476 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( November 25, 187S. 



changed places. In hens or pnllets there were eleven entries, 

 the winner a very good hen of much excellence in all points. 

 Second a promising pullet : 15i5 (Fitch) a prettily-colonred 

 bird, bnt poor in feet. Piles were a nice lot, and Mr. Fitz 

 Herbert showed a good team of birds and did well with them- 

 The winning cock ia yellow-legged, and a splendid one too. 

 Second a good adult cock, and third a fair cockerel. In hens or 

 pnllets we much admired the second-prize pullet, and thought 

 perhaps a card might have been placed over her master's 

 hen. Third another very good hen. 1503 (Stabler) a good old 

 pen requiring more time. Black or Brassy-winged made up 

 only six pairs, three of which belonged to Mr. Montresaor. Tha 

 first went to Black chickens, the other colour taking second and 

 third houours. The same gentleman's other pen (unnoticed) 

 was a smart pair of Blacks, the hen being especially good, but 

 her mate failed in feet. In the uudubbed Game clasi a smart 

 Brown Red cockerel won the cup, but we did not quite like his 

 colour. Second and third also went to Brown Beds, of which the 

 former was a very nice bird in all respects. Seven birds were 

 commended in this class, of which perhaps the best were pens 

 2414 (Fitz-Herbert), a Pile, and 2405 (Cameron), a capital Brown 

 Bed. 



Malays. — No less than seventeen pens were entered. Mr. 

 Hinton won the cup and first prize most deservedly. The 

 cock is a superb bird and in grand feather. Second went to a 

 capital pair of old birds of very even and sound colour; and 

 third were a younger pair, very good, and of true Malay shape. 

 Miss Brooke's was a nice pen and the colour was good. Mr. 

 Burnell's pen were fair, and not dear at 50s. There were no less 

 than seven pens empty, including those of Messrs. Payne, Falle, 

 Perry, and Brownlie. We never saw so many empty pens in 

 many of the classes at the Palace as on this occasion, and wish 

 a mark could have been pnt against such tenantless pens in the 

 catalogue for the edification of absent readers. 



Spanish. — These made classes better in numbers than quality. 

 Of the four lots we thought the pullets best. The winning cocks, 

 however, were all good. The first-prize bird also won the cup ; 

 he has a fine face of good colour. Next to him ive liked the 

 only highly commended bird in the class, for his lobes were very 

 first-class. Hens were all backward ; they will be in grand form 

 by Bristol ; as they were, many looked pinched and untidy. 

 The cockerels were fair, nothing very grand anywhere, Mr. 

 Chilcott's perhaps the best. Pullets made an improvement; 

 the winner was nice and will improve yet. Second was a splen- 

 did bird with a beautiful face, and would have been first we 

 should say easily but for her twist. Third certainly of great 

 promise. The highly commended birds were, many of them, 

 capital. Of them perhaps pens 1054 (Jackson), 1068 (Goddard), 

 and 1070 (Chilcott), were as promising as any. 



Polish were very good. The varieties are putting in a capital 

 appearance. The Golden-spangled were especially good, and 

 really there were a dozen pens worthy of prizes which only had 

 "highly condemneds," as some jocosely term them. The win- 

 ning old cock is a wonder in all points and was looking well. 

 Second also a grand old cock, his crest and wings being espe- 

 cially good. Third went to a nice chicken promising to make a 

 good one. All the noticed birds were good, and the Judge 

 rightly called it " an extremely good class." Hens again were 

 beautiful. The old winner looks splendid and won the cup ; we 

 never saw a better crest, and she has r- ally moulted out as fresh 

 as a daisy. Second good in colour, but not so perfect in crest 

 aa some of the other birds, Etill of great excellence; and third 

 another really good bird. This class won the title of being 

 " extraordinary," and the birds were certainly a superb lot. 

 We believe Mr. Boothby lost his hen for i'lO 10s. : we say " lost," 

 because we should say she was a bargain at the money. Silvers 

 were also a very fine lot. We liked the winner in cocks very 

 much. He wants more time, and will then run in as nearly the 

 best old Polish cock extant we should say. Second was a good 

 bird of immense crest and prettily marked — a good second. 

 Third a very smart-looking bird, but not quite so Al in colour. 

 Hens were very fine, and Mr. Adkins indeeddid well ; his crests 

 are very beautiful, and his hens have all such good markings. 

 Mr. Hinton's hen was very fine, but her markings are not quite 

 oar fancy perhaps. Mr. Beldon's was a splendid hen, and almost 

 deserved a better place. White-crested Blacks were very beau- 

 tiful, but we were sorry to find so many pens disqualified. It 

 ■would be well to know what amount of trimming is allowed, 

 for we can but believe that every bird of this breed that wins 

 has a certain amount of it. The winning cock was an old bird, 

 a fine fellow, but his crest is not ready. Second, a very nice 

 bird with neat crest. The third bird we liked the best of the 

 lot ; he is a fine cockerel with a grandly coloured crest. Mr. 

 Norwood's bird was a pretty cockerel, but ordinary cockerels 

 have no chance against old birds in this breed. Hens were very 

 nice, the winner singularly good in crest and colour, and well 

 first; second a very well-grown pullet of good colour with a 

 large crest ; third a beautiful hen with fine crest. Of the dis- 

 qualified birds we will say nothing. 



Silkies. — The judging here was good, and we were pleased 



to see all the prizes given to one type of bird, for crests, ears, 

 and combs prevailed before mere perfection of leg feather. The 

 winning pair contained Mr. Woodgate's cockerel first at the 

 Alexandra Palace, which was claimed there, mated with a very 

 fair pullet. Second were beautiful in shape and head, but the 

 cockerel's neck was full of pen feathers, which made him look a 

 little yellow. Third a very nice even pair all round. Mr. Broad's 

 old bird had a charming comb, one of the very best we ever saw, 

 but the legs are in a bad state. 1G95 (Holmes) a very nice pair, 

 well-feathered, but a shade coarse-looking. 



Leghorns. — We did not think the Browns so good as they 

 were at the Alexandra Palace or Oxford, though perhaps many 

 of the birds were the same. The winners, we are told, are im- 

 ported. They are very nice in colour, and have beautiful lobes, 

 but lack somehow the smartness of their English relations. 

 The second were a nice pair, but we thought the cock carried 

 his tail badly, and we preferred perhaps the third, where the 

 cock was a fine bird, or even the pen of Mr. Mannoch, 1669. 

 Mr. Kitchin's "birds were not, we think, his best, as we have 

 seen better specimens of his at other shows. We can sympathise 

 with him in having to fall back upon attendants to choose hia 

 birds for exhibition in his temporary absence from home. His 

 birds in pen 1071 were extremely good in ears and colour. 

 Whites made up eight pens, in which the colour was on the 

 whole pretty even. The winners were well in first, and are 

 very showy. Second not so good in colour, but still a smart 

 pen. Third belonging to same exhibitor, and much resembling 

 his second-prize pen. Mr. Fowler's were nice birds, and BO 

 were Mr. Day's, but they did not seem so large as the winners. 



Andalusians. — This was the first venture here for this breed, 

 and eleven pens were entered, of which half a dozen came from 

 Miss Arnold. This lady won first and second with two nice 

 pens, both of which contained very beautiful cockerels. Third 

 went to a nice pen of adults belonging to an old admirer of this 

 breed. 



Vabiety Class — This was extremely good. A very splendid 

 pen of Black Minorcas, as good as any we ever saw, were first ; 

 fourth prize also went to a very good pen of this breed. Second 

 prize was won by a fair pen of Cnckoo Cochins, and third nice 

 White four-toed Sultans. 1711 (Harris), Black Malays of great 

 lustre. 



The Untrimmed Class.— Very early on the first day we found 

 ourselves in front of Class 111, and we waited for the awards 

 with much interest and great curiosity. We judged the class 

 before the cards were up according to our own ideas, and could 

 then only pity the people who had paid their 7s. Gd. each, and 

 had no chance of the prizes by not sending vulture-hocked 

 specimens. We were amazed later on when the awards were 

 out to find that the Judge had evidently not thought more of 

 hocks than any other point, and had given the prizes to the best 

 birds in the class according to his ideas. The birds that won 

 were a very beautiful Spanish cockerel, second a good Dark 

 Brahma cock, and third a fine Dark Brahma hen (h(cked). The 

 class had twenty-eight entries, and we saw among them a Cruve, 

 Malay, a Spanish, and a Bantam. In Asiatics there was a 

 good White Cochin cock, some fair Buffs, and one or two good 

 Brahmas. We left the class regretting very much that it had 

 not been called "the class for vulture-hocked Asiatics," when 

 all the unpleasant words about it would have been spared ; and 

 we cannot help thinking that even after the schedules had been 

 issued this class could have been set right by a few lines in the 

 poultry papers ; for though the disturbance did not arise till 

 the entries were closing or had closed, considering the circum- 

 stances a week's act of grace could perhaps have been given to 

 this class. As it was, the Judge acted undoubtedly wisely in 

 keeping to the class as advertised in the schedule, and making 

 hocks no more a &ine qua -non than any other feature. 



Waterfowl. — The Aylesbury Ducks were very good. They 

 were in pairs where Mr. Fowler's truly wonderful pair were 

 again first. Second were also good, having splendid bills. 

 Third a nice pair. Fourth were also good, and better matched, 

 perhaps, than the third. Eouens were divided as to sexes, 

 Mr. Evans did well. His birds are simply perfect, and splen- 

 didly shown. We never saw larger specimens, and congratulate 

 their owner on his winnings. Second and third drakes both 

 good and of large size. All the noticed pens were good, and 

 would have come to the front well in any orilinary competition. 

 Blacks made an immense class, of which Messrs. Kelleway and 

 Sainsbnry sent no less than ten pens. Mr. Kelleway had all 

 his four pens in the list. We really cannot criticise the class, 

 for we could never get the lot iuto equal light ; but we may 

 say that Mr. Sainsbury's Ducks were perfect beauties, and we 

 do think the prizes should have been more divided between 

 Devizes and the Island. Black Ducks, however, are dreadful 

 things to judge, and we never envy anyone this work Mr. 

 Walker's drake is a beauty ; what a pity he cannot buy a small 

 Duck ! And Mrs. Hayne's and Mr. Serjeantson's, though pos- 

 sessing much colour, are too large for the fashion. In fancy 

 Ducks, Spotted Bills, Mandarins, and Carolinas won the prizes. 

 They were all in lovely feather, and we can never make out in 



