November 23, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



457 



the cockerel a little too red in comb. They were well washed 

 and in pretty feather. 



Polands. — All colours came well to the front, and we saw 

 Mr. Boothby Eent some Buff Chamois. We like them much, 

 and hope he will continue to work them up. The cup went to a 

 Golden cock — light, and large in creBt, though we preferred, as 

 we believe did many more, the unnoticed pen of the same 

 owner. Golden hens were all good, and we think they were 

 well selected. Polands seem to be increasing in favour. In 

 Silver cocks the first was grand in crest and attractively marked, 

 shown too in good condition and feather ; second also Bplendid, 

 but wants a week or two more to make him perfect ; third a 

 good bird in every way. Lady Dartmouth's bird, bar his bad 

 colour on his back, was as good as any bird for crest and mark- 

 ings. The first and second Silver hens were two grand birds, as 

 good as we ever saw any, and we oannot imagine there can be 

 any others of the colour to beat them. la the two nest classes 

 were the White-crested Blacks, a breed which was once so near 

 extinction, and now is." blossoming like the rose." They num- 

 bered only one short of the Silvers, and were of splendid 

 quality. We know one or two thought, the first bird should not 

 have won in cocks; but we did not, and we walked up and down 

 the class before the cardB were up, and still " spotted " him. 

 His creBtis not through, it is true, but his hackles, lustre, and 

 condition are things to be remembered. The second was a 

 grand old cock with very white crest. For third place we 

 almost preferred 1606 (Lias) or 1604 (Darby). In hens the first 

 bird is a gem. Such a pullet, for she waB a pullet, if she lives 

 to be a hen must be a marvel, for she is that now. Second a 

 grand hen, very white," and very good. Third a very pretty hen 

 in every way. 1614 (Darby) a grand hen, known to be eleven 

 years old. 



Leghorns. — "Well done the Club ! twenty-eight pens of Browns. 

 Were we members we should want the White subscribers to pay 

 a double subscription, as the Club must have often to make up 

 their deficit. Brown cocks alone numbered as many as the 

 White cocks and hens. We think the condition of the first 

 cock in Browns won him the place, for in head we liked the 

 Becond best; but here, as in Houdans, we fear there is oftgn 

 much " topsy-turveydom " in judging. In hens we certainly 

 liked the second best; her shape, colour, ears, and bloom we 

 thought all superior, though the first was by no means a bad 

 one. Third we fancied was rather small, or else pretty in head 

 and comb. *In Whites the first cock was very neat, and in his 

 place ; second also good all round ; third rather bad in colour. 

 The hens were good, and we can imagine them looking well on 

 a grasB run. They se6rced to be well placed, and all looked in 

 good condition, and as if in laying order. 



Spanish. — In adult cocks the first was large in face and good 

 in comb, and was well selected, as appeared to be all the Spanish 

 winners ; second also good, but once or twice when we passed 

 him he looked rather mopish. In hens the first was a fine bird, 

 good in comb and smooth in face. One or two other good hens 

 only want more time, as they had all the quality about them. 

 The winning cockerels were all fair birds, but they too at times 

 looked a little t-neked-np by cold. We do not know if they 

 wanted more food, for we heard many say that the birds were 

 not given enough; certainly they did seem ravenous, and 

 especially on the last day. In pullets the first was certainly in 

 the best condition, and was well selected; and we heard many 

 admire this cup bird very much. Second a good bird, but a 

 little untidy in face ; third not so neat as fir6t. 



Game. — The first Black Bed cock, which also won the cup, 

 was a grand bird, and had colour, shape, and carriage; second 

 also very good in head, and of capital colour. In cockerels we 

 almost preferred the second bird, for his head points seemed 

 better; but the first had perhaps the advantage in colour. In 

 hens all the winners were good, and seemed to be well chosen 

 out of thirty pens of fine quality. In Brown Bed cocks we 

 admired the first very much; he has good colour and good 

 limbs. Second had rather an ngly tail, or else was capital in 

 other respects. In cockerels the cup bird is not yet in full 

 6how ; he has many good points, but we believe one or two 

 Game breeders preferred the third-prize bird. 1406 (Martin) we 

 were told was the champion Islington winner. He is a grand 

 chicken, and has very fine carriage and colour. In the next 

 class pallets won all the prizes ; all good, and ail well chosen. 

 In Duckwing cocks the cup bird is a beauty, in fine feather of 

 good colour; second also very good, and closely coming up to 

 the cup bird. A grand pullet for colour and shape won in this 

 class. In Piles an old yellow-legged bird was first, and second a 

 willow-legged one ; third a Black. In hens all the prizes went 

 to Piles. The third we much admired as good in colour and 

 shape. In the £5 5s. class Brown Reds won first and second, 

 and good Duokwings third, which might well have come in 

 between the Brown Reds. On the whole— i.e., all told— the 

 quality was very good indeed. 



The Variety Class.— Thi3 was an excellent collection, and 

 created much admiration among the visitors, who always seem 



to enjoy a medley. First large La Fleche chickens; secondgood 

 Cuckoo Cochins. We noticed Mr. Montresor's real Indian 

 Game, and a beautiful Sultan hen in Mrs. Christy's pen. A 

 good pen of Miss Palmer's Dumpies, and a fine pen of La Fleche 

 (Upsher) we also saw. Bantams. — These classes were all good. 

 Among the Game the cap Black Red cockerel and cup pullet 

 were both very stylish and pretty, with good carriage. The 

 Brown Reds too were a capital lot. We much liked, too, the cup 

 Pile cock and the first Duckwing hen; the latter especially waB 

 very clear in colour and neat in shape. Black Bantams were a 

 very fine lot, and we quite liked the winners. In White-booteds 

 colour seems to have been thought of before boots, in which the 

 winners were excellent. 2337 (Boissier) yellow-legged, but very 

 heavily feathered ; 2310 (Woodgate) empty, the birds not having 

 come back from Cirencester through railway carelessneas ; 

 2341 (King) very good indeed, but the cockerel had recently lost 

 a serration of his comb. Sebrights were admirable, bat of the 

 Silvers we liked 2344 (Leno) best, the cup pair not beirig quite 

 free from a cloudy look on the Bilver part of most feathers; 

 "second pretty Golds, of a deep shade ; third very pretty Silvers, 

 with neat lacings. la the Variety clasB excellent Black-booteds 

 were first, very lustrous in colour, and in fine condition ; second 

 pretty White Rosecombs ; third Japanese ; 2362 (Walton) good 

 White Rosecombs ; 2353 (Davis) White Frizzled, very beautiful 

 ia colour and feather, but the claws did not match in number, 

 neither was the hen's comb at all pretty or shapely. 



Watebfowl. — AylesburyB were capital. The three winning 

 pens all good. In Rouens the first drake walked in easily. In 

 Ducks the winners were well coloured, shapely, and masBive in 

 appearance. Mr. Parlett also had a good bird in pen 2483. As 

 for the Blacks we will not pretend to judge of them. The 

 awards all seemed to be an upsetting of previous decisions. We 

 fully believe nearly every exhibitor thought his own birds the 

 best. Certainly the colour was generally very fine, but we have 

 seen smaller birds : still, we are no advocates for their being so 

 tiny, and always prefer colour. We admired the cup pen and 

 thought they well deserved a place, but whether before Mr. 

 Sainsbury's, or Mr. Brown's, or Mr. Maiden's, is an open 

 question. 



In the fancy DucTcs we thought several out of feather, still 

 the whole clasB was highly commended. First went to Varie- 

 gated Kasarkas, so we were told they were named, others call 

 them Paradise D ucks ; Spotted Bills took second, and Mandarins 

 third. Mr. Leno showed a choice pair of Brazilian Teal, and 

 Mr. Booth good Mandarins. In Geese Mr. Fowler again won the 

 cup. We noticed a pair of curly Sevastopol, which seemed to 

 require a " tub." In Turkeys we heard grave doubts as to the 

 age of some of the specimens, one exhibitor positively affirming 

 that a bird had won as a " poult " for two years in succession. 

 If so it is a pity such things should be; and as the matter lies 

 with the Judges they alone cau prevent the occurrence. All the 

 classes were well filled, and the birds exhibited by Mrs. Wyke3 

 were undoubtedly "poults," and well-grown birds too. — W. 



THIS AUTUMN'S SEASON FOR BEES. 



In the Journal of November 9th I see that Mr. Hunter speaks 

 of this autumn as an equally unfortunate season for bees, though 

 in a different way, as the last. My experience in both cases 

 has been exactly the reverse, except only as to the poverty- 

 stricken condition of the hives last autumn. My hives last year 

 were far less than usually populous, whereas this year they are 

 splendidly full of bees. The cause of thi3 difference, however, 

 is really the same in both cases. Here our honey Beason, though 

 good for us, wcnll doubtless have been considered a poor one 

 in the more favoured north and east, and perhaps the south of 

 England. Hence our bees, not being overstocked with honey, 

 have been breeding unusually well, and give good hope of 

 thriving next year, supposing all other things to go well. 



Once only have I known such a splendid time for ivy, both in 

 respect of honey and pollen. Day after day the bees have been 

 at work early and late, with the same loud humming going on 

 as in summer time, and I see honey glistening in deep open cells 

 all over my hives, not, however, in such quantities as to prevent 

 the queen laying eggs, as witnesB the young Italians issuing 

 from the hives every fine day. One or two hives I have fed 

 slightly though continuously, just to stimulate them ; bat I do 

 not find that those I have not fed have been less active in breed- 

 ing or honey-gathering. I am, therefore, remarkably well off 

 as to my prospects for next year. 



I am pleased to observe that Mr. Hunter has carried out this 

 year what I have more than once advocated in this Journal, I 

 mean the absolute and entire plunder of the honey in the hives, 

 and the subsequent continuous feeding-up of the bees during 

 the autumn months. The result given by him is exactly what 

 I have predicted, as I have also myBelf experienced — namely, 

 " teeming populations and abundance of brood in all stages." 

 Nothing can be desired better, if to this be superadded a well- 

 provisioned hive by continuous feeding. 



In the belief that bees are best left to themselves after Martin- 



