April IG, 1874. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



319 



Insects [Miss C. P. G.).— The iosect you have sent, found on a Beech tree, 

 ia the not uncommon red velvet mite {Trombidiura holosericeum), which 

 feeds on minute insects, probably in this case on the very small young white 

 Cocci which often abound on that tree. — I. O. W. 



Names of Plakts (A. B. P.).—l, Sparmannia africana; 2, Not a Myosotis, 

 though often so called. It is Omphalodea verna. (P. ir.).— The " Plant of 

 Life" is Bryopbyllum calycinum. (W. H. B.).— If you knew Mesembryanthe- 

 mums, you would know that your specimen is quite iusufticient for deter- 

 mination. It may be M. albidum or M. acinaciforme ; 3, Pteris aquilina; 

 4, Apparently root leaves of Sisymbrium oflicinale. (J. P., H. M.). — Cannot 

 name without flowers. (AlJ'rcd). — There are no numbers attached to your six 

 very bad specimens. (M. A. W.). — Iris tuberosa. 



POULTRY, BEE, AKD PIGEON OHEONICLE. 



THE FOWLS FABMERS AND COTTAGERS 

 SHOULD BREED. 



I SEE that the Great Yarmouth Poultry Association intend, 

 at their next Exhibition, to provide a class for farmers and 

 cottagers exclusively, to induce them to breed a good fowl for 

 two purposes — viz., laying and the table. The IJorking is, I 

 observe, mentioned, which I feel sure will be regretted by many 

 — first on account of its laying, and, secondly, the diiSculty ex- 

 perienced in rearing the chicks. I had tried them for many 

 years, and was at last so disgusted with them that I commenced 

 crossing by getting rid of the Dorking cook and substituting it 

 by a Dark Brahma. We made it a practice to change the male 

 bird every year, so as to avoid the error into which many fall 

 of breeding-in. Since the change has taken place (this is the 

 third season), eggs have been plentiful all the year round, and 

 the chickens have been numerous, and, what is better, they are 

 much hardier, and arrive at maturity for spring and early 

 summer use, when they command good remunerative prices, 

 much earlier than either of these pure breeds would do. They 

 are so like the Dorking breed that some would not be known 

 from that class of fowls except by the smaLLness of the comb. 



It is not stated in the notice if the class will be confined to the 

 county or open to the kingdom, neither is any idea given as to 

 the age of the fowls. I think the latter ia a most essential 

 point; as some, although they may promise to be quite as good, 

 (yet there is nothing to guarantee that such will be the case), 

 naay through being considerably older, comparatively speaking, 

 carry the sway, when, in fact, they are inferior to their com- 

 panions, only that age has told in their favour. I consider their 

 age should be limited to four or five months for the lateness of 

 the season, fowls being required then much larger than earlier 

 in the year. The subject is one of the highest importance in 

 the poultry world, and should be thoroughly discussed. — Heney 

 J. GooDENOUGH, Ealing. 



CROSSING BRAHMAS WITH HAMBURGHS. 



There seema a prejudice against crossing sitters with non- 

 sitters which I do not share, and in defence of my opinion I 

 Bend you particulars of a cross-bred pullet which I think are 

 somewhat extraordinai-y. 



Parent birds ; cock. Dark Brahma ; hen. Golden-spangled 

 Hamburgh. Hatched the third week in August, 187.3, began to 

 lay January 29th, 1874, and laid every day until February 22nd, 

 ■when she became broody and waa set upon nine eggs, chiefly 

 Brahmas and Houdans. She sat well and closely, but owing to 

 accidents only reared three chickens, which were hatched on 

 March 14th. She was cooped with them for ten days and then 

 left at large, and she began to lay again on April 11th, and has 

 laid again this day, the 12th. She has not deserted her chickens 

 (two Houdans and a Brahma), and only leaves them for a short 

 time each morning when she lays. AU the other pullets of the 

 same brood lay well, and one of them has reared a brood and 

 another is sitting. The pullet is in body and feathers a small- 

 made Brahma with clean Hamburgh legs. The sheila of her 

 eggs are dark in colour, and the yolks dark and rich. The 

 cockerels of the same brood were ready for killing about 

 January 24th, and were large birds of very good flavour. — A 

 HiGB Feedeb. 



FEEDING FOWLS AT SHOWS. 



I observe in your issue of the 2nd inst. a letter, in reply to 

 mine in the above matter, from Mr. Humphreys, in which he 

 states I knew nothing about what I waa writing of. 



I repeat that the feeding, at least of the Bantams, at the late 

 Northampton Show waa anything but judicioua, and from the 

 proof I have I am quite aa competent to form an opinion as Mr. 

 Humphreys. He states that the birds had not time to stuff 

 themselves with Indian corn and barley, yet almoat in the next 

 sentence he admits one of my birds was, as he puts it, " a Uttle 

 too full of food !" and if my bird had time to get " a little too 

 fuU of food," why not the rest ? Had it not been for Mr. Leem- 

 ing, who was in charge of my birds, and whose duty it was to 



see to them, very likely the Committee would not have noticed 

 the bird, and therefore the great credit Mr. Humphreys 

 imagines is due to his Committee for the attention they paid 

 my birds, is entirely due to Mr. Leeming who had charge of them. 



I would not like for a moment to doubt the efiiciency of the 

 Judges who officiated in forming an opinion as to overshowing 

 or overfeeding, but facts are facts, and I think it will be diflicult 

 to prove that it waa overshowing moat of the birda were Buffer- 

 ing from, aa really many of them had not been shown for a con- 

 siderable time. 



I am well aware that to please everybody in feeding would be 

 exceedingly diflicult, and can sympathise with Mr. Humphreys, 

 from the little experience I have bad in regard to the way exhi- 

 bitors write to secretaries aa to the requirements of their birds; 

 yet, aa a rule. Bantams do not receive proper attention from com- 

 mittees of shows aa to feeding, and in this respect I did not wish 

 to convey the idea that my remarks were at all confined to North- 

 ampton. I know how often it ia the case that exhibitors after 

 penning their birda, and having given them the last " touch-up " 

 before the judges commence their duties, on coming back again 

 to give them another peep find to their horror the pen over- 

 supplied with Indian corn, and its occupant suffering intense 

 pain in one corner of the pen, with its crop blown out like a 

 Pouter Pigeon. I am sure Bantam exhibitors will bear me out, 

 therefore, that sufficient attention ia not paid them. — W. 



FOEEESIEE AdDIE. 



[We think nothing more need be written on this. — Eds.] 



DOVER AND CINQUE PORTS POULTRY SHOW. 



The thh'd annual Exhibition was held on the 8th and 9th inst. 

 at the Market Building, a place much better adapted for the 

 purpose than that in which the Show took place in the previous 

 year. The competition was confined to the county of Kent, and 

 we were very pleased, under the circumstances, to see so large 

 an entry, as showing the great interest that is manifested in 

 poultry in this locaUty. 



The Coloured Durking class waa good. The first-prize pen 

 was grand, and in much better condition than we last noticed it. 

 The second and third-prize pens contained neat specimens, and 

 were properly placed. The Any variety Dorking class, with one 

 or two exceptions, waa not equal to the preceding. The first- 

 prize pen, a pair of Silvers, waa good; the aecond, a fine pair of 

 Cuckoos, in bad condition. The others were only of moderate 

 quality. The Spanish, claaa contained a few good birds ; the 

 firat-prize cock had a nice face, the white waa of good quality, 

 but we did not admire hia comb; the hen waa good. We liked 

 the third-prize pen better ; the cock here had a aplendid face 

 and a very neat comb well set upon the head, but he waa in 

 such bad condition that we quite agree with the Judge in not 

 placing him in a more prominent position. The Cochins were 

 unusually numerous, the first prize going to a pair of Whites in 

 beautiful condition, and leaving nothing to be desired from the 

 laundry; the second prize was awarded to some good Buffs; and 

 the third to a pen of very poor Blacks. With the exception of 

 the first two pens we could find nothing worthy of notice from 

 the Judge. The Dark Brahmas were well represented; the 

 first-prize pen was very superior, the cock being a good bird 

 with a mottled breast, and we were gratified the Judge did not 

 discard him in favour of some of the black-breasted birds, 

 which seem to be so much preferred at the present time ; his 

 partner was a grand pullet, well pencilled. The second-prize 

 cock was white in the tail, but otherwise good ; the hen very 

 fine. The third-prize birds we did not like ; the cock was mode- 

 rate, the pullet small, light in colour, and deficient in markings. 

 Two or three good hens were to be found in other pens, but 

 their companions were poor. The Light Brahma class was not 

 good. The first-prize cock was the beat ; he was good in colour, 

 but rather leggy; the hen we did not like. The Game classes 

 were excellent, the competition between some of the pens being 

 very close. A fine pen of Brown Reds came first, a pretty pen 

 of Blacka waa second, but from appearances we think we should 

 have placed the Brown Eeda ahown by Mr. Jeken in this poai- 

 tion. In the Game Any variety class an extraordinary pen of 

 Piles came first, and had the hen been in better condition we 

 bave little doubt they would have secured the oup ; the second 

 and third prizes went to Duckwings. The Uamburghsweie a 

 wretched collection ; in the Pencilled class the firat prize and 

 a cup were awarded to some Silvers, the cock in a very dirty 

 condition, very small, with a bad comb and very discoloured 

 in the earlobe ; he had only good sickles to recommend him ; 

 the hen was a moderate one. The second and third were Golds ; 

 they were not good, but we preferred them to the first. The 

 Spangled class waa a little better, and we ahould have liked to 

 have seen the cup given to the first-prize pen in this class. The 

 French claaa waa very fine, Mr. Dring's well-known pens of 

 Houdans and Creve-Cccurs being first and second, but in this 

 instance their positions were transposed, the Houdana beating 

 the Creve-Cojurs. The Any variety class contained no novelty, 

 as the winners were not of remarkable quality. In the Gams 



