462 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[June 23, 1863. 



feathers hanging down from each side of the back. This is 

 a very beautiful bird, and well worth being introduced into 

 Europe, if it is not already here." 



[Since the above was extracted, we see the following notice in 

 the Report of the Acclimatisation Society : — " A pair of Japanese 

 fowls presented by A. D. Bartlett, Esq., and now under the 

 care of Mr. Bush, have passed the winter in his aviary, and are 

 now laying. Their eggs are of a deeper colour and rounder 

 than those of the Cochin-China fowls." These may represent 

 one of the varieties seen by Mr. Fortune. We wish the Report 

 had included a description of the fowls.] 



THE THORNE EXHIBITION OF POULTRY. 



lur accordance with the practice for many years past, this ex- 

 cellent Show of poultry was held in the grounds opposite the 

 Hall of Matin Durham, Esq., giving the whole affair a most 

 rural and picturesque appearance. To the kindness of the worthy 

 proprietor in permitting these annual exhibitions to be thus held 

 the Society are deeply indebted, the Exhibition causing an 

 influx of strangers into Thorne that few parties from mere 

 hearsay could credit, and proving itself quite an annual re- 

 union, anxiously looked forward to for many weeks previously. 

 The present year's Show far surpassed those hitherto held in the 

 number of entries, whilst even a cursory glance at the printed 

 catalogue proves that nearly all of our most reputed poultry 

 amateurs competed. The grounds enjoy the advantages of 

 timber of many years' growth, whilst the constant flitting to 

 and fro of the rooks overhead gave a novelty rarely to be met 

 with at such exhibitions. The day was luckily favourable, the 

 fair visitants were mostly decked in their gayest holiday gear, 

 every one seemed determined to enjoy themselves, and, conse- 

 quently, the whole scene was one of unalloyed pleasure and satis- 

 faction. 



The pens (considerably above three hundred), were very nicely 

 arranged in single line beneath the shade of the trees, which 

 added materially to the comfort of both the poultry and the 

 Pigeons. The RabbitB, however, seemed quite to enjoy the solar 

 rays, and we will dismiss this latter branch of the Show by 

 simply 6tating most of the specimens were very good. Consider- 

 able attention was drawn also to a temporary grotto-like erection, 

 composed of a full complement of gypsum for rockery, orna- 

 mented with a variety of growing ferns, flowers, &c, the whole 

 surmounted by a large preserved white Bea bear, the oddity of 

 the affair being greatly increased by the fact of the aforesaid 

 gentleman wearing for thiB occasion a very thick great coat of 

 moss, covering all elae save his head, feet, and neck. Under 

 the great summer heat that prevailed, had animation existed no 

 doubt poor Brain would have felt as desirous of throwing off 

 every extra garment as did most of his visitors. Mr. CasBOn's 

 and Mr. Burr's grottos were at once pleasing and interesting 

 bye-playB to the general scene, the one with the addition of 

 suitable canvass, representing a highland glen, the other an 

 eastern drawing-room. Under so varied an attraction, heightened 

 by the almost incessant performances of the Thorne Brass Sub- 

 scription Band, it will be no matter of surprise to hear that the 

 money taken at the doors showed a very gratifying advance on 

 the amount derivable on previous occasions. 



Another great cause of the success of the Thorne Society 

 arises, without doubt, from its happy possession of one of the 

 most obliging and business-like Hon. Secretaries imaginable. 

 Courteous alike to all, yet keeping the success of the proceedings 

 under constant attention, Mr. Richardson well merits the good 

 opinions entertained of him by his colleagues, and affords a 

 good example to not a few of our poultry secretaries that might 

 be followed with the like welcome results, if applied to their 

 particular societies. 



At this particular season we naturally expect to find poultry 

 fast approaching moulting time, and on no variety of fowls 

 does want of condition tell with greater force than on Spanish. 

 This class was, nevertheless, a good one ; but it appeared in not 

 a few instances a pity to place really well-bred birds before the 

 public in so sad trim as that we now refer to. A powerful 

 objection to thus exhibiting them is simply this, that while each 

 pen-feather contains blood, it offers, under close confinement, 

 the greatest of all possible inducements to fowls of any breed to 

 become absolute cannibals — bo much bo that ofttimes, unsatisfied 

 with the immature feather alone, they proceed to eating away 

 piecemeal the living flesh of their companions. We draw par- 



ticular attention to this fact, as this morbid desire if once con- 

 tracted, is one of the most difficult of any of the evil practices of 

 exhibition poultry to eradicate ; and it is a propensity that any 

 little injury by which blood is drawn at once brings into action, 

 if the unfortunate sufferer is unhappily placed in a position 

 where escape is unavailable. 



In Cochins, Buffs were first, and Partridge-coloured second, 

 both colours being well shown. Although only two pens of 

 Game (Whites or Piles) were placed, they were very creditable 

 ones. It was in the Black-breasted Game fowls and other Reds 

 that competition reached its highest point. Here Messrs. Adams, 

 Boyes, Brierley, Fletcher, Helliwell, Julian, and several other 

 noted Game-breeders tried their hardest for the mastery. As 

 muBt be the event where such a rivalry existed, the heaviest in 

 competition prevailed, and the result proved how equally the 

 honours became distributed. Mr. Fletcher gained the silver 

 cup for single Game cocks with a truly magnificent " stag" 

 Black-breasted Red, and it was the universal opinion that it will 

 be long before we shall look upon his like again. For the 

 Silver Game cup, for a pen of three, Mr. Adams and Mr. Julian, 

 both exhibitors from Beverley, were evidently a long time in 

 close balance, the Judge (who officiated openly) evidently scru- 

 tinising each pen again and again as though almost hopelessly 

 striving to find a fault with either. After the most rigid in- 

 spection, a faulty eye in one of Mr. Julian's hens gave Mr. 

 Adams the superiority. The silver cup for Game Bantams, on 

 the contrary, was a mere "walk over" to the noted pen of 

 Mr. H. D. Bayley. 



The JRed Caps shown were remarkably good, and in the class 

 for Any variety of chickens a pen of Black Red Game and 

 another of White Dorking chickens were so equally perfect that 

 the Judge " admitted it an injustice to either pen to obtain a 

 second position." This anomaly will occasionally occur where 

 many breeds compete in the same class. 



A class for Single Cocks of any breed brought into competition 

 a great variety, a Grey Dorking being first, a Golden Poland 

 the winner of the second prize. In this class no less than seven 

 excellent Game cocks were shown; but as a class for single 

 Game cocks existed, it is scarcely just this variety should be 

 admitted into a competition where a position is already afforded 

 them in one particularly devoted to Game cocks only. 



The Aylesbury Ducks were worthy of mention, Mrs. Seamons 

 holding her cuBtomary place in the prize list. The Geese and 

 Turkeys were also good. 



In the Pigeons, almost every class was well filled, but no new 

 variety presented itself. The Show closed the same evening, 

 and every bird was forwarded to its owner without misadventure 

 of any kind. 



Spanish.— First, H. Beldon, Eradford. Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. 

 Highly Commended, F. Siddall, Halifax ; J. Brown, Sheffield. 



Cochis-China.— Fh-6t, Messrs. H. & G. Newton, Garforth, Leeds. Second, 

 R. White, Eroomhall Park, Sheffield. Commended, Messrs. H. & G. Newton, 



Dorking.— First, R. M. Stark, Hull. Second, J. Sledmore, Epworth 

 Highly Commended, E. Jefferson, Epworth; Hon. T. C. H. Hawke, 

 Womersley. Commended, Master L. Fosbrooke, Hatfield ; Hon. T. C. H. 

 Hawke, Womersley. 



Game (White and Piles).— First, H. Adams, Beverley. Second, T. Walker, 

 Doncaster. 



Game (Black-breasted and other Beds).— First, H. Adams, Beverley. 

 Second, H. M. Julian, Bsverley. Highly Commended, Messrs. Sale & Bentley, 

 Crowle; G. Helliwell, Walkley ; C. W. Brierley, Rochdale. 



Game (Duckwiugs and other Greys and Blues).— First, C. W. Brierley, 

 Rochdale Second, G. Helliwell, Walkley. Commended, H. Adams, 

 Beverley. 



Game (Any breed).— Silver Cup, H. Adams, Beverley. Highly Com- 

 mended, G. Helliwell, Walkley ; H. Adams ; H. M. Julian, Beverley. Com- 

 mended, H. Beldon, Bradford ; J. Fletcher, Stoneclough, Manchester, 



Single Game Cock (Any breed). — Silver Cup, J. Fletcher, Stoneclough, 

 Manchester. Highly Commended, W. Boyes, Beverley; H. M. Julian, 

 Beverley; G. Helliwell, Walkley; G. Valentine, Hablesthorpe. Com- 

 mended, H. Crossley, Broomfield, Halifax; H. Beldon, Bradford; G. 

 Marshall, Barmbro' ; H. Adams, Beverley ; C. W. Brierley, Rochdale. 



Polakds (Any variety).— First and Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Com- 

 mended, H. Beldon, Bradford. 



Hamboegh (Silver-spangled).— First, H. Beldon, Bradford. Second, J. B. 

 Hepworth, Bearswood Green. Commended, J. Dixon, Bradford. 



Hamburgh (Golden-spangled).— First, C. W. Brierley, Rochdale. Second, 

 J. Dixon, Bradford. Highly Commended, H. Beldon, Bradford. Com- 

 mended, Messrs. Burch & Bolter, Sheffield. 



Hamboegh (Silver-pencilled).— First, H. Beldon, Bradford. Seoond, J. 

 Dison, Bradford. Highly Commended, J. Harrop, Walkley. 



Hamboegh (Golden-pencilled). — First, C. W. Brierley, Rochdale. 

 Second, S. Smith, Northowram, Halifax. Highly Commended, H. Beldon, 

 Bradford. 



Ant Farmyard Cross. — First, Messrs. Burch & Boulter, Sheffield. 



