456 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 23, 187o. 



Lights. — In his place of last year was Mr. Horsfall's grand old 

 cock, looking as well as ever in all points, bat mnch larger ; he 

 is now really a grand bird in size, as well as almost perfect in 

 every point required. Second, lovely in colour and good in 

 shape; we thought he had a suspicion of a loose wing. Third, 

 too high on leg, but very fine. Fourth, the cup cockerel of last 

 year, his high comb is his only fault. Fifth good in shape, but 

 neck hackle full of sap. 725 (Percival), would have shown to 

 better advantage, if not next to the cup bird; 727 (tlaines), had 

 good hackle-marking and foot-feathering but no shape; 737 

 (Horsfall), had a well-bred Brahma head. 



In hens the cup bird was very nearly faultless, a little too 

 much hocked. Second very good, not quite such a pure white 

 as first. What a grand pair they would make ! Third a, little 

 mossy in hackle. Fourth by no meanB a remarkable bird. Fifth 

 a little sandy in tinge, and too white in tail. 740 (Petter), good 

 but short of feather on leg ; 750 (Pitt), deserved notice ; 756 

 (Sambrooke), a capital hen in all points but foot-featheriDg; 758 

 (J. T. Smith), deserved notice; 767 (Lucas), capital in neck 

 hackle ; 768 (Bird), not large but pretty. Cockerels were an 

 immense and magnificent class of seventy-five. The cup was a 

 good award. The bird is very large and white. We thought 

 his hackle a little twisted. Second almost devoid of neck mark- 

 ing, but finely feathered and with a beautifully laced tail. "We 

 must say we thought this award a mistake. Third very young 

 and promising. Fourth small but shapely. Fifth small too. Sixth 

 rather wanting in cheek. Seventh might have been higher, hia 

 only fault being slight yellowness. We cannot conceive why 

 Mr. Borrow's bird (831) was left ont, the only explanation can 

 be, that being in an end pen he had the full sunlight upon him 

 and so appeared tinged. We fancy he is the Oxford enp bird, 

 and a noble bird he is too. The pullets numbered eighty-eight. 

 One of Mr. Dean's birds which have caused so much discussion 

 was deservedly first. She might be a little lower en the leg, 

 otherwise she is perfect. Second would be a most useful bird 

 in breeding, but her neck-hackle is too black. Third high on 

 the leg, but may settle down into a fine ben. Fourth a little 

 small but good all round. Fifth short of leg-feathering but fine. 

 Sixth very small and narrow, but good in colour with beautiful 

 neck-hackle. Seventh a big pullet, good in shape, a little 

 wantiDg in neck- hackle. We thought 848 (Dowker), deserving 

 of a place. 8S8 (Horsfall), fine in form, a little too dark in 

 fluff. There were a few poor birds in this class, but nearly all 

 those noticed would have been winters a few years ago. 



Hameubghs. — In Golden-spangled cocks the first bird was 

 good in comb, with heavy spangling and splendid in colour. His 

 carriage is fairly good, though we have Eeen more elegant birds. 

 Second geed in comb and lobes, but not a sprightly bird. 

 Third apparently doctored, and not good in comb, with 

 lovely white earlotes. 1183 (Duckworth), a pretty bird with an 

 honest comb. 11S8 (Long), has many good points, but was 

 apparently suffering from the new disease. The first hen was 

 a beautiful bird, her spangling of moderate size throughout and 

 evenly distributed, and her ground colour very rich. Second in 

 fair condition, her mcons larger and not quite so even as the 

 first. Third an old bird with Email and even mooDS, but 

 touched with white here and there from age. We thought the 

 Silver-spangled cocks a poor lot. First with comb very flat and 

 suspiciously Emooth on the top, his spangling moderately deep, 

 carriage indifferent. Second a good bird all round Eave in tail, 

 which has some ugly black splashes on it. Third we liked the 

 best in the class. His carriage is good and his comb honestly 

 so. We suppose his spangling being rather smaller than the j 

 preEent fashion pulled him down. The cup for hens went to | 

 the first Silver-spangle, a lovely pullet in blooming condition 

 and evenly marked ail over. Her neck-haek!e stuck out oddly. , 

 Second more to our taste in marking than the cup hen, so 

 pretty and accurate though not large in her spangling. Third I 

 large in moons, not very good in shape. We liked 1226 (Park). [ 

 We much liked the first Golden-pencilled ccck. It is refreshing | 

 to seea naturally-shown bird, and we heartily welcome a new j 

 exhibitor of the breed. The bird was, of course, run up at the 

 auction, being only priced at five guineas. He is a good chestnut 

 colour all oyer, moderately dark inntck-haekle, end attractively 

 edged on tail. Second small elegant bird, very dark. His comb 

 had apparently been a little improved. Third a cockerel with 

 bronze sickles and indifferent comb. We much preferred 1235 

 (Tickner). The first hen very black in barring, but slightly 

 coarser than the now generally admired type. Second rather 

 broad in marking. Tnird not remarkable Eave for breast-mark- 

 ing. 1250 (Tickner), had small even pencilling, but not a clear 

 hackle. 1254 (Judson), the richest ground colour in the claES, 

 but mossy in tail. The cup for the best Hamburgh cock went 

 to the first Silver-pencil, a lovely bird with exquisitely laced tail. 

 We have before admired him. Second not very clear in colour, 

 with a natural comb. Third very young and promising, too 

 white in tail. Silver pencilled hens were very few. The first 

 an evenly-marked bird. Second and third only fair. 



Black Cods. — FirEt waa a good bird all round save in comb, 

 which had been unmistakeably doctored. Second looked very 



good in colour, but had the advantage of a corner pen. We 

 much liked the third, a purplish bird in tinge with good comb. 

 Ten birds in this class received high commendations. We liked 

 1283 (Serjeantson); 1288 (Long); 1295 (Robinson). The Black 

 hens were, unfortunately, alone of all the Hamburghs, placed in 

 a bad light in an under tier. First was pretty in comb and 

 shape, and small. Second a larger bird but good in style. Third 

 rather plain in comb, seemingly a good colour. 1299 (Serjeant- 

 son), was to our eye the prettiest bird in the class, but of their 

 colour it was impossible for anyone to judge in Euch a posi- 

 tion. — C. 



Cochins. — These made wonderfully good classes. In old Buff 

 cocks the first-prize bird was very large, and broad, and good in 

 colour; the second also good, but immensely hocked; third an 

 excellent bird all round, but not quite ready. In hens the 

 winner was pale in colour and had her wings very untidy, or 

 else was large and square ; second a good hen, but we liked the 

 third as well as any ; she was good in colour, large, and deep, 

 and held the same position last year. In cockerels we greatly 

 admired the cup bird ; he has not too neat a head, but his shape 

 and colour were both good. Second and third two well-grown 

 chickens of even colour and of pretty shape. Pullets were 

 capital, and one or two — e.g., 295 (Lady Gwydyr), 296 (Darby), 

 and 303 (Burnell) seemed worthy of higher cards than they re- 

 ceived. The winner was rather spotty in colour and had ugly 

 wings, or else was well proportioned; Eecond was in all respects 

 a superior bird. The third old Partridge cocks were all good ; 

 the second had a crooked toe, or else was of capital shape, while 

 Lady Gwydyr's was to our mind a grand bird, just a shade too 

 dark. In hens a fine bird was first, Eecond a good bird too, third 

 an immense hen, but not quite distinct enough in markings, but 

 her shape and fluff were very grand. Partridge cockerels were, 

 perhaps, one of the weakest Cochin classes. We liked very 

 much pen 339 (Acton Tindal) ; he is young yet, but has much 

 quality, and promises to make a good bird to breed from. The 

 first was not very black in fluff, or else cf light colour, and will 

 improve yet. Pallets were moderate, and we thought all 

 rather too red and rather wanting in markings. In Wliite adult 

 necks the cup bird (Boissier) was snowy white and well shown; 

 second was the first Cirencester bird, and we do not like his 

 comb ; third was ugly in shape, but good in colour. We liked 

 very much indeed pen 369 (Bamford). He certainly is not well 

 through yet, but is immense in frame, very white, and heavily 

 foot-feathered. In the hens we noticed many superb birds, as good 

 as we ever saw them. First was of grand Ehape, fluff, and 

 colour ; second rather pale in comb, or else of good shape ; 

 third a large and useful hen, good in colour, comb, and feet. 

 There were also other good hens shown by Messrs. Boissier, 

 Tindal, Blocdwcrth, and Percival. Cockerels were only moderate, 

 except the first-prize bird, which was the Oxford cap cockerel, 

 but now is loEing some of his pure whiteness. He is a grand 

 chicken in every way, and we hear goes to a new master after 

 Birmingham. Second stylish, but rather high in tail; third 

 poor in colour and of not much shape. 400 (Copplestone) very 

 white,, but too Pouter-like in legs. In pullets the first and 

 Eecond were both good ; for third place we preferred pen 411 

 (Turner). She is a large bird of good colour. Adult Black 

 Cochins were rather a seedy lot ; all looked untidy on the legs, 

 and seemed to want more time. In cockerels we liked the 

 winner best, then pen 437 (Storer), and then 443 (Lady Gwydyr). 

 In pullets the first was good, and the Eecond also. We much 

 liked, too, Mr. Chawner's and Mr. Cook's. 



In the £5 5s. Sale class there was a good hen in the first-prize 

 pen of Partridge, and a good cock in the third-prize pen of 

 Whites, bnt he had a crooked beak. The rest of the class was 

 not up to the average of former yearB in our opinion. As for 

 theLangshans it was a ridiculous farce to give them clas6eB, 

 and each pen seemed to poiot out the absurdity more, for many 

 of them had really good Cochin points. They appear to be only 

 the refuse and weeders of Cochins, and the second pen we know 

 was this, for the owner had told us weeks before he intended 

 entering 6uch. " Langshans !" said an old Cochin-breeder, 

 " call them ' Long Shins.' " We do not thiDk our friend was 

 much out. It is a pity such classes for refuse birds should be 

 encouraged ; we perceived nowhere the " Wild Turkey " blood 

 in any bird. 



Malays. — Sixteen pens of capital birds put in an appearance. 

 The first very large and very shapely, but not in feather. Se- 

 cond was a good cockerel in every way, and we still think there 

 is more growth in him ; bis mate was good and had capital car- 

 riage, being, too, of the colour we eo much admire. The third 

 were very tall, and good in condition and feather. The whole 

 class was the best of the breed we ever saw. Mies Brooke sent 

 a good pen in excellent plumage. 



Silkies. — These made a Email class. Five pens were really 

 good, another contained single-combed birds ; and the other, the 

 third-prize pen, was a hideous pair, yellow and green legs and 

 red combs. We cannot imagine how the Judge selected such a 

 pen. The first were rather large and very white, but too heavily 

 feathered for our own taste ; second a good pair all round, only 



