December 2, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOTJLTURB AND OOTTAQE GARDENER. 



497 



cock weighs 33 lbs. 12 ozs. ; and Mr. W. Wykes' eecond-prise 

 Turkey cock, 34 It s. 3 ozs. Mr. H.J. Gannell's first-prize Turkey 

 cock, hatched in 1875, and seven months old, weighs 29 lbs. ; 

 and Mr. W. Wykes' second-prize Turkey cock, six and half 

 months old, weighs 24 lbs. 10 oza. Mr. George Daft's first-prize 

 pair (if Turkey hens weigh 60 lbs.; and Mr. E. Kendrick|s 

 second-prize pair, 40 lbs. 8 ozs. Mr. W. Wykes' first-prize pair 

 of Turkey hens, six and half months old, weigh .32 lbs. 3 ozs. ; 

 and Mr. B. Arnold's Becond-prize pair, 31 lbs. 12 ozs. Mr. 

 James Walker's first-prize Aylesbury Duck and drake weigh 

 21 lbs. 9 czs. ; and Mr. J. K. Fowler's second-prize Duck and 

 drake, 20 lbs. Mr. James Walker's first-prize Bouen Duck and 

 drake weigh 20 lbs. 6 ozs. ; and Mr. Robertson Gladstone's 

 second-prize Duck and drake, 19 lbs. 10 ozs. 



PIGEONS. 



In this department of the Bingley Hall Exhibition we have 

 this year one or two innovations, the chief of which is the intro- 

 duction of the single-bird system throughout the whole of the 

 classes instead of confining it as formerly to the adult Carriers 

 and the Pouters. To this, combined with the abolition of the 

 guinea subscription, another subscription instead of an entry fee 

 of 5s. per pen, is no doubt to be attributed the increase in the 

 number of entries from 375 last year to 541 on the present occa- 

 sion. The general quality of the specimens has, to our thinking, 

 also increased in equal ratio, for the very fact of exhibitors 

 having to show a pair of good birds instead of only a single 

 specimen no doubt often kept many celebrities in their owners' 

 lofts, or caused them to be sent to other places where the single- 

 bird system was adopted, simply on account of the immense 

 difficulty of obtaining suitable matches. In the pair system 

 accuracy in matching is the chief element of success, and often 

 pulls off the prize in favour of inferior birds in regard to general 

 properties over competitors of higher quality on the whole, but 

 lacking in this one respect. To win in the show pen a pair must 

 be a pair in every sense of the word : hence the improved 

 quality of the Show generally on the present occasion. Another 

 innovation, and one which we do not think is very acceptable 

 to exhibitors, is the reduction in the amount of the first prize 

 from £2 to 30s. The care of the birds while in the Exhibition 

 is again placed in the hands of Mr. J. W. Edge, an old and ex- 

 perienced f mcier, and his exertions for the welfare of his pro- 

 tegfs will no doubt be duly appreciated by their owners, and 

 this is a point which might be copied with advantage by the 

 managers of many other exhibitions, who too frequently com- 

 mit to the care of persons utterly unqualified for the task the 

 care of collections of birds worth, peihaps, thousands of pounds. 

 The birds were shown In the usual tiers of peus three deep 

 round the gallery of the poultry bay; but the arrangement of 

 the different varieties was very badly managed. The numbers 

 Beemed to run up and down the pens in a very indiscriminate 

 manner, and the Carriers and other varieties which should have 

 been placed high to be seen to advantage were relegated to the 

 bottom tier, and vice versa. Having had our say in regard to 

 the general arrangements, we now pass on to a few remarks in 

 regard to the birds. 



First on the list stood the Black Carrier cocks, twelve in all, 

 and a very fair collection they are ; but the best bird in the 

 class, belonging to Mr. Fulton, was passed over by the Judge 

 on account of having some white feathers underneath. The 

 same thing, at the hands of the same Judge, occurred to this 

 bird at Bingley Hall last year, which gave rise to the controversy 

 in a contemporary as to whether the white crutch and vent is a 

 disqualification in a Carrier. This, however, is not the place nor 

 time to re-open the discussion. As it was, the first-prize cock 

 was deficient in neck and leg, with a good eye and beak-wattle, 

 but somewhat crowded. 'The second honours went to Mr. 

 Yardley's well-known old Black cock, looking, if anything, better 

 than ever. Third a long stylish bird, but much younger than 

 his more successful competitors. Other birds in this class call 

 for some notice, particularly the highly commended pen of Mr. 

 Maynard's (1950), particularly good in beak and wattle, and alto- 

 gether a most useful Pigeon ; also the highly-commended pen 

 195G (Gordin), a bird possessing good eye and wattle properties, 

 and evidently shown in a natural state. Black bens mustered 

 nine good birds, Mr. Heritage's first- prize hen being of very 

 high character and wonderfully developed for her age (eighteen 

 months), having thrown-up eye and wattle sufficient for a bird 

 double her age. She was one of the birds in the winning pair 

 which Mr. Heritage showed at Bingley Hall last year. Second 

 (Maynard) a very stout bird with a good eye, but hollow in front 

 of the wattle. Third (Fulton) a good bird, but of a much finer 

 stamp than the second. The class for Dun cocks brought seven 

 competitors into the arena, Mr. Fulton carrying off the whole 

 of the honours in this class, together with the cup for the best 

 adult Carrier, with the bird with which Mr. Maynard won at 

 the Alexandra Palace Show, where he was claimed by Mr. Fulton 

 at, we believe, i'iO. He is a very fine Pigeon, and both he and 

 the second-prize bird bid fair to make winners for some time to 

 come. The second bird was a little pale in colour and rather 

 down-faced, but capital la eye and wattle. Pen 1976 (Maynard) ' 



very good, particularly well made-up in wattle. 1972 (White- 

 house) also a good Pigeon, but "tell it Bot in Gath," very white 

 on the thigh, and highly commended instead of a disqualification 

 as in Black cocks. Dun hens (ten entries), all of very high 

 character; in fact, the Duns, both cocks and hens, this year 

 carry off the palm for superiority over the Blacks. First (May- 

 nard) a very stylish hen, good in eye, but deficient in beak- 

 wattle. She was, we believe, the winning hen at B ristol, second at 

 the Alexandra, and third at the Crystal Palace Shows, and being 

 a young bird will no doubt improve much yet. Second a meri- 

 torious bird, her faults being shortness of neck, and beak-wattle 

 too long for our taste. Third we thought a grand Pigeon, cer- 

 taitily rather short in neck, but beautiful in the properties of 

 beak-wattle, colour, and eye, and altogether to our taste a better 

 hen than the first, belonging to the same owner. 1978 (Fulton) 

 unnoticed, an excellent bird in beak and wattle, but no doubt 

 passed over by the Judge, who gave great weight to style 

 throughout, a point where she was deficient. The Any other 

 colour class were an iiidifferent lot, only three out of the five 

 entered putting in an appearance for the three prizes. 



Carriers hatched In 1875. — Amongst the Blacks eleven entries, 

 among them many birds which will no doubt be beard of here- 

 after. We cannot say that we were very much taken with Mr. 

 Maynard's cup bird. He promises well in the future as regards 

 making-up plenty of wattle and eye, and is a good colour, but 

 he possesses one very great fault in our opinion in being very 

 throaty. 'The second-prize bird of the same owner is the first- 

 prize young hen at the late Palace Show, and is very stout in 

 beak and wattle for a young hen. Third (Heritage) a very 

 stylish bird, but rather short in face. Pen 1992 (Fulton) a rare- 

 necked Pigeon, and one which shows itself to advantage; ex- 

 cepting a little holIownesB in beak-wattle, a capital bird. In 

 young Duns Mr. Maynard again comes to the fore with one of 

 his Alexandra Palace winners, the bird which was the winntr 

 at that show being passed over here unnoticed, perhaps on 

 account of being so well developed. Second a good bird, but 

 rather coarse. The Any other colour class does not caU for any 

 particular notice. 



Pouter cocks, Red or Yellow, had only three entries, Mr. 

 Fulton taking first with a good Red, as he did also with a good 

 hen of the same colour in the next class. The class for Blue 

 Pouter cocks brought six excellent birds, as may be inferred by 

 five out of them being noticed by the Judge. The cup for the 

 four classes of Pouter hens was gained by a fine Blue belonging 

 to Mr. Fulton, which, however, was run hard for it by the Red 

 of the same owner. In White Pouter cocks the Judge evidently 

 gave the preference to the smaller-girthed birds, Mr. Pratt 

 winning first with a tall, graceful, narrow-girthed specimen, but 

 small in crop, Mr. Fulton's second-prize bird being larger in 

 crop, but of stouter build. In White hens Mrs. Ladd was first 

 with a bird of like description as the first White cock ; in fact, 

 the points which seemed to have weighed most with the Judga 

 throughout the whole of the Pouter awards seemed to have been 

 principally girth, length, and carriage. In Pouter cocks, any 

 other colour, there were only two birds to compete for the three 

 prizes, but Mr. Pratt's well-known Black being first, and also 

 wresting another cup to his owner from the cocks in the other 

 classes. Pouter hens, any other colour, were not very praise- 

 worthy. 



Almond Tumblers had eight entries, cocks and hens compet- 

 ing together. Mr. Yardley carried off the cup with an excellent 

 bird, rich in his ground colour, very handsomely spangled, and 

 good in head properties, Mr. Fulton's second-prize bird being 

 too dark about the neck, with a good flight and tail, and not 

 nicely broken on the shoulder; his third-prize, a hen, being good 

 in colour, but very inferior in head points, being long and nar- 

 row. Mr. Ford and Mr. Yardley showed two capital hens, the 

 former being a little out of condition, and that of the latter waa 

 about one of the best-headed birds in the class, having other 

 good properties to match. In Short-faced Tumblers Mr. Yardley 

 was agaiu first with the well-known Yellow Agate cock which 

 won first at the Crystal Palace, Mr. Fulton being second and 

 third with a pretty Black Mottle and a poor Kite, the latter out 

 of condition. Mr. Woodhouse's little Blue Baldhead cock won 

 the cup for the Short-faced Tumblers ; Mr. South being second 

 also with a Blue, but of a much stronger character than his 

 more successful rival. A neat Red was third. In Beards an 

 excellent coloured Black belonging to Mr. South was first, Mr. 

 Woodhouse following with a Blue. 



Long-faced Tumblers, Long-mnffed, and Clean-legged 

 mustered very strongly, being largely supported by varieties 

 peculiar to the neighbourhood of Birmingham. In the former 

 class the winners were Black Mottles and Black Saddles respec- 

 tively ; while in the latter class two pens were left ont in the 

 cold on account of being entered in the wrong class, their proper 

 place being amongst the Short-faces. One a rich Yellow Mottle 

 would undoubtedly have received at least a mention had it been 

 in its proper place ; as it was, the prizes went to a handsome 

 Bed and a Yellow Mottle in the order mentioned. 



In Barbs, an excellent Red rather out of condition won the 



