls, but who delight in 

 keeping a few Bantams, and to these I could not recommend a 

 prettiBr variety than the Black. They are hardy, moderately 

 good layers, and the chickens are not difiicult to rear. — Walter 

 15. Arundel. 



OBJECTINa TO JUDGES. 



Your correspondent of last week draws the attention of 

 fanciers to the practice of parties forming themselves into rings 

 or cliques against certain judges officiating at shows, and sending 

 their entries subject to the condition that it a certain judge 

 officiates their entries are to be returned. Such conduct is 

 reprehensible in the extreme. If such conduct were to be fol- 

 lowed we should very soon have no judges at all. There are 

 various ways in which such practices can be put a stop to. 

 First, committees should be above cringing to the dictatorial 

 views of any rings or cliques, and appoint their judges fearlessly. 

 Second, as soon as the schedule of the show is prepared have 

 the judges engaged and publish their names along with the 

 schedule. If such simple rules were attended to, shows upon 

 the whole would be better patronised by the true fancier. In 

 this northern part of Her Majesty's dominions there have been 

 several shows where I aud others would not enter our birds 

 because the judges' names were not published, and we had not 

 the confidence in the parties who were reported as being en- 

 gaged to judge. Our surmises were right, for the judging has 

 given general dissatisfaction. I do not think your correspondent 

 need fear that the combinations he refers to are likely to be of 

 long standing, or ever to be acted upon except in isolated places, 

 but I am sure that if the hints I have given were attended to 

 there would be no cause of that fear described by your corre- 

 spondent. — A NORTH-EAST-COAST-OF-SCOTLAND FANCIER. 



Your correspondent in his remarks on " Objecting to Judges," 

 in last week's issue, proclaims the existence of a " clique " or 

 poultry exhibitors' league. WiU he further enlighten the 

 fancy by stating where such institution exists, and how it may 

 be communicated with? If its modus operandi is not aggres- 

 sive but strictly defensive, aud if its council be rightly directed, 

 it may add very materially to the stability of some of our pre- 

 sent poultry societies, and ought to be known. I fail to discover 

 the force of your correspondent's argument, or rather I cannot 

 view it from the same standpoint. He complains that the 

 prospects of Mr. A have been destroyed as a judge by the 

 combination of a few fanciers. It must be assumed that this 

 M r. A has been tried as a judge (or there would be no protest), and 

 his awards have proved conclusively that he does not possess 

 the necessary qualifications of an etficient judge. Few will deny 

 that the sooner siach a person passes into oblivion, so far as the 



poultry world is concerned, the better, though the result may 

 have been effected by a coalition of the fancy ; fewer still will, 

 I think, " act in concert " to utter a wail of plaintive sympathy 

 for the blighted prospects of such a judge with " Hespiceee ad 

 FiNEH." If in answer to the " outcry on all sides for more 

 judges " gentlemen usurp the office who are incompetent, and 

 whose decisions subvert those of our most able, popular, and 

 oldest judges, what more reasonable than that a " few indivi- 

 duals should act in concert " for the removal of such novices ? 



The appointment of judge deserves far more careful attention 

 than it receives at the hands of the promoters of some of our 

 poultry exhibitions. The arrangements of a show may be most 

 honourably and laboriously carried out to their minutest details, 

 but an error in selecting a judge will prove a fruitful source of 

 disax^pointment and dissatisfaction. 



Through the courtesy of the secretaries to the different so- 

 cieties, I receive, being an exhibitor at all the large shows, a 

 schedule of the prizes of the coming exhibitions. My first 

 coucern is to ascertain the name of the judge; in some lists 

 this is " conspicuous by its absence," I therefore consign such, 

 without further ceremony, to the waste-paper basket. — Pro 

 Bono Publico. 



I AM glad to find that a letter has been written to your Journal 

 complaining of the errors of those who object to certain judges. 

 It appears to me, that so long as the names of judges are hidden 

 from the public and exhibitors until the exhibition opens, so 

 long is there just reason to object. There is a very great deal 

 of annoyance and dissatisfaction caused by the names of judges 

 not being known to the intending exhibitor at the time the 

 entries are made. I have been a large exhibitor for many years, 

 and I certainly do most strongly protest against committees not 

 advertising the judges' names on their prize schedules. For 

 instance, we have all our likes and dislikes, and I have often 

 seen birds that have received the cup in their class at one show 

 under one judge, at the next show passed by unnoticed by 

 another judge. Considering the enormous charges railway 

 companies levy upon all exhibitors for carriage, and the 

 amount of entry fees, I certainly do think it would have a 

 most beneficial effect if every committee published the names 

 of their judges on the prize schedule. I quite agree that a new 

 set of judges is necessary, but I am sure we have several gen- 

 tlemen who act at present and whose valuable services we could 

 not afford to lose. — A Lover of Fair Play. 



DORCHESTER POULTRY AND PIGEON SHOW. 



There were good shows at Dorchester twenty years ago. 

 They were held under difficulties. They had no convenient 

 place for them. Much zeal and management did contrive to 

 put-up pens in the Meat Market. It was one of the good shows 

 of that time. The Cochins of Essex and Suffolk, the Dorkings of 

 Sussex and Lancashire, the Ducks and Geese of Buckingham- 

 shire met there to compete for the pieces of plate for which the 

 ancient town was famous. It had the reputation of giving 

 things of intrinsic value. And then, like many others, they 

 were given up and became things of the past. " On revient 

 toujours n les premiers amours." The snake was scotched and 

 not killed, and the good old Roman town woke-up one day 

 determined to begin again. It possessed aU the requisites for 

 success — good funds, energetic men, and an inestimable fund 

 of experience in the person of Mr. Andrews, so weU known as a 

 former breeder and great judge. There was no longer any diffi- 

 culty. A pretty and commodious building has lately been erected 

 for town hall, market, or general purposes. Spacious, lofty, 

 well lighted, and airy, it left nothing to desire when it was pro- 

 posed to use it for this Exiiibition. It had another great recom- 

 mendation — the lighting being from above there are no draughts. 

 Its walls are hung with shields and otherwise decorated, and at 

 the extremity a music gallery gave ladies the means of standing 

 and enjoying a very pretty cow^i d'a'U. It is a great point, where 

 anything is contrived for public amusement and must depend 

 on the public for support, to start with all necessary appliances. 

 An apology is a bad beginning. The culprit is afraid of the 

 verdict when he applies beforehand for the benefit of extenuat- 

 ing circumstances ; and so when one of a body of promoters and 

 managers begins by saying you must excuse this and that, other 

 wants are found or imagined ; and the man who is working for 

 others is advised, before he helps to get up another, to go to 

 Bingley Hall or Manchester, or some other great show. He is 

 told he cannot compare with them. They are Callipash and 

 Callippee, while he is calves' head, and 



" Call's head hashed mnst be confessed 

 To be mock turtle at the best." 



We have often thought it would be wise to station people at 

 the entrance to a show for the purpose of assuring everyone the 

 place was crowded. Once assured that a place is inconveniently 

 full, gout and corns are forgotten, and babies in arms afford no 

 argument for staying away. " Good wine needs no bush," and 

 Dorchester had nothing to apologise for, or to explain away. 



