JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTITEE AXD COTTAGE (5AKDENEE. 



[ May SO, 1803. 



of fowb of which I believe Mr. Baily to be a most important 

 judge. Tho responsibility of the Judges at Birmingham 

 appears to increase every year, and will considerably so 

 this year, in consequence of the increase in the prizes, and 

 many valuable silver cups are given in addition by tho 

 amatem-s. I do think that if a large amount of valuable 

 silver plate is added to the prize list by the exhibitors, the 

 Council ought to consider their wishes as to who shall award 

 those important prizes, and I wish most respectfully to ask 

 the Council, through the medium of your Journal, how it is 

 that we are not allowed the assistance of the most satis- 

 factory judge in the kingdom, Mr. E. Hewitt? 



I am a constant reader of your Jom'nal, and notice that 

 nearly every show that takes place is jiidged by Mr. E. 

 Hewitt, and it is very rare to hear a complaint, and I am 

 satisfied I express the unanimous view of the poultry ama- 

 tem-s of England, when I state that it is their most anxious 

 wish to know that he will act as one of the judges at our 

 next Birmingham Show. I trust the Council will take into 

 fiill consideration this appeal, and unite the name of Mr. 

 E.Hewitt to the list of Birmingham Judges, whose name I am 

 snre will restore much of lost confidence,' and will prove a 

 most satisfactory addition.- — A Binglet Hall Exhibitoe. 



[The writer, as he intimates, is one of the most successful 

 of exhibitors, and we can state emphatically that we know 

 that the Council of the Birmingham Show would gratify 

 exhibitors generally, and remove much obloquy from them- 

 selves, if they added Mr. Hewitt to the Judges of that Show. 

 —Eds.] 



BRAHMA POOTEAS— PEIME AGE OF DUCKS. 



If " Wiltshike Eectob" is not much attached to his 

 Cochins I would advise his trying- Brahmas, they are the 

 same gentle sensible creatures, good layers, good mothers, 

 and good on tho table. I have tried Cochins, and liked 

 them very much, but I think the Brahmas ai-o superior. 

 They will fully appreciate a run in his neighbour's field, 

 but they wiU not fly over a fence into any garden, however 

 tempting. My only gi-ief is that they must be killed some- 

 times, for it is painful to give the order, when they walk 

 about with you like dogs, and trust you so entii-ely. 



I should be glad if any one would tell me if it be better 

 to keep Ducks until they are two or three years old, or to 

 rear young ones every year for breeding. — M., Stinny 

 Vicarage. 



[Mr. Baily fully endorses all you say about Brahmas. 

 They are, in his opinion, superior to Cochins, and thinks 

 that those who Bay they are identical have a great deal to 

 answer for. A second-season Duck is better than a first, 

 and therefore we advise you to keep those that have -proved 

 themselves good ones. We often keep them for foui years 

 or seasons, and have no reason to repent it.] 



all my sittings at present. Will you inform me if cocoa-nut 

 fibre refuse on the groutfd is objectionable for sitting instead 

 of short straw, as recommended by Messrs. Crook ? — Peect 

 Cross. 



[We shall be glad to hear o{ your progress, and to advise 

 you as you go on. This has been an exceptional hatching- 

 time : we know many instances in which eggs have failed 

 where the previous sittings from the same yard, and under 

 tho same management, hatched twelve or thii-teen. When 

 your chickens die in the shell it is from being too dry; 

 moisten every egg for sis or seven days before hatching. 

 We never heai-d of short straw for a nest, nor do we in any 

 way approve of baskets for sitting hens. Let your nests be 

 on the ground, put a moist sod for the bottom, over that 

 you may put straw enough to keep the eggs in, but not 

 short straw. If we wanted to insure disappointment in 

 hatching, we would advise to set the hens in baskets partly 

 filled with short straw.] 



DOUBLE EGG FEETILE. 



I SEE in a letter signed " Chanticleek " a doubt thrown 

 out as to whether a double-yolked egg is less prolific. I hasten 

 to inform "Chanticleek" and your readers that a few days 

 ago an egg (Dorking), set by me produced two chickens. The 

 egg was chipped and one chicken partly got out of the egg, 

 but whether from want of room, or from being crushed 

 against each other by the hen, they died before getting quite 

 clear of their narrow home. Both chickens were well grown, 

 and looked healthy. — Sjbv. E. C, Walton I'arsonage. 



HATCHING THIS SEASON. 



I DO not for a moment suppose that any persons having 

 the least claim to respectability would play ar.y tricks witli 

 the eggs they dispose of for sitting, but aa I have this 

 Beason purchased sittings from some of tho best yards in 

 the kingdom, I will, with your permission, give you the 

 reenlta of each sitting. 



On the VM\ ult., the second day after receiving them, I 

 put a dozen of Capt. Heaton's celebrated Buff Cochins under 

 a very steady hen in a basket, with .3 inches of sand at the 

 bottom, and a turf on the sand. When two days overdue I 

 examined the eggs and found all bad but one, which con- 

 tained a chick, nearly matured, but dead. 



On the 24th inst., I liave a sitting of Mr. J. Daily's 

 Spanish duo, and will also with your permission send you 

 the results. 



I may state that out of a sitting of my own, Partridge 

 Cochins, due on the 13th inst., I only hatched four, nearly 

 an the others seem to have died in their shells some few 

 days before due. 



I am told by all my friends (amateurs like myself), that 

 my houses and yard are all that can be desired. Of one 

 thing I am certain, that they aro Rcrupulously clean, yet 

 somehow or other I have been singularly unfortunate with 



THE DEEBY CANARY and OENITHOLOGICAL 



SOCIETY. 



HA\aNG read your remarks upon my recently-published 

 "Handbook, &c., on Canaries and other Birds," which has 

 found favour with many breeders in different parts of Eng- 

 land, and to a certain extent meets with your approval, 

 allow me space to reply. As you have " brought me out of 

 my shell," it is quite natural I should have a " chirp " or 

 two, and will leave the subject to the opinions of the many 

 breeders as to whether your remarks on my book have not 

 been made without fair consideration as to what it was in- 

 tended for. I endeavoured to prepai-e my pamphlet with 

 cai-e, not only for the benefit of the breeders in this district, 

 but also to afford the fanciers in other towns an opportunity 

 of learning what the Derby breeders have done, so that it 

 might act somewhat as a guide to them, but never intended 

 it as of " interest for the general reader." 



I am as great a friend to the " general diffusion of the 

 Canary fancy as any man breathing, and when I wrote 

 the eighth rule, that " No person is admitted as a member 

 of this Society unless residing in the county or borough of 

 Derbj'," knew full well what benefit I was affording to the 

 members in this pai-ticular locality. It was not intended 

 that a code of laws suitable for a local society should be also 

 suitable for an All-England show; and as to youi- express- 

 ing " a regret at this exclusiveness in these days of rail- 

 roads," the very fact of some of the Derby breeders being 

 able, well able, to bring out also an All-England show 

 annually, second to none in the kingdom, proves your 

 remarks against the eighth rule of our local society to have 

 been made without a knowledge of what actually takes 

 place in Derby towards promoting tho extension of the 

 fancy, facilities being given to the breeders and fanciers in 

 .all parts for availing themselves of the railroads. 



I know full well the anxiety and attention that has been 

 devoted towards making the Derby local Society what it is, 

 and I feel proud in saying there is not existing another 

 Canai-y society of a local kind that can excel ours. The 

 Committee of the Derby Society have at all times been 

 willing to render assistance to any breeders wishing to 

 form a club in any other town, and what effect has the 

 formation and encouragement of local shows in different 

 parts of England? Why, they act as feeders and supports 

 to All-England shows, by birds being sent for exhibition. 

 'I'hoy likewise churo an increase of breeders, and the more 

 breeders and fanciers the greater the chance of tho classes 



