314 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 5, 1876. 



grass in the runs begins to look tufty and coarse. In fact every- 

 thing begins to look untidy, and we are told that autumn has 

 come. 



"With Michaelmas day we began a new list of poultry shows 

 and commenced putting things in train for the great Beason of 

 important exhibitions. Up to then we had only had chicken 

 shows of moderate excellence ; but in October and the following 

 winter months well-got-up schedules arrive by nearly every 

 post, and the full whirl of important exhibitions is upon us. 

 Before this comes to pass, when we are now in Michaelmas tide, 

 which is the tnrniDg point in this new quarter, let us take a 

 brief retrospect of what we have seen at the Bummer shows. 



First of all, taking all the chicken shows and chicken classes 

 collectively, we think the average quality and number of birds 

 has been very fair, and perhaps 1876 has so far been marked by 

 a more even proportion of good specimens in all the varieties 

 than is usually the caBe. We should think Cochins and Light 

 Brahmas have on the whole made the beBt display, while Dark 

 Brahmas have made the weakest. Considering the wholesale 

 way in which they have been in the habit of being bred and 

 exhibited, we almost are inclined to believe this fashionable 

 breed is beginning to lose admirers and that its glory is depart- 

 ing. We fancy the older-established Cochins are once more 

 regaining their position which the Dark Brahmas temporarily 

 Beemed to wrest from them. Most certainly there has not been 

 that display of Dark Brahma chickenB which we have seen in 

 other years ; and Bath, which in former Septembers haa been 

 so very conspicuous for its chickens of this breed, this year 

 mustered but three cockerels, and those in no way up to the 

 standard of former times. We fancy winning became too diffi- 

 cult, and was in the hands of so very few, that many fanciers 

 turned their attention to other breeds which held out greater 

 chances of prizes. Cochins, we believe, are as popular as ever 

 they have been, but even with them trade is not very brisk ; in 

 fact, we heard one of our oldest breeders Bay but last week that 

 he had never known such utter stagnation in the poultry world 

 aB regards sales. There have been some good Doriing chickens 

 out, and the judges seem to fancy the Silver- Greys very much; 

 for at Hereford, Weymouth, Aylesbury, and other shows we 

 find this variety taking the cups before their coloured brethren. 

 Hamburgh chickens in the north have been plentiful and good ; 

 the Blacks more especially have been wonderfully good. The 

 French we have not seen in the numbers we have been in the 

 habit of seeing at the chicken shows of past years, but the quality 

 of those which we have seen has been quite up to a good average. 

 In the Polands the year so far has been remarkable for the great 

 excellency of the White-crested Blacks. We consider this one 

 of the most lovely of all our breeds, and hope the chickens have 

 not only appeared at the summer shows but will also appear 

 equally strong at the winter exhibitions. In Leghorns the Club 

 has been making a stir and furnishing prize money right and 

 left. We hardly think so far the entrieB have been as numerous 

 as they should have been, but we can quite imagine it is no 

 easy work all at once to put a breed upon its own footing. There 

 have been some good Spanish about, and a nice Malay or two. 

 Silkies have been perhaps rather more numerous than usual, 

 and we hope the extra classes they are now having will lead to 

 still further cultivation of this most useful little breed. Among 

 Bantams in the south the Game have been but poor, while Laced 

 ajid Blacks have come to the front better. In Waterfowl, Bouen 

 Ducks have been so far extremely good. Of Indians we have 

 seen also some splendid pens for colour. Black Cochins have 

 not come to the fore very much, and it seems difficult to get 

 size with other good points. Thus much for the birds generally 

 during these summer shows ; now we look forward to large 

 classes and good quality, and expect Oxford to produce many 

 wonderfully good specimens hitherto unshown. 



It has been remarkable this year how late the large yards 

 have been, but we look forward to seeing now a good display 

 from them. Another thing we have especially noticed this 

 season is how in the early chickens one brood wonld consist of 

 all pulletB and another of all cockerels. This of course is a great 

 drawback to early exhibition. Among the shows themselves 

 we are sorry to find one or two have died. Of them we par- 

 ticularly regret Long Sutton. Middleton near Manchester has 

 left its old date, and now comes under a new quarter of the 

 exhibition year. We lament moBt especially the falling through 

 of the Alexandra Palace meetirjg; and though certainly we have 

 a very welcome new arrival in Ipswich, still we could not afford 

 to lose the sister Palace's exhibition. 



Of the exhibitors we note with much pleasure that many of 

 our oldest fanciers have been winning well in the summer 

 shows. Mr. Sedgwick we congratulate heartily on his wonderful 

 Cochin victories. Mr. J. K. Fowler has been well in the lists, 

 so has Mr. Beldon ; and Messrs. Burnell and Cresswell not only 

 have done brightly, but will, we think, from the rumours of 

 the quality of their Btock, even surpass other years' successes. 

 Of new exhibitors we have not seen many, but we hope they 

 will come. We cannot have too many : the more the merrier. 

 And no one can have a better time of entering the poultry arena 



than the present, for bird3 were never so moderate in price aB 

 they now seem to be. In case any amateurs are looking out for 

 good openings where they may have a chance of soon winning 

 prizes we would recommend them to turn their attention to 

 Black Cochins and Cuckoo Dorkings among the large breeds, 

 and to clean-legged White Bantams or to Sebrights among the 

 smaller varieties. 



In judges we have had no fresh blood, but we rejoice very 

 greatly to hear one of our oldest fanciers of the utmost integrity 

 has consented to judge the Cirencester poultry show. We do 

 not know if we are at liberty to give his name, but when the 

 poultry exhibitors hear it we think they will welcome him as 

 cordially as we do. 



Thus much for the summer times. The new quarter has 

 begun, and in that quarter we hope to find new Bhows, new 

 judgeB, new exhibitors, and new birds. — W. 



IPSWICH POULTBT SHOW. 



Under extremely energetic management this good Exhibition 

 was held last week. It was a wonderfully nice chicken Show, 

 and the promoters deserved their success, for they worked with 

 a will, and had much to contend against. The two Secretaries 

 and Mr. Fred. Wiagg and Mr. Baynor worked like Trojans, and 

 they won on all sides the good opinions of exhibitors, judges, 

 reporters, and the public. The feeding was good, the pens 

 were well arranged, the cards were put up speedily, the cata- 

 logues were ready. The arrangements, in fact, were admirable, 

 and we hope we may find this Exhibition for many years to 

 come a prosperous one. The birds were ranged in two quad- 

 rangles, one within the other. In the inner one were the 

 Bantams and Pigeons, in the outer the rest of the poultry. 

 Mr. John Martin awarded the prizes in the Dorkings, Spanish, 

 Malays, and Hamburghs, Mr. Teebay in the Game, and the rest 

 of the poultry awards were made by those two gentlemen con- 

 jointly, while Mr. E. Hutton judged the whole of the Pigeons. 

 The awards were very well received, and appeared to have been 

 most carefully made. 



Cochins were not large but good classes. The first and second 

 Buff pullets were good in colour but coarse in head and large 

 in comb. The cockerels were good birds, one of them the bird 

 claimed by the present owner at Oundle. The third contained 

 a very young but nice pullet. Mr. SwindeU sent a lovely pair 

 of chickens, but they came too late for exhibition, or must have 

 come in somewhere. In Partridges the pullets in the first and 

 second pens were well marked and large. The cockerel in the 

 first-prize pen is splendid in colour and Bhape, but his comb 

 bearB signs of some slight recent manipulation. The second 

 cockerel we did not care for, and his legs were feathered in a 

 very ugly way, still they easily won their places. In Whites 

 the first cockerel waB very white and very good generally, but 

 still quite a chicken, and the pullet with him looked old enough 

 to be his mother, but was we firmly believe a genuine chicken. 

 The second cockerel was very smart to look at, but under- 

 feathered on his legs. The third pullet was much hocked, but 

 quite honestly shown. In Blacks the first-prize pen was very 

 lustrous, well feathered, and large for their age. Second and 

 third very good chickens of good colour and well shaped. In 

 Dorkings the cup went to a fine pen of Coloured chickens, but 

 they, too, looked very matured and old, but we were assured 

 on good authority they were honestly birds of the year. Second 

 went to smaller but as good birds for points and colour, while 

 third was given to a pen of mere babies. We never saw so large 

 a class filled with such well-grown birdB, and yet with specimens 

 so full of defects. One pen was spoilt by Booty feet, another 

 by bad claws, and another by outside spurs. In Whites only 

 one prize was awarded for the same reason, and these had white 

 earlobes like a Hamburgh's, but they were very smart and 

 good in carriage, save for his epnrs ; however, Mr. Cresswell 

 Bhowed the best cockerel. Silver-Greys were moderate; the 

 first-prize pen were well a-head ; the second cockerel was very 

 good. The Dark Brahma cockerelB disappointed us very much. 

 If the leviathan breeders of IpBwich have nothing better in 

 reserve amateurs have a splendid chance this year of carrying 

 off the blue ribbon at the great Show in November. The first- 

 prize bird was well grown, fair in colour and leg-feathering, 

 but large in comb and loose in wings ; second larger in comb ; 

 third wry-beaked ; No. 10 (Percival) had some good points, 

 and 11 (Lady Gwydyr) was a neat bird, and perhaps should 

 have been placed higher considering the defects of the winners. 

 We could have found a bird in the Selling class equal to any 

 of the eleven competitors. Pullets were much better than the 

 cockerels ; first (Percival) we thought an improvement upon the 

 owner's very successful pullet of last year, being larger, superior 

 in leg-feathering, and in colour stronger, but perhaps not so 

 perfect throughout ; second a well-marked bird ; third better 

 in some points, but rather hocked. Pen 20 (Lingwood) splendid 

 in colour and markings, which we thought entitled her to some 

 notice. Light cockerels superior to the Darks, but not great. 

 The competition for the first and second prizes was very close; 



