5L0 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 21, 1876. 



of a notice, though he is apparently a Hi tie overdone. 768 

 (Tomlinson), not good in colour, but nice shape. Cockerels were 

 not very remarkable, the two firat winners being very long on 

 leg. The first bird is very white and has a fair amount of 

 feathering. Second a bird of much the same type. Third, 

 White, but a little rough in wing. Hens were a capital class. 

 First a grand hen, perfect in shape, a little scaly on legs ; we 

 think the second quite equal to it. Third was larger than these 

 two, but not nearly so perfect a Cochin in shape. 800 (Warde), 

 a well-shaped ben but hocked and minus tail; S04 (Percival), 

 good but twiBted in hackle. Pallets were hardly so good, several 

 of them beiDg badly shown. First a fine well-shaped bird good 

 in cushion, a little overhocked. Second quite as good in shape 

 and fluff as the first, but not so large. Third an immense bird, 

 too long in leg and back ; we preferred 805 (Tomlinson). 



Blacks continue to improve, The cocks were in a fair light, 

 the hens in a very bad one on the ground; but Mr. Hewitt took 

 immense pains in judging them to see their colour fairly, having 

 them put into baskets in a full light. The first cock is a bird of 

 the year; he certainly is small but well shaped, and with a 

 beautiful green gloss. Second a tall Langshan-like bird with & 

 bad comb ; hia only merit was his green colonr. 825 (Darby) 

 was by far the best shaped and best feathered bird in the class, 

 but some accident has evidently happened to his comb, and hia 

 full colour has not yet come out from the moult. We also ad- 

 mired Mr. Storer's highly commended bird. The hens of this 

 variety when shown well are certainly lovely. First was a 

 Gplendid bird all round, and second also good, but we cannot 

 pretend to criticise their colour in such a wretched position. 



Malays were very good classes and the competition strong, 

 but to our thinking the Judges in making their awards went 

 more for utility and beauty rather than following the old type 

 of the breed. Malays have always been notorious in the public 

 •Q-ye for their uglinaBB, but there is no doubt there is not a more 

 useful fowl for table purposes, whether crossed with the Game 

 -or the Dorking, whereby those portions of the bird most esteemed 

 when on the table are best developed. We always thought, 

 however, that extreme development, broad shoulders, high 

 hocks, and vulture neck were the proper characteristics of the 

 breed, and which should be more closely adhered to in the 

 show pen. 



The French Breeds were belter represented than usual, 

 Messrs. Mackwell, Burrell, and Stephens showing some capital 

 Creves. Soudan cocks were a very meritorious collection, bat 

 we cannot say so much for the cockerels, which we thought, as 

 a lot, were not up to the mark. 



Spanish were small classes. In old cocks only two put in an 

 appearance, neither of them good in quality. Spanish cockerels, 

 with the exception of the cup bird, the second-prize bird, and 

 one highly commended, were a very poor lot, very different to 

 such as we have seen at this Show. Spanish hens were a Tory 

 good class, as were Spanish pullets, especially the first and 

 second-prize birds. 



Hamburghs for the first time, as we have said, had separate 

 classes for adults and chickens. As a rale Black Hamburgh 

 •cocks retire into private life after their first year. It may be 

 some slight advantage that they are now able a^ain to be shown, 

 but still with tinged earlobes they do not compare favourably 

 with cockerels. The pens in which the Hambur^hs were shown 

 are far too Bmall for aoy oock of the br^-od to show himself off 

 properly; but, as if this were not enough, they were made to 

 overlap each other, so that the birds c mid not stand without 

 scraping their tails against the wire. Black cocks were not 

 grand; the merits of the cup cockerel were good carriage and a 

 good spike to his comb, his earlobes were puffed and his tail 

 almost devoid of side feathers. Second was a beautiful bird in 

 ■carriage. Among the highly commended birds were some very 

 nice cockerels, 1126 and 1134 (Serjeantson), 1128 (Stott & Booth), 

 1131 (Pickup). We did not like the first hen, and many people 

 thought her a pullet; her tail is far too broad. Second was a 

 pretty bird in head. The first pullet had a pretty but rather 

 heavy comb and a good head ; seoond far too purple a tinge. The 

 awards in these classes did not seem to satisfy the fanciers of 

 the breed, the Judge having apparently paid more attention to 

 the heads of the birds than to their colour. The first Golden- 

 •pencilled cock was very good, particularly even in colour all 

 over, and sound on breaBt, and his tail well la^ed; we should 

 2aave given him the cup before the cockerel. The latter had a 

 neat and pretty comb, but his tail was almost barred. Second 

 •cockerel had not much style, but a honest comb. The first hen 

 was good all round, with medium breadth of barring, capital in 

 tail. We much liked the second hen for her fine, small, distinct 

 barring, though, as is generally ths case with such birds, her 

 hackle is not clear. The first pullet was much the same type 

 of bird, rich in ground colour and a beauty; second a nice bird, 

 but not so good in wing or tail. Only one cock put in an 

 appearance in the class for Silver-pencils, a fair bird, with only 

 an attempt at tail-lacing, and comb too Bhiny. The cup cockerel 

 had a pretty tail and a manifestly improved comb ; the second 

 eockerel had not the style of the firat, still we Bhould have put 



him first for his honest comb ; his lobes were a little tingedi 

 but apparently from a fight. The first hen was nicely barred, 

 the second too heavily so. The first pullet was rather patchy 

 on the breast, but otherwise well marked ; the second generally 

 equal to her, but bad in comb. The firBt Silver-spangled cock 

 was good in comb and heavy in spangling ; second not his equal 

 in comb or marking. The first cockerel was nice all round. 

 We regret to say that a pin was extracted from the front of his 

 comb ; we forbear from commenting upon this horrid piece of 

 cruelty, for various circumstances incline us to believe that ifc 

 was not put there by the exhibitor. The authorities were moBt 

 courteous in Bhowing us the place from which it came, and any- 

 thing more purposeless than placing a pin in Buch a position, 

 where it could not possibly improve the comb, we cannot 

 imagine. The second cockerel had a narrow comb for a Spangle, 

 pretty sickles, and nice moderate-sized mooning. The hens 

 numbered only three, all good birdB ; the second-prize birds 

 were very even, the firet being best marked on the wing but a 

 little heavy in comb. The first pallet was a beautiful bird, with 

 even mooning, but too heavy for our fancy ; second a bird with 

 smaller spangles. In Golden-spangled oocks firBt was a bird 

 apparently rich in colour and certainly well marked ; his tail 

 was broken by the pen. Second had not so good or natural a 

 comb ; probably his carriage would be good in a proper pen. 

 The first cockerel was good in hackle and mooning, and magni- 

 ficent in comb, which we hope was natural; second a nice bird 

 in carriage. Wo regret that we cannot criticise the classes for 

 hens of this breed, as we could not succeed in finding them. 

 After the cockerels came a row of empty penB, and then some 

 Bantams. The numbering of pens throughout the Show waa 

 purposeless and perplexing; hero it defied comprehension. 



Polish generally were excellent, and we were glad to see the 

 old White-crested Blacks looking up again. T^ey are now much 

 better than they were a year or two back, but still nothing like 

 the birds which Mr. Edwards used to show some ten years ago. 

 In no class, however, is improvement more noticeable than in 

 the Golden-spangles, which at one time went down to a very 

 low ebb, and it is now not uncommon to see them in exhibitions 

 where the cdonrs compete together carrying off the honours 

 over the Silvers. The first-priae old cock lias a large well- 

 shaped crest, and capital colour; he is the Crystal Palace cup- 

 winner, and was shown in fine trim. The young Golden spangled 

 cocks were the largest class of Polands in the Show, and con- 

 tained a number of fine specimens. The first prize went to 

 a bird of excellent colour and crest, but very round-backed. 

 The second (Beldon) is not so good in crest, but will improve 

 considerably when properly through his moult, and we think 

 owing to the defect in the first bird he was entitled to chief 

 honours. Old hens were a good class of six. First the Palace 

 winner, and a more beautiful colour or better marked hen we 

 think we never saw. The Beooud was not far behind her, Bhown 

 by the Duchess of Hamilton, a new name to ub as an exhibitor 

 in the variety. Pallets were also a good class ; first attractive in 

 colour but small in crest, but the stoond was our fancy for 

 pride of place, although we should have preferred No. 1311 

 (Shepherd) if she had not possessed the same defect as the first 

 cookerel. Silver-spangles were aB usual the cream of the Polish 

 classes. In cocks Mr. Adkins deservedly took first and cup with 

 a fine old bird, being hardly pressed by Mr. Beldon's grand old 

 crack, but not looking quite in his usual fettle. No. 1316, the 

 property of the Countess of Dartmouth, is a beautiful bird if it 

 were not for a yellow tinge in his feather. We think there was 

 no bird in the Show with a better crest than he has. In cockerels 

 Mr. Adkins was again first and Becond, but we decidedly pre- 

 ferred his second bird to its more successful confrere, being a 

 better bird all through, while the first is rather straggling in 

 crest. We specially admired, the Silver-Bpangled hen with 

 which the Countess of Dartmouth was first. The Silver-spangled 

 pullets only mustered four, but all were good and with little to 

 choose between them. 



Silkies had but three entries. Both the winning pens were 

 good, the first best in leg-feathering and justly placed we think; 

 but the second were very elegant in style. 



Andalusians were a nice class, the winners well selected in 

 our judgment. The first cock was fine, with a stiff and good 

 oomb, and the hen immense for the breed. In the seoond pen 

 was a very rich-ooloured cock, a little white in face. 



Leghorns. — A nice pure white pair came in first, a Brown 

 pair second ; their colour seemed much brighter than we are 

 accustomed to see in this breed. 



Any other Variety. — First were a grand pair of La Fleche, 

 second capifcal Scotch GrevB. We should much like to see this 

 hardy breed more known in English farmyards. Third beauti- 

 ful crested African Guinea FowIb. Some curious and interesting 

 Indian Game were shown by Mr. Montressor and Mr. Dutton, 

 and some excellent bearded Sultans by Mr. Shaw. 



Game. — Among the Game the best classes were the Brown 

 Bed cocks and cockerels, and the Brown Bed pullets. The Black 

 Beds, however, were better olasses than usual. Duchwing cocks 

 were fair, but the hens were not e^ual to former years. The 



