36 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 8, 1875. 



Hintou took us first for a drive, when, he said, we might at once 

 see the country round and chat over favourite topics. And we 

 did do both. We chatted on everything connected with the 

 iivcy, and on our hopes and fears for the coming season. There 

 had ijeen heavy showers in the morniug which had freshened 

 np everything, and bathed the trees in glistening gem-iike 

 drops. Mr. Hinton drove us through Lonpleat Park, and we 

 may safely say we never enjoyed a drive so much. The rhodo- 

 dendrons were in full bloom, and every now and then a labur- 

 num hung down its golden branches, and here and there were 

 rare peeps of distant hills with a blue and purple mist upon 

 them. "We looked at them through dark frames of firs, and the 

 effect was beautiful. But we must not linger too long on the way 

 but return to the poultry. 



Mr. Hinton has three establishments, we call them England 

 and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. We will speak of them 

 Beparately. Englaud is a rose garden with all the chicken runs 

 round it, and Wales is tacked on at the side in the shape of a 

 block of disused warehouses, where the Polands have state rooms 

 in wet weather. Ireland is quite a lit'.le journey off from England. 

 We had to cross a road and go down it some distance, iind when 

 we arrived there we found a long range of barns and sheds where 

 the grownup Malays live and some of the Polands. And then 

 we went to Scotland, which is a large flower and kitchen garden 

 where are two or three good runs, with a few more Malays in 

 them, sheltered by overhanging trees and bushes. England cer- 

 tainly was rich in roses, but. we could find no thistles in Scotland ; 

 instead of thistles we saw Devoniensis and Madame Willermoz, 

 Madame Victor Verdier and Celine Forestier, and hosts more 

 roses all with a wreath of bloom and buds. 



But now for a more minute description of this England and 

 its inhabitants. All the midland counties were planted with 

 dwarf roses, and those round the coast were given up to the 

 chickens. There were about 140 Malays and Polands in every 

 stage of growth, all so healthy, all so bright and fresh-looking. 

 Hoses everywhere. Rose bushes planted in the runs made 

 great masses of living shade where the Malay chickens rested 

 and plumed their fast-purpling hackle feathers. Among them 

 W6 saw two Whites. Mr. Hinton told us he bad never bred one 

 before, but these two came from the coloured birds, and very 

 promising they were ; one especially, a cockerel, looked as if he 

 would do great things some day. Quite early some of the 

 chickens were, and looking as if they knew almost what they had 

 to do, so well did they eat and appear to thrive. In one corner 

 of England, somewhere about Land's End, was the Pigeon 

 bonsp, and it was so well arranged that the birds walked out on 

 a platform among honeysuckles and rose bushes. We saw lovely 

 White Fantails and Black Bald pates all in the merriest state 

 of cooing and showing themselves off to perfection. We left 

 England and passed to Wales. We envied those large rooms 

 with their dusty floors. In one we saw the king, he is the won- 

 derful old cock which was first at Birmingham. He has been 

 the glory of many a show pen, and splendid he looked, though 

 he was fast losing his thigh feathers. Here too was a room with 

 the baskets and food, and rose boxes, and moss laid oit to dry 

 to show the blooms on. Passing from here we went upstairs 

 and found a splendid pair of Silver Poland hens in beautiful 

 feather, and a capital match, heroines of many an eshibilion ; 

 and here too were more Black Baldpates and empty spare rooms, 

 only waiting for visitors in the exhibition season. 



We left Wales and went to Ireland, on our way passing a house 

 where blooms of Marechal Niel quite hid the birds. We are 

 certain the rosea on this house could be counted by almost 

 hundreds. We never saw a tree of even this luxurious rose with 

 such a mass of bloom before. As we said before, Ireland con- 

 sists of a row of barns ; they were divided off by moveable lath 

 lattices, and were a picture of all that poultry houses should be, 

 all clean and covered with road grit and dust, with a copious 

 supply of clean water. We noticed, too, a capital feeding pan, a 

 contrivance of Mr. Hinton's to keep his Polands' crests from being 

 soiled. It was a pan covered over tightly with a piece of large- 

 mesh wire netting, through which the birds could feed without 

 soiling a feather of their topknots. In these pens we saw the 

 cup Dorchester Silver Poland cock, and the bird which won first 

 at Reading and elsewhere last year, and we saw many beautiful 

 hens with them. There were prize Malay cocks and hens there 

 too, all looking ready to go out again aud bring in more grist to 

 the poultry mill, but Mr. Hinton does not go in much for the 

 summer shows. 



In Scotland we found the pens mostly empty. They were 

 having a rest that the grass might grow and he fresh for the 

 chickens when the time comes for them to leave England and to 

 work for their living. We saw, however, here the first Swindon 

 cock, and he in solitary exile in a large run was comforting 

 himself by pluming his feathers and preparing himself for a 

 fresh encounter in a new suit of armour. 



We had now inspected the runs, and we could only stop and 

 congratulate the owner on his great successes. Mr. Hintou has 

 no fields and lawns, and free range for his birds— nothing but en- 

 closed runs, aud those not very large. Every inch of space was 



made the most of, and everything was beautifully kept ; conse- 

 quently success is Mr. Hinton's, and so it can be anyone's who 

 takes trouble to utilise to the utmost the opportunities he has, 

 for it is surpiising on how small a space and in the face of 

 how great difficulties exhibition chickens can be reared. When 

 we arrived at the house our time was drawing to a close, and 

 when we departed presently with a huge bouquet of Mr. Hin- 

 ton's choicest rosea we not only carried away the recollection of 

 a very plea=aut day, but the gratification of feeling we had spent 

 it with one who was not only pleased to show us bis birds and 

 flowers, but also to see us and to welcome us to Warminster. — W. 



BROODY HENS. 



" C." WHITES for information how " to limit the time of broodi- 

 ness " in his hens. They are Buff Cochins, Light Brahmas, and 

 White Dorkings, but are continually broody, often for six weeks 

 at a time; and as these bird?, " C." tells us, are kept merely for 

 laying purposes, these long fits of broodiness must be very detri- 

 mental to the egg-supply. These broody hens undergo all kinds 

 of punishment for their natural propensities : " C." tells us he 

 puts them iu baskets, half drowns them, and ties them to the 

 palings, but all to no good. We do not wonder the first resort 

 is fruitless, for we always use baskets to sit our own hens in, 

 and no doubt these broody birds think they are placed in baskets 

 for the same purpose. The cold-water bath is cruel and quite 

 useless. We never heard of a hen being tied to a paling for being 

 broody, it is indeed making a martyr of her. Nevertheless, it 

 seems to supply the cock with recreation, for " C." goes on to 

 tell us " The cock vigorously resents the tying-up of the hecs, 

 and will sometimes try for half an hour to unpeck the knot, 

 occasionally succeeding and triumphantly announcing that fact." 

 On one occasion when the hen was for broodiness incarcerated 

 iu a hamper he was discovered to l)e busily engaged endeavour- 

 ing to force a china egg underneath the hamper which he had 

 obtained from a nest iu the extreme corner for her to sit upon. 



Vie are half afraid to recommend any treatment for these 

 broody hens, for we fear the cock will be up to the emergency 

 and outdo us ; still we will give our own method. Before a hen 

 becomes broody she always for three or four days gives forth a 

 little incipient cluck, a grunt of imaginary pleasure perhaps. 

 When we hear this, if we do not want the hen to sit we imme- 

 diately move herinto a fresh yard, where with fresh companions 

 and fresh places to explore she generally loses the inclination. 

 If, however, this does not answer, as sometimes happens, we 

 move her into a run where there is no possible place for her to 

 nest — where, in fact, there is nothing but the bare yard, and we 

 find this speedily cures the most obstinate Cochin hen, and in 

 three or four days they may again be restored to their former 

 run Of course where hens are bred for exhibition or for breed- 

 ing exhibition chickens, it is most important that they should 

 be allowed to sit once in the season to give the whole system a 

 rest.— W. 



DRIFFIELD SHOW OP POULTRY, &c. 



The annual Show was held at Driffield on June 30th in a 

 meadow just on the borders of the town. The pens were very 

 nicely arrai'ged on two sides of the field, and were supplied by 

 Messrs. Turner. Unfortunately the day was very wet, except 

 for about two hours between eleven and one o'clock, when the 

 birds were judged without having suffered much from the rain. 

 All was well managed, and the best made of the matter under 

 the circumstances ; iiut the take at the gates suffered materially 

 from the inclemency of the weather. Canvas was stretched 

 over the top of the pens, and this served to some extent to pro- 

 tect the birds from the wet. The entries were very considerably 

 in advance of those of any previous year, and the quality was 

 good all through. 



Dorkings were a good class, but many birds were out of feather. 

 Whites were first. S^ja'n's/i poor, except the winners. Jn Cochins 

 were some good birds, but they were generally poor; as also the 

 Brahmas. Hamhurqhs were very good ; in Spangles first were 

 Silver, and second Gold; and in Pencils, first were Gold, and 

 seconci Silver; the single cocks being first Gold-spangled, and 

 second Black. In Game the first in each class was very good, 

 but the rest poor. Game Bantams good, the first Black Red, 

 and second Duckwing. Blacks very good; and in single cocks 

 the first was a handsome Dackwing, and second Black. Farm- 

 yard cross are generally such as we seldom find at any other 

 show, and this was no exception. In the Selling class the 

 first was a good pen of Malays, and second Spanish. Turkeys 

 were a grand lot; and Geese only two pens of White, the first of 

 rare quality. In chickens of this year the first were capital 

 Dark Dorkings, and second Game ; almost all coming in for a 

 notice. 



Pigeons were a splendid lot, there being scarcely any but 

 that were well worthy of notice. CarnVrs were mostly yonng, 

 but very good ; the first, a Dun hen, was quickly claimed at i'3 3s. 

 Pouters were a capital lot, the first a very large Black cock; 

 second one of the most stylish White hens we have ever seen; 



