November 30, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



427 



also good. Pullefs a fair lot. First-prize stylish, but too round in 

 the back. Third had a stnck-up tail, which seems in fact rather creep- 

 ing in. Fifth-prize ought to have been higher, and she and the second- 

 prize ought to have settled the two first places between them perhaps. 

 Duchi.cing cocks were a fair class, and the winners were the same 

 ■which took the three prizes at the Crystal Palace, but the Judges had 

 judiciously made the alteration we suggested in our report of that 

 show, the second there {whi»li had changed hands), being now put 

 first, and the first (we must in fairness say he was worse in con- 

 dition) second, the third being third again. On a second inspection 

 we adhere to an opinion there formed — that this last is the best of the 

 three. Cockerels middling only, but the first prize went to a really 

 capital bird. Second fine. Third and fourth fair birds only. Hens 

 were few, only seven entries ; but the first-prize bird really superb. 

 Fullets, on the contrary, a first-rate class, which makes it the more 

 remarkable that the same eshibitor (quite fairly) swept the whole 

 prize list with three beautiful birds. 



Blacks and Brassy-vyinged need little remark. We did not like the 

 cock class, and failed to find any birds like those formerly seen. The 

 winners were all Brassy-winged — that is, if black bii-ds with a sort of 

 grimy-red saddle can be so called, but we would Jain see the colour 

 more distinct. Hens a little better, but rather poor still. 



In Pile cocks the Palace bird was again to the front, and secured 

 both cup and medal for the best Game cock except Reds. The second 

 prize was taken by the same exhibitor with a yellow-legged old cock 

 (the same which was first here last year), the cup-winner being willow. 

 Third also willow, and again the same as the Palace third, the second 

 there being now left out in the cold, as we hinted he ought to be on 

 that occasion. Hens were a good class. First a bird of last year, fine 

 both in shape and colour ; second and third good pullets, but not so 

 well marked. All three ladies had yellow legs. 

 BANTAMS. 

 In Gold-laccd, one entry being withdrawn left Mr. Leno both prizes. 

 Both pens good. In Silvers the winners were too large but extra well 

 marked, Mr. Cruwys' pen being much smaller, but greatly wanting in 

 ■depth of colour. White Bantams were good in quality and are im- 

 proving. In Blacks the first-prize pen contained a very neat cock but 

 very poor pullets, their heads and earlobes being far too dark. Second 

 a scarcely equal cock, but infinitely better pullets. Third and fourth 

 fair pens, but Mr. Draycott's pen 1T69 ought to have had one of the 

 first two prizes. In Ayiy variety first were Japanese, the variety with 

 that straight sword-like squirrel tail, which we ci^nfess not to admiring 

 so well as the sickle. Second were frizzled, which we consider were 

 far too large to find a place among Bantams at all, being as large as 

 SUkies ; but they looked rare if not rich, and this may be merely 

 matter of opinion. 



GAME BANTAMS. 

 The first-prize BlacJ^ Beds were a good stylish pen well placed, 

 though the second were little worse. Third rightly judged. Fourth as 

 good in qnaUty as any, but frightfully out of condition. 1S17 was also a 

 etylash pen. Broicn Beds were middling, and the cock in the winning 

 pen was too short in the head. The second-prize bird was moch too 

 large, and probably pen 1850 ought to have been first. In the " Any 

 other variety " class, the first was a pen of Ducklings, capital in most 

 respects, and well shown ; but' when examined fairly in the light, 

 almost every feather on the breast was laced with brown. The defect 

 could only be then seen, and apparently escaped the Judges. Second 

 and third were good Piles. In Bed cocks, some difference of judgment 

 was expressed, but we thought the winner well placed, being Mr. 

 Eaton's Palace bird, which was finer in the head than Mr. Entwisle's, 

 but it was really hard judging between. Third was very good, and 

 fourth fair, but the fifth was bad every way, and a pen bearing the 

 *' Great Exhibition " number of 1S51 ought to have taken his place. 

 The next class, again, contained the Palace winner in his then post of 

 honour, and we repeat our opinion that he is the best Duckwing, not 

 to say Game Bantam — ever seen. Second was a good Pile, and third 

 also a Pile, good on the whole, but rather too short in the hackle. 

 DUCKS. 

 "We scarcely consider ourselves competent to judge of the exhibition 

 merits of the remaining classes, and prefer only to give the weights. 

 The first-prize Aylesburies were 17 lbs. 2 ozs. ; second, 16 lbs. 1*2 ozs. ; 

 third, 15 lbs. 4 ozs. These it will be seen are actually going back 

 since Mrs. Seamons withdrew. Rouens were much heavier, being 

 19 lbs. 5 ozs., 19 lbs. 1 oz., IS lbs. 15 ozs., 18 lbs. 4 ozs., 18 lbs. 8 ozs., 

 and 17 lbs. 10 ozs. respectively. The fifth-prize, it will be seen, was 

 heavier than fourth, but hardly equal in plumage. The Ornamental 

 Ducks were mostly beautifully shown, and among the many exquisite 

 Mandarins and Carolinas we should despair of ourselves pointing out 

 the best. It is a pity the handsome little creatures are so savage when 

 penned up. 



GEESE. 

 The first and second pairs of old white Geese each weighed 56 lbs. 

 9 ozs. ; the young were 43 lbs. 6 ozs. and 44 lbs. The first old Greys 

 reached the enormous weight of 60 lbs., the second 51 lbs. Toun*' 

 were 47 lbs. and 37 lbs. The great difference of nearly 10 lbs"! 

 between the first and second prizes in each case shows what good 

 management can effect. 



TURKEYS. 

 The winning Turkey cock was precisely the same weight as last year, 

 36^ lbs., second was 32 lbs. 5 ozs. The best pair of hens reached the 

 great weight of 3S-| lbs., or nearly 4 lbs. heavier than last show ; 



second pair were 35 J lbs. Young cocks were 28 lbs. and 23| lbs. re- 

 spectively, and young hens 28 lbs. 10 ozs. and 27 lbs. 2 ozs. The 

 United States this time did not put in an appearance. 



The following are the comparative weights of the piize Turkeys, 

 Geese, and Ducks in 1870 and 1871 : — 



Single cock, Ist prize 



2nd „ 



Pair of hens, 1st „ 



„ 2nd „ 



White, old birds, 1st 



„ ., 2nd 



„ Goslings, 1st 



„ 2ud 



1870. 

 lb. 

 . 86i 

 .35| 

 . 35 

 .34 



1871. 

 Ib.oz. 

 36 4 

 82 5 

 38 12 

 35 8 



1870. 1871. 



lb. lb. oz. 



. 58? 56 9 



. 56? 56 9 



. 49| 48 6 



.49 44 



Single cock, 1871, 1st 

 „ „ 2ud 



Pair of hens, 1871, 1st 

 I) i> 2ud 



Grey, old birds, Ist . 

 „ ,, 2nd . 



„ Goslings, 1st . 

 „ „ 2ud . 



1870. 1871. 



lb. lb. oz. 



24? 28 8 



23| 23 4 



3U 28 10 



— 27 2 



ATT.ESBURT DUCKS. 



First-prize pair . . , 

 Second-prize pair . 



1870. 1871. 



lb. lb. oz. 



. 18J 17 12 



. 18g 16 12 



Third-prize pair .. 

 Fourth-prize pair 



..29 



1870. 1871. 



lb. lb. oz. 

 . 62J 60 

 . 544 51 

 . 53| 47 

 .49 37 



1870. 1871. 



lb. lb. oz, 



. 17^ 15 4 



. 18i - 



EOTJEN DUCKS. 



First-prize pair ... 

 Second-prize pair . 

 Third-prize pair. . . 



1870. 1871. 



lb. lb. oz. 



. m 19 5 



. m 19 1 



. 18g IB 15 



Fourth-prize pair 

 Fifth-prize pair . . 

 Sixth-prize pair .. 



1870. 1871. 

 lb. Ib.oz. 

 . 17J 18 4 

 . 17i 18 8 

 . 17| 17 10 



Messrs. Hewett, Teebay, and Dixon judged the Brahmas, Spanish, 

 Hamburghs, Ducks, Geese, and Turkeys ; Messrs. J. H. Smith, R, 

 Woods, and Edward Lowe the Game,, and most of all the Game 

 Bantams; and. -Mr. Baily, the Rev. G. F. Hodgson, and Captain 

 Heaton the rest ; but Captain Heaton was taken ill and had to retire 

 about two o'clock. 



As a whole, the show of poultry was to be remarked for its very 

 superior quality, Spanish and Dorkings^ however, being marked excep- 

 tions. The day being dull made judging difficult; but we repeat our 

 remark of last year on the enormous waste of judging power caused 

 by dividing the Judges into four threes. We were told on this occasion 

 that next year this will not be repeated, but that six pairs of gentlemen 

 will he substituted ; we trust this will be the case, and that if not 

 already contemplated our suggestion may even now receive attention. 

 The last awards this year were later than ever, and fully one-third 

 were not posted on the wall till past six o'clock. And lastly, after the 

 perfect light of the Crystal Palace Show, the contrast of the *' dark 

 dens " at Birmingham was most painfully felt, and was freely re- 

 marked upon by nearly all the Judges and exhibitors who had visited 

 both. We are fully pursuaded that unless something be done to 

 remedy this, and to give a far better light to the lower tiers, this great 

 Show cannot hold its own, but must give way to the Crystal Palace, 

 and this was the universal remark. We are convinced the time has 

 come for this matter to receive the attention its importance requires. 

 Few would wish this grand old Show to play " second fiddle " to any 

 other ; but whether it be by separating it from the cattle, or by other 

 means, we believe it must now do so, unless some means can be devised 

 of remedying the wretched light which we honestly believe is the chief 

 cause of those "sensation blunders" in juda:ing. While we point 

 these out, we would wish our opinion of at least one cause of them to 

 he remembered also — in justice to the gentlemen who have to act 

 under such unfavourable conditions. 



We have only to add that the Committee and officials were as 

 courteous and anxious to oblige as ever, and to thank such of them as 

 assisted us. 



PIGEONS. 



Ma2;t disinterested visitors to these great annual exhibitions 

 have thought, as each successive year came round and showed an, 

 increase in the number of entries, as well as a marked improve- 

 ment in the quality of the birds exhibited. " Now, surely, this 

 must be the greatest height to which the culture of high-class stock 

 can be brought, and hereafter these gigantic exhibitions must be 

 on the wane." It may be, many lukewarm fanc'ers, too, have echoed 

 the same sentiments, and have from time to time been expecting the 

 retrograde movement to set in and drift us back to the original kind of 

 stock from which hosts of beautiful birds have^sprung. But no such 

 downward course is yet to be. These great annual collections of stock, 

 large, as they are, have still to grow and develope into greater achieve- 

 ments, for the competition or spirit of rivalry has hitherto been 

 chiefly confined to fanciers, but in the dim future we fancy we can 

 discern a still stronger spirit of rivalry growing up than fanciers even 

 imagine, as to which shall be the largest and most important of our 

 poultry and Pigeon shows. The great Crystal Palace Show is just of 

 the past, the great Birmingham one is bow the event of the period. 

 The strength of the fancy has been put forth to meet both of them, 

 the little summer shows, at which the dealer makes his harvest, are 

 for a time partially forgotten, and the attention of their respective 

 supporters directed to the great winter events, at any of which it is no 



