270 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 5, 1871. 



cause should they see fit fo notice an atfaok so manifestly 

 libellous. — Chas. Hoitakd and William J. Nichols, fli-cs., 

 2, Exeter Hall, Strand. 



[We have other letters in reply to Mr. Elgar, but those from 

 the Gommittee alone can be inserted. — Eds.] 



ENCOURAGEMENT TO MALAYS. 



I BELIEVE that most poultry fanciers, although they may not 

 perhaps admire, would nevertheless regret, the departure of 

 Malays from the grand exhibitions, especially as there seemed 

 last year some prospect of their looking up in the world. For 

 many years Birmingham had offered them prizes, assisted, it is 

 true, by subscriptions from breeders. Last year I collected 

 some portion of this amount, and at the same time I pressed 

 on the Committee the desirability of dividing the prizes more 

 evenly — viz., into three prizes, £2, £1, and 10s., instead of £3 

 and 10s. I may state that this more impartial division was in 

 favour with the wishes of many of the contributors, and, there- 

 fore, I think, should have been complied with. The Committee, 

 however, declined, considering it would be an insult to the 

 breed to offer less than £3 for the first prize. I therefore re- 

 clined this year to collect any extra money, and I see by the 

 prize list that nobody else has taken the matter in hand. The 

 Committee, however, have decided to equalise the two prizes, 

 and they have done this by making the first prize £2, and the 

 second 10s. ! ! This is an encouragement with a vengeance, 

 and apparently a change of idea as to what should be the value 

 of a first prize for such a breed as the Malay. 



Now, let us turn for a moment to the catalogues of 1869 and 

 1870. From those catalogues I obtain the following table : — 



1869. 



No. of Amonnt produced Prizes 

 Breed. Entriea. at7?. 6d. offered. 



White-crested Black Polands 15 £5 12 6 £8 



LaFleche 9 .... 3 7 6 .... £8 



Malay 18 .... 6 15 £14 



A glance at these figures will prove that the Malay was not 

 the worst payer to the Association ; and if we reflect that pro- 

 bably £3 10s. or more was collected by Malay breeders, the 

 Milay not only distances the La FlSehe, but treads closely on 

 the Polands. Accordingly, in 1870 the Committee reduced the 

 prizes to the La Fleche, and again the Malay breeders assisted 

 the Committee by a collection. The last year then tabulated 

 gives the following results : — 



No. of Amount produced Prizes 



Breed. Entries. at 8s. offered. 



White-crested Black Polands 15 



LaFleche 8 



Malay 27 



Now, in this table, the Li Fleehe have still further gone 

 back, the Polands remain just where they were, but the Malays 

 have halt as many again on the list, and are by far the best 

 payers ; indeed, I believe they more than paid the Committee, 

 if we deduct the added money. This, an outside observer 

 would have supposed a reason for encouragement, and the en- 

 couragement takes the peculiar form of lessening the prizes to 

 the Malay, whilst they are retained at the very same amount 

 for the other two breeds. There are other breeds that are still 

 offered the same prizes in 1871, though last year they were 

 worse payers than the Malay — adult White Geese, for instance, 

 and the Silver-laced Bantams. These, however, are not reduced 

 at all, probably because it is not " sauce for the Goose ; " but I 

 should be very glad to understand the reasons that have guided 

 the Committee. I know not what other breeders may decide, 

 but unless this be altered my indignation, if not cooled down 

 before, will decide me to keep my birds at home, — Joseph 

 HiNTON, Warminster. 



£6 .. 



.. £S 



3 4 .. 



.. £6 



10 16 .. 



.. £14 



GRIEVANCE OF DORKING PULLETS AT THE 

 BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 

 I AND my sister have been striving the whole of this some- 

 what changeable summer to put on our very best looks, and we 

 were highly elated a short time ago, to hear you say that the 

 Committee of the Birmingham Show had increased the value 

 of some of the silver cups to ten guineas, and wo jumped (in 

 the dark) to the conclusion that this certainly must be an age 

 of progress. I must, however, confess that I feel considerably 

 hurt on looking over the prize list, to find that we have not 

 been treated with the same amount of consideration or courtesy 

 by the Committee as in former years. We are deprived of our 

 five-guinea cup, and the most we can hope to win is £3 for 



first prize. Our big brother yonder has the chance of winning 

 a ten-guinea cup, which, it he should win, would make him 

 more domineering and unbearable than ever. Perhaps it may 

 not be decorous for me to express an opinion in such matters., 

 but it certainly appears more difficult and more deserving of 

 honour to be able to show two good birds of my sex, and 

 comply with that awful fourth regulation, which reads so for- 

 midable in italics, than to show one bird only. 



Now, can you kindly inform us what we have done to de- 

 serve this treatment? Is it because we have not appeared in 

 sufficient numbers to satisfy the Committee ? I should have 

 been glad to have had the opportunity of winning a cup at 

 Birmingham, but we must now, I presume, " rest and be 

 thankful." and obtain as much consolation as possible from 

 the assurance of our elders, that " disappointments are good 

 for young people." — Dokking Pullet. 



POUTERS IN 1871. 



OxE of the best indications of the increasing popularity of" 

 Pouters may be found in the more worthy position assigned to- 

 them in recent schedules. Continued advancement, however^ 

 depends more and more upon that trenchant comparison of 

 specimens only possible in exhibitions of metropolitan, or 

 rather of national character. Attention, therefore, may fairly 

 be directed to the competitions organised by London and Edin- 

 burgh, for both of these shows are very available for the critical 

 purpose in view, regard being had to the convenience of locale, 

 the quality of the birds, the style and tastefulness of exhibition, 

 and the general carefulness of management. 



Following a noble lead, Edinburgh has put forth for its second 

 exhibition a schedule of great strength, its classification con- 

 tinuing the liberal policy of the Glasgow fanciers, and begin- 

 ning indeed where they left off ; while in the matters of lower 

 fees and increased prize money a determination is shown to 

 outbid former Scotch successes, great though they have been. 



London, with the Crystal Palace for head-quarters, and with 

 all the eagerness of a recent convert, seeks to repeat and even 

 to amplify its late experiment with the Pouter varieties. Its, 

 unfortunate selection of date last year told greatly to the dis- 

 advantage of the classes in question, and prevented many an 

 excellent Scotch specimen from appearing. But, notwithstand- 

 ing, a quite unexpected display resulted, contributed to mainly 

 by English breeders, with just enough birds from Scottish ami 

 Irish friends to make every true fancier hope for more repre- 

 sentative gatherings on future occasions. Such occasions now 

 present themselves, for this year there is nothing to prevent 

 the Pouters of Scotland coming to London, or those of England 

 returning the compliment at Edinburgh. Thus, by marshal- 

 ling under one roof all the strains from every locality, may be 

 secured such opportunities for critical comparison and inter- 

 change as have never occurred before, and which remain as the- 

 best means of improvement to the breed if duly utilised. 



The schedule of London lacks no inducement ; it is compact, 

 yet ample, providing for every bird of whatever age, colour, or 

 marking ; and of the prizes it may fairly be said that Pouters 

 have never before Ipeen so worthily furnished. To the sum of 

 £40, contributed h gSjsi Committee, have been added the fol- 

 lowing donations : Jj;^ .d National Peristeronic Society, a five- 

 guinea cup ; the Nutth British Columbariau Society, ditto • 

 Mr. Volckman, a three-guinea cup, for classes in which he will 

 not compete ; Messrs. Ure, Wallace, Huie, Gresham, Heaton^ 

 and Fulton, each two guineas ; Messrs. Percivall, Esden, and 

 Taylor, each half a guinea, and Mr. Rose one guinea, swelling 

 the total to nearly £70, and providing five silver cups as special 

 prizes, for which all the classes but two have chances in com- 

 petition. Surely the appearance of Scotland in force at the 

 Crystal Palace next November is foreshadowed by the interest 

 already taken in the London Show. At any rate, London so- 

 accepts the graceful courtesies of the North British Columba- 

 riau Society and the northern fanciers named, and no time has 

 been lost in announcing that a Scotch Pouter Judge will be ap- 

 pointed to co-operate with the English Judges should the 

 number of Scotch entries warrant the arrangement. Under 

 all the circumstances, therefore, the absence of Scotch birds 

 would give rise to no little of wonder and disappointment. But, 

 of course, they will be present, and equally, of course, English 

 friends will help to garnish the Edinburgh Show, not only with 

 their Pouters, but with such other varieties as may be scheduUd. 

 It would bo ungracious to omit Ireland from these remarks. 

 It is known that the Pouter fancy steadily progresses there, 

 and although Mr. Montgomery, one of its chief representatives, 



