1^ 



JOURNAL OF HOIiXICULT.DKE AND COXTAGE GAKDEKEK. 



[ JftbruKtj £1, 186i. 



Second, tlie estimate foi- one breeding hen shows 150 eggs 

 at 10s. and 24 chickens at 3i!., but it' the eggs are all sold 

 none can be hatched ; the same occurs in the estimate lor 

 one laying hen. 



Third, the amount credited for manure is considei-ably 

 too much, as at least two-thii-ds of the manure produced is 

 lost. 



Fourth, Ml-. G. taltes ci-edit for 90,000 eggs produced in 

 the winter and selling at 15s. per 100 (See page 16.), 

 forgetting that he has previously taken credit for the sale 

 of the same eggs at 10s. The amount to bo credited is 

 simply the difierence between 10s. and 15s. 



I do not think that .£500 per annum could be calculated 

 upon as the extra price for choice birds. 



The subjoined statement will be found much nearer the 

 fact than that of Mr. G :— 



EKTEStJE. 



Se.Oro chickens at 2s. Grf. 

 Featbers at M. each .... 



Manure at Irf 



2,OlO laying hens nt 180 eegs 



per annum, at 10s. per 100... 



Mantrrc at O'rf 



l.OOObree'^inp hens at 150 eggs 



per ttnnuiii = 150,000 

 Deduct eggs 



reFfrvpd (ur 



hatching 60.000 



.£6.2.50 

 SOS 

 208 



1,801 

 50 



4.W 



80,000 at 10,1. 



Manure st R(/ 



£ztTa profit on eggs during 



■winter 225 \ Carriage, packiofr, &c . 



Extra price tor choice birds ... 500 



! EXPKKSF.S. 



1 50,000 cliicltent;, interest., fuel, i 



rent, &c..at3(/. £625 



Cnft, niien l!Htchcd,at 2d.... 416 



Food at 1.5 6rf. each 3,750 



Latiour at 2d. , 116 



2,000 layinc hen>.. interest, 



rent. *c., at Is Gd 150 



Kood at4». 6d. each 450 



I..ibourut Is ,, 100 



1,000 brofdintr bens, interest, 



rent. &c., nt 3«. 6d 17.5 



Food at 4t. fid 225 



Labour at 2s 100 



Commission on sales — 10 per 



cent .1.56 



200 



With reference to the Canai'ies, although we cannot say 

 that the Belgian class was so fine as last year, yet the 

 London Fancy, and the Norwich and Jonques, as well as the 

 Lizards, made up for the deiiciency. 



The Goldfinch and Linnet Mules, especially the Linnet, 

 were very tine. 



There were two entries of Pheasants, and we should like 

 to see the numbers in future increase. 



The classification of the birds, aud the various arrange- 

 ments in connection with the Show, were admirably carried 

 out, and too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the 

 parties who were responsible. The Judge must have had 

 the same, and even greater, diiEoulty as at the Show last 

 year, in awarding a prize to a class in which all specimens 

 were so orjual in merit : and it is only one who has a thorough 

 knowledge of ornithology that could discover any difference 

 between one bird and another. 



Prollt.. 



£9 716 I £9,716 



I allow 60,000 eggs to produce 50,000 chickens. I presume 

 any one would be well satisfied to i-aiso ten chickens out of 

 twelve eggs, which is the same proportion. 



Mr. G. charges .3s. 6('. for each breeding hen for interest, 

 rent, fuel, and sundries, but charges only Is. 6d. for the 

 laying hens for the same purposes. 



I think it is a question open to serious doubt whether 

 50,000 chickens could be sold at 2s. 6(2. each. 



I have not the pleasure of knowing Mr. Geyelin, but I 

 beg to assure him that I do not dispute his figures simply 

 for the sake of disputing; but I feel that were such a state- 

 ment allowed to go uncontradicted some might take it as a 

 basis for their own calculations, and then nothing but 

 woeful disappointment would await them. — C. S. J. 



CEYST.VL P-y:.ACE BEITISH AND FOllEIGN 

 BIED SHOW. 



There is, in our opinion, no item in the Ci'j'stal Palace 

 Company's winter programme possessing more attraction, 

 and of greater interest, than the annual Show of British 

 and Foreign Birds. 



The one upon which we have now the pleasure of com- 

 menting commenced on the ISth inst. It is a splendid 

 exhibition of small birds ; and, although we have extolled 

 the merits of previous collections, yet we have no hesitation 

 in saying that the present one excels all others in the 

 number and the splcn'lid condition and quality of the birds; 

 and we regret that the weather was so unfavourable as to 

 prevent a liirger number of visitors from attending so fine 

 a show. We are glad to find that the Company have been 

 discreet enough to change the day of opening again to 

 Saturday, as it must ho more profitable alike to the 

 Company and to the exhibitor.s. Our notice was specially 

 attracted by the beautiful condition and magnificent plumage 

 of the Bpccimens in general. The entry for varieties con- 

 tained some very interesting examples of the freaks of 

 natiu-e in the way of perfect albinos, consiiting of a Thrush, 

 a Linnet, a Jackdaw, and a Blackbird, of wjiich, perhaps, 

 some uninitiated individuals will be incredulous ; but there 

 are the stubborn fa«tB, which cannot be denied. 



AVc observed some very fine representatives of the Black- 

 bird, BuUfinch, and Goldfinch, and also some exquisite 

 specimens of the King Parrot. Cockatoos, Grey Parrots, 

 and Aostraliaa Paroquets were also objects of great atten- 

 tion. 



ilALAYS ON THE TABLE. 



Pekh.'iI'S you will allow your "Persian coiTespondent " 

 to add a line to " Wiltshire Eector's" kindly story of his 

 visit to me, and this in simple justice to the Malay. It so 

 ha.ppons th.at the bird in question, which appeared on my 

 table, W2s not the bird we had eaten three weeks before. 

 In fact, it was like the Irishman's pig, which, when killed, 

 he declared to a friend, " did not weigh as much as he ex- 

 pected, and he never thought it would." Well, it was the 

 same with this identical bird, it did not look as well as I in- 

 tended, and I never thought it would. I was afraid of it, and 

 I confess that I was somewhat crest-fallen, when, remoring 

 the cover, I found the breast as otir genial " Wiltshirk 

 Rector" described, "sharp and thin." In justice to the 

 Malay, I do not believe this is generally the case ; long- 

 legged as they certainly are (a li-iend of mine says he shovUd 

 be afraid of their loolriug in at his bedroom window), yet it 

 is wonderful how a bird, which when hanging by his legs on 

 a nail, has these on the nail " here," and his head "yonder" — 

 I say it is a mystery how his very long continuations can be 

 packed and trussed up to make a seemly binl on the table, 

 but it does, and I can only hope I may yet have the great 

 pleasure of convincing " Wiltshire Rector" on this point, 

 as much as I have converted him as to their living good 

 looks. 



I do not wish to rejiort him to his Bishop, but I must say 

 that I thought we both of us worshipped the sun, or at any 

 rate, we greatly admired him. The visit was in very wet 

 weather ; but lo and behold the sun shone brightly all that 

 day, and Englishman-like, we continually commented on his 

 appearance and beauty. &c. That night, if I mistake not, 

 it rained furiously. Well. I must say I am "Persian" 

 enough to have some veneration for that great luminai-y. 

 especially when he shines on so pleasant a meeting as oui-s 

 was. I will only add, many thanks to "our Journal" for 

 being the means of introducing me to one who is a kindly 

 genial lover of nature and her varied olia.rms, and who is so 

 warm-hearted and friendly to boot. — Y. B. A. Z. 



HOME SUPPLY OP IJGGS AND POULTBV. 



Is there are v,"ilid reason why England should not supply 

 her own wants in the Bhajjo of eggs, poultry, and rabbits ':' 

 I dare say the tuoncy wo pay foreign countries for these ne- 

 cessaries," does not fall far, if at all, short of .£500.000 annu- 

 ally. Can they not be produiiod as cheaply, abundantly, 

 and profitaVjly at home, as in France and Belgium "i* Is it 

 not time that some efforts shf)uld be mado to solve this 

 problem ? I am aware much has been done for the last few 

 years to improve the breeds of our poultry, but 1 have novel' 

 hoard of the production of eggs and poultry having been 

 attempted in a large way, as a matter of trade or business, 

 thougli i have olXon Ijeen told that to make this stock pay 

 they should be kept in such numbers as to employ the whole 

 time (lud attention of working people. M. do Laverjfne 

 estimated the value of poultry in Franco at .£H,O0O,O0O, 



I while that in Englunit was no more than i!H0O,O00. 



; As a national bianch of rural economy, we know nothing 

 in iinglond of the hrecding and management of potiltry : 



