ioi 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 18. 187B. 



Fifth a prettily peacilled bird, not unlike the first. Sixth cor- i 

 rectly and evenly marked, but with greater breadth of black | 

 than we like in the pencilling. Seventh fair both in form and 

 size, moderate in colour. Eighth a fine pullet. Ninth small 

 aid well pencilled. Tenth a remarkable bird, which in our ] 

 jadgment should have been far higher. We say this with less 

 diffidence, because we made our note before looking at the 

 owner's name, which would, of course, lead one to expect merit. 

 Her pencilling, especially on back and wings, is very fine, and , 

 she is shapely too. ', 



The Five-guinea Selling class contains, as a rule, birds far 

 above that value, which doubtless are sent on the chance of their 

 winning prizes or being run up at the auction. The better birds 

 which fail so to do, and are consequently sold in the ordinary ! 

 way, cause no little rivalry and excitement at the sale office, i 

 The hen in the first-prize pen struck us as remarkable for utter I 

 absence of brown in her colouring, the ground being white and I 

 the pencillings black. 



Light Brahmas, as we have already said, are making great 

 stiides in form. Each year we see fewer of the narrow long- 

 shanked birds which once were common. The cup cock struck us 

 as being the most perfectly shaped Brahma of either variety in 

 the Show ; he is good, too, in colour, and all that could be desired 

 in leg-feathering, his feet amply clad, and masses of quite soft 

 feathers curling round his hocks ; if only a little size could have 

 been added he must have been very nearly the winner of the 

 champion cup. Second a tall bird, not equal in shape to No. 1, 

 with very dark under-feathering. Third too high in comb, but 

 a broad bird, and he has the merit of a very good hackle falling 

 on a beautifully white ground. Fourth a big bird not in first- 

 rate condition, and a little yellow; his hackle is good, and his I 

 leg-feathering magnificent. Fifth is a small bird of nice form 

 and hackle, rather like the cup bird on a reduced scale. The 

 class is decidedly a good one. Hens. — The cup was given to a 

 gigantic and grand bird, apparently not quite dry from the wash- 

 tub ; her form is such as we rarely see, her colour clear, and 

 hackle distinct. Second a far smaller bird, very white, and with 

 good neck-marking, but poorly feathered on the legs. Third a 

 bird good in shape and feathering, not so clear in ground colour 

 as the first and second, fair in size. Fourth the same type of 

 bird as the second. Fifth a small bird, and almost white in tail, 

 but most excellent in ground-colouring, and well hackled. 



Cockerels. — Mr. Horsfall is to be congratulated on winning the 

 cup for cockerels as well as for cocks. His bird in this class is 

 not equal to his adult bird ; he is well-shaped, very fairly 

 feathered, and nicely marked, his failing being a somewhat ugly • 

 comb. The second prize mnst have been given for form ; the 

 ■winner has little neck-hackle, and is small and under-feathered, 

 still his shape is good, and we could notseemuch reason for the 

 great fault which we heard made with the award. The third 

 award we do not like ; the bird's comb flaps, and his tail is too 

 prominent a feature ; all seems to tend towards it, and so he is ', 

 tilted forwards. Fourth is a nicely feathered bird, but devoid 

 of hackle. There is a gap between him and the fifth, which is 

 a narrow bird and flecked on the back. Sixth is a most remark- 

 able bird, we should have placed him first or second; his special 

 beauty is his faultlessly white colour ; his size and leg-feathering 

 are also all that can be desired. Seventh we thought a poor 

 bird and rather yellow. Eighth is somewhat devoid of hackle. 

 Ninth we liked better than many of the earlier winners ; he is 

 large and very fairly marked. Tenth is small, perfect symmetry 

 being his strong point. Pullets. — The early winners in this 

 class again we thought excellent in form. The cup bird, in 

 addition to being well shaped, is beautifally white, but too light 

 in tail to please us ; a rich black is here, to our idea, a great 

 ornament. Second is not so clear on the back, but makes up 

 for this defect in shape. Third is a little tinged and slightly 

 hocked, otherwise a very nice pullet, and good in build. Fourth 

 has a correct amount of leg-feathering and nice hackle. These 

 foar birds are all broad ; the fifth is not so, and is more of the 

 old Light Brahma form, still she is a pullet sure to win. Sixth 

 an excellent bird; we should have put her higher; her neck 

 hackle is splendid and her back clear, her under-feathering dark, 

 yet not peeping through in flecks. Seventh deficient in hackle, 

 or would have been higher. Eighth a well-grown fairly-marked 

 bird; we prefer her to her owner's fifth-prize "inner. Ninth 

 pretty, but too small and light in hackle. Tenth not remarkable. 



Five-guinea Selling class. — As a rule the birds in this class 

 seemed deficient in the distinctive dark markings of the variety, 

 though in many cases good in size and form. The first-prize 

 pair were well placed. 'The second contains a well-formed cock. 

 The class has the large numlier of thirty-five entries. — W. and 

 Others. 



THE FRENCH CLA.SSE8. 



As I anticipated, the promise held out by the Alexandra Show 

 was fully borne out by the grand Exhibition at the " old shop ;" 

 and a finer collection of birds than those brought forward in 

 the classes in which I am especially interested (Houdans and 

 Cri've-Coeurs) was never exhibited. I wish that I could add 

 that the judging was equally as good as the birds ; but I am able 



to give an unprejudiced opinion, for I was neither an exhibitor 

 nor a special friend of any exhibitor, although I know many of 

 them ; and although it is, we are told, a difficult matter to be 

 impartial, I believe my observations will be endorsed by many 

 exhibitors. These are points in which, of course, differences of 

 opinion may be allowed to judges. One likes the leaf comb, 

 and another the antlered one ; one prefers dark-coloured birds, 

 and another light, and exhibitors will not complain, I believe, 

 if a judge gives his preference to either one or other of these 

 types of birds ; but the veriest tyro in Houdans knows that red 

 hackles are a disqualification, that an outside spur is a blemish, 

 yet in the cockerel class a bird wit'n one of these defects and 

 with a wry tail takes first prize, while one full of red hackles in 

 his neck and tail takes a third. With regard to the latter I can 

 safely say that, as an old Houdan-breeder, had he been in my 

 yard I should long ago have had him to table. Again, what are 

 we to say when hens and cocks are exhibited as cockerels and 

 pullets and gain a prize ? I am not sure that this is always done 

 with a guilty knowledge of the fact. I know one case in to-day's 

 showing where a bird was exhibited at a provincial show as a 

 pullet, obtained a cup, is claimed, and then exhibited as a pullet 

 here. Of course the buyer can with justice say, " I bought it 

 as such, and therefore I can exhibit it ;" but the Judges ought 

 to be able to distinguish in some of the cases at any rate. 

 Where judging is so faulty as in some of the classes to-day there 

 is no merit in winning a prize; and, as one gentleman said, if 

 all the numbers were put into a hat and drawn there would be 

 more satisfaction. Let it be borne in mind that it is not par- 

 tiality or unfairness that is complained of, but incompetency. 

 And now a few words on the exhibits. 



In the Houdan cock class 1073, first prize, is a grand bird of 

 Mr. Woods, in every respect good, although not having what 

 some insist upon in Houdans, the leaf comb; still he is a mag- 

 nificent fellow, and well deserves his position. 1U74 is a fine 

 bird, so is 1076 with the genuine leaf comb. 107d has a thorough 

 Crcve comb, but good. 1082 light in colour, but fine. 1087 

 (Mr. Copplestone) second, a fine bird, but rather queer about 

 the feet. 108.3 a very large bird. 1080 — why was this bird 

 brought ? and yet two years ago the owner exhibited a fine bird 

 here which took first. 1089, too small a comb, and with a ragged 

 crest. 1092 a very fine bird, good in colour. 1093 also a very 

 good bird. The hens were very good. 1094 very fine old bird ; 

 has seen some seven or eight summers. 11)90 good, but queer 

 in the feet, and with an outside spur. 1098 very good, capital 

 in colour, llll very fine bird, good in size and colour. 1116 

 good, but somewhat small. In cockerels there were some 

 strange vicissitudes of fortune : birds that had won cups else- 

 where not noticed — thus 1123, inclined to squirrel tail, won the 

 cup at Oxford, not noticed here ; 1129 which won the cup at the 

 Alexandra also unnoticed; 1138, first prize, bad, to my mind, 

 many points against him — a wry tail, bad fifth claw, and a queer- 

 ish comb ; he had a magnificent crest, and was very large and good. 

 1153 was a flagrant case of bad judging. Pullets were good; 

 but if the first prize, 11G2, was a pullet, I have very antiquated 

 notions of what a pullet is. 1174 very handsome, but somewhat 

 small. 1188, third prize, pretty marked bird, but rather small. 



The judging in Ciuves was not so bad, and indeed in some of 

 the classes no exception could be made. 1192 was a magnificent 

 bird in splendid condition, and, it I mistake not, this is the 

 third year running that Mr. Hibbert has carried off the first 

 prize here with him. 1202, the second-prize bird, is a fine fellow, 

 and if in as good condition as the previous one would have run 

 him very hard for first. 1206, a good bird, fine shape, and good 

 in colour. Hens were a fine class, although I think some of the 

 awards might have been well altered. Thus, I think 1213, which 

 took second prize, was a better bird than 1219 which had first. 

 The crest of this latter came so much over the face as to make 

 it especially ugly. 1211 was also a good bird, and ought, I think, 

 to have been better placed. There were some grand birds exhi- 

 bited in the cockerel class. 1243, first-prize, was well worthy 

 of the place he took, grand in size and colour. 1249, third, was 

 also a grand bird; I should have preferred him to second. 1241, 

 highly commended, was a good bird also, but small. In pullets 

 the first prize was given to a very splendid bird, 1238, of Mr. 

 J. J. Maiden's. Indeed a finer one has rarely if ever been shown ; 

 it was hatched very early in the year and has been well taken 

 care of. 12.52, second, nice bird, but large and fine. 1267 was 

 good but ratber small. 1260, a nice bird, but in bad condition. 



There were other noticeable features to which I may return, 

 but time and space limit me now. — D., Deal. 



BANTAJIS. 



Game Bantam cocks are better than the hens, but a tendency 

 to over-size exists in both. First Black Ited hen excellent; se- 

 cond cock capital. Among Brown Reds the first cock was far 

 ahead of the rest ; the hens better than their mates. Duck- 

 ivincjs no advance. Piles, first-and-cup a very choice cook, and 

 the hen, same owner, his equal. Wheafens. — This colour not 

 fixed yet, some of the various shades one-half Duckwing. The 

 Blacks well up to the mark ; aU prizes deserved. The White- 



