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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE aAEDENER. 



[ -Septembei 16, 1876. 



and write in no way disconcerted. We go so far as to call 1874 

 the year of the " triumph of the double baf kets," but we are 

 brought to write this article at the wish of many poultry friends 

 who, finding the old single-package rule in the otherwise mag- 

 nificent Alexandra schedule, are nervous — not only about the 

 baskets for that show, but lest other schedule-framers, ignor- 

 antly copying the rules of their stronger friends, should insert 

 the rule also, and so destroy the work of the past year. Some 

 exhibitors may feel a little anxious about their birds being 

 properly repacked in the double baskets, or of their being sent 

 wrong; to all such we say. Go on with your single baskets by all 

 means, for though the rule may state " several pens may come 

 in one package," it does not say they must, and so only those 

 who themselves approve of the plan are iu any way bound to 

 act upon it. 



Those who oppose this new system which we are urging may 

 very likely have some minute difEultiea to throw in the way, 

 but we feel sure the advantages must entirely flood out the 

 disadvantages, provided the divisions in the baskets are labelled 

 correctly. In conclusion we must say we should be truly de- 

 lighted if the good Alexandra people will take all we have 

 written in good part and let the fancy know, for it is not at all 

 too late, that several pens may after all come to their show in 

 one properly-divided package at the exhibitor's wish. We feel 

 quite certain they would get more entries, for the place is 

 rather inaccessible from many counties, and the carriage money 

 must necessarily he a high item in the expenses of exhibiting 

 there. To all other societies now issuing or aboxit to issue their 

 aeheduleswe thoroughly recommend them for their own interests 

 to insert some such rule as we propose, as we are convinced that 

 it must be a benefit to all — W. 



ALEXANDEA PALACE POULTRY SHOW 

 SCHEDULE. 



The opposition Palace has issued its poultry and Pigeon 

 schedule, and the neat little book lies before us. There is a 

 striking resemblance in its " get up " to that of the other Palace, 

 but then the names of the Hon. Secretaries explain this. The 

 Alexandra Palace certainly has commenced in a very satisfactory 

 manner, the list of cups and prizes bi-iug a splendid one, and 

 the names of the ** management" are those of gentlemen re- 

 spected and well known for being fanciers of the highest morale. 

 We may safely prophesy a good meeting and an uuiqae show of 

 chickens. It is essentially a chicken show, not even the sale 

 classes being open to birds which saw the light before last New 

 year's day. Poultry have eig'ity four classes, and twenty-eight 

 cups varying in value from ilO 10s. to £3 Ss., the most valuable 

 going to tbe Brahmas. Money may be had instead of plate. 

 The entry fees are the same as usually charged at the Crystal 

 Palace. Of the various breeds Dorkings, Cochins, Brahmas, 

 and Hamburgbs are nobly provided for, in some of the classes 

 there being as many as eight prizes. The "neglected breeds" 

 can indeed make this a place of rejoicing — it will be surely a 

 perfect carnival for them. We find three classes for Polish with 

 substantial prizes, two classes for Ltghorns, two classes for 

 Malays, one for Silkies, and a variety class with four prizes 

 where Andulusians, Minorcas, and Sultans can play for a good 

 reward. Bantams, too, are well provided for, aud the sale classes 

 are numerous with a lot of money spent over them. We shall 

 expect to find many a good bird there ; and as all specimens 

 will be put up to auction we shall hope to hear that no exhibitor 

 bougbt-in his birds. Waterfowl and Turkeys have handsome 

 prizes. The Pigeon classes are legion. It should be a superb 

 show of Pigeons, for almost every variety has a class. The 

 Judges are announced, and all good men. 



Thus much for this fine schedule. We must not forget to 

 mention one point where it stands out superior to the Crystal 

 Palace — there is no Sunday work for exhibitors. We rejoice we 

 have this great Show over on our side. 



There is but one blot on its fair escutcheon, but that one is 

 indeed a bad one — "Each entry for poultry mnst be packed in 

 a separate hamper." This is positively ridiculous for a single- 

 bird chicken exhibition. 



We hope exhibitors will patronise the Show and try to make 

 it a success ; and we will endeavour to make the report, which 

 will be found in this Journal of the same week as the Show is 

 held, worthy of the birds we expect to find there. — W. 



which will include Cochins or Brahmas with vulture hocks, and 

 Spanish or other varieties, silver cup value ±'5 5s. 



Great National Podltby Show at the Crystal Palace.— The 

 Baroness Burdett Coutts, amongst her numerous other kind- 

 upsses to protect animals, is anxious to discountenance the ex- 

 hibition of fowls that have been trimmed in any way, by encou- 

 raging those which are shown in their natural state, offers two 

 silver cups for competition. The first will be for the best Game 

 cock, any age, not dubbed or trimmed in any way, silver cup 

 value i'5 .5s. The next will be for the best cock, any age or 

 variety (excepting Game), not plucked or trimmed in any way, 



THE RECENT BIRMINGHAM SUMMER SHOW. 



As Treasurer and promoter of this Show I am willing to 

 submit to the subscribers and exhibitors the balance sheet of 

 the third Show held at Aston on August 21st, which I am sorry 

 to say has resulted in a nett loss of over i'130, without saying 

 anything of tbe labours of management, secretaryship, ofifice 

 rent, and numberless sundry expenses. These I am willing to 

 lose, but I really cannot afford to pay the loss. I have four 

 guarantors of ±'5, and I will give ,£5 myself in addition to all the 

 expenses of management. This will leave a deficiency of over 

 £105 ; and I am compelled to appeal to the exhibitors, and espe- 

 cially to those who have been successful, for their assistance in 

 the way of subscriptions to aid me to make up this deficiency. 



In originating the first Birmingham Summer Show tea local 

 fanciers shared the liabilities with me, and the Show, though in 

 other respects euccessful, resulted in a loss of £10 a-piece for us. 

 The next year there would have been no Show had I not taken 

 the responsibility entirely on my own shoulders. It was again 

 a pecuniary failure, and I lost over £70 besides all the trouble, 

 Mr. Piggott and my clerks doing all the work at my expense. 

 This year I determined to make another attempt to establish an 

 annual show, and I called several meetings of the local fanciers 

 and endeavoured to get ten gentlemen to subscribe £10 each. 

 I could only obtain four guarantors of i£5 each, but the favour- 

 able arrangements I had negotiated with the proprietor of the 

 Aston Lower Grounds induced me in spite of this to try a third 

 time ; and the splendid show of birds, splendidly shown, and a 

 loss of ±'131 are the results. 



Our prize list shows 342 prizes. Our exhibitors number 351 ; 

 if each of these would kindlv subscribe a small sum the difficulty 

 would soon be overcome. — James Watts. 



TOO MANY BREEDS AT ONCE. 



" Do one thing at a time and do it well " is a good motto. It 

 has occurred to me that it would do no harm to apply it to 

 poultry-breeding. In looking over your advertising columns 

 one would be led to belie 76 tbat a man's standing as a breeder 

 depended to a great extent upon the number of varieties he 

 could advertise. I have always thought that the highest ex- 

 cellence iu any department of effort depended upon concentra- 

 tion of one's endeavours upon a certain fixed end. If this idea 

 be a correct one, what is the result when a man distracts his 

 attention and divides his efforts among six, eight, or a dozen 

 different varieties? Can he attain the highest excellence in 

 all ? Tbe standard of excellence in one breed of fowls cannot 

 be made the standard for any other. For instance, what is 

 excellence in a Brahma or Cochin would be deformity in a 

 Game or Hamburgh. 



Every breeder should have a distinct ideal type of perfection, 

 or what would be if it could be attained, of the stock he is 

 breeding. How many of ua have brains clear enough to con- 

 ceive a dozen different types and work them out at once? Every 

 man who has ever made a reputation as a breeder has confined 

 his study to one or, at most, two breeds at a time. 



Baying fowls and running them is a very different thing from 

 breeding fowls and improving them. I believe thit very few 

 men really know more than one breed of fowls. True, many 

 men are good judges of different varieties and breed i when they 

 are brought before them ; but this capacity to jud^e does not 

 prove their proficiency as breeders of all the different kinds. 

 I would object less to a man breeding different varieties of 

 a class than to breeding different classes. There is a strong 

 family resemblance between the different varieties of the 

 Asiatic class, and the same is true of the Spanish class; but 

 where a man desires to attain excellence as a breeder in either 

 class he should omit the other. We do not sufficiently dis- 

 criminate between the breeder and the mere dealer. To be the 

 one requires study and patience ; to be the other, some money 

 aud an easy conscience. Is this too sharply accentuated ? 



If ever poultry-breeding is to become a fine art in this country 

 we must confine our efforts within narrower limits. I confess 

 it shakes my confidence in a man as a breeder when he adver- 

 tises a long string of specialties. What is a specialty? As I 

 understand the term it should limit the breeder to a single 

 variety. A specialty is a particularity— a limitation to a single 

 thing. How, then, can a breeder have more than one specialty? 

 Can we not do more to improve the poultry in this country by 

 keeping fewer varieties and concentrating all our efforts upon 

 improving them ? ,41, 



Aside from tbe foolishness of keeping too many breeds, the 

 difficulty in many cases of keeping them pure is very great. I 

 know well meaning men of whom I would not buy eggs and 

 expect them to hatch true to name. They think their fowls are 

 pure, and never get together nor mix ; but I presume many a 



