496 



JOUKNAL OF HOKTICULTURB AND COTTAGE Q.VRDENER. 



[ December 21, 1871. 



Polish. — " To be qnite in the fashion," rematted a lady near me, 

 " they should lo-n-er their chignons." Mr. Hinton's excellent Silvers 

 ■were first ; Mr. Boothby, the plncky and pereeveriDg breeder of the 

 Golden, second. I particularly admired his cock bird. The exhibi- 

 tors of Polish confer a special benefit upon the public, as no birds 

 look so beautiful in the show pen. 



Houclans. — VeiT^ good. 



Any other Frencli Variety. — Fair. Diabolical -looking Creve-Cceurs 

 in abandance, and one pen of La Fleche, another French imp of un- 

 prepossessing appearance. 



Malays. — The hens hardly large enough to match, their mates. 

 Seven peus of them. Messrs. Payne, Brooke, and Hinton, winners in 

 their order. This gave my friend, Mr. Hinton, imin he conld hardly 

 brook, but I hint on, that with a larger hen and no white in his cock's 

 tail, pleasure awaits him in the future. 



Any other Breed not mentioned. — The Black Hamburghs of Mr. 

 Serjeantson most deservedly took the first prize ; seldom have I seen 

 such excellent birds, and from the low price he put on them (£4), they 

 are doubtless no longer his. They were the cheapest birds in the 

 Show, and among the very best. Two pens of Andalusians, pretty 

 birds not enough bred, one took second ; and Leghorns, a new class, 

 and pretty withal, third. 



Bantams. — Game a middling lot. First-prize cock a gamey bird, 

 and the second hen good, but throughout, the bens too dark in colour. 

 The first-prize sicsle cock was the best bird of all the Game Bantams 

 shown. The Sebrights were excellent, five pens Silver and three 

 Gold. Some of the Sihers too Golden, but the whole class very good 

 and more numerous than nsnal. Among the " Any variety" Bantams, 

 a neat pen of Peldns were first. They were clean, but many in this 

 class were badly shown. 



I)u€l:s (Aylesbury). — Few pens, but good, of course. Mr. Fowler 

 first with splendid birds, quiet and calm in apparent conscious 

 snperiorify. 



Kouen Ducks numerous and not very good. Black East Indian 

 Ducks the class of the Show. They were a grand lot ; such colour, 

 and such a bloom on them ! Looking down through the top of the pens, 

 nothing in the Duck kind could be more beautiful, and great must 

 have been the care and pains of their breeders. Ducks (any variety), 

 lovely Mandarins and Carolinas. 



Turkeys and Geese. — Excellent both, and sadly tempting from their 

 size and the nearness to Christmas. 



The Selling Class. — A large one, hence beneficial to the Committee, 

 but, as a good fancier remarked to me, " they ought to be killed at the 

 door and not admitted." A useful though not ornamental class, cer- 

 1 1 inly. 



PIGEOXS. 



Carrier Cocks. — This a good class, containing, as of the hens like- 

 wise, some splendid Black birds — birds raven black, a great contrast 

 to others of the smoky tint. The second-prize ought, perhaps, to 

 have been first. He ia a showy styliili bird. Hens much like the 

 cccks in excfllence. 



Pouters (White). — Owing to two near resident fanciers, Mrs. Ladd 

 and Mr. Heath, of Calne, this was a very good class. 



Pouters (Any other colour). — Only four entries. Mr. Dew's Black- 

 pied cock bird deservedJy stood first. 



Tamhlers (Almond). — Only one entry. Cock bird good, but wattle 

 on beak coarse. 



Tiimhlers (Any other variety). — A fair pair of Kites first; one head 

 and beak good. A nice pair of Blue Beards second. A pair of well- 

 shaped old-fashioned English Tumblers, red in colour, and neat in 

 shape, were most deservedly commended, and ought to have been sold, 

 being priced very low. 



Oicls. — A good class, "Whites being first. 



Barbs. — Few, and all Black. The second-prize cock has a good 

 broad head. 



Fantails. — A nice class, Miss Milward's first having excellent tails. 

 Jacobins. — A large class. Keds first. 

 j!>fu7is. — These were good, though few. 



Antioerj^s^ now being known as the real Carrier Pigeons, were re- 

 garded with much interest. They were of very varied shape and 

 feather. 



Trumpeters. — Only four pens, but Mr. P. H. Jones's Blacks were 

 much admired. 



Punts. — An unusually large number, in proportion to the other 

 classes, made their appearance. Eight pens in all, mostly Blue, but 

 two pens White- The first-prize birds were not paired, and some 

 therefore took them for two cocks, so fiercely did they fight, but I 

 believe it was not so. 



Any other Keio or Distinct Variety.- — Mr. Yardley's Satinettes were 

 by right of beauty first. This variety of Turbit is singularly beautiful 

 in feather, and when handled, the tail expanded, and the round 

 spots shown, a more lovely bird can scarcely be imagined. This was, as 

 it always is, a very pretty and interesting class, and deserved the ex- 

 tensive notice by the Judges and visitors which it received. 



Selling Glass. — Eighteen pens of mixed value. The pair of Red 

 Short-faces which were first were vei"y pretty sound-coloured birds. 



Of dead poultry there was only one entry. This was a pity, be- 

 cause the increase of weight in poultry is a food question, and as Dean 

 Swift remarked, " A man who makes two blades of grass grow where 

 one only grew before, is a benefactor to his country ; " so that man, in 



these times of dear beef and mutton, is also a public benefactor who 

 teaches us or shows us how a lean fowl can become food-supplying. 

 There was no class for eggs, which was a pity, as it is usuedly well 

 filled, and baskets of snow-white eggs nestling in green moss are very 

 pretty to look at. 



Such was the first Wilts County Show, and on the whole I was very 

 pleased with it. There were 450 pens, and next year no doubt there 

 will be more of both poultry and Pigeons, especially the latter. The 

 management was excellent; the Committee few in number and good 

 workers ; the food supplied to the birds was of good sound character ; 

 the railway arrangements of the best ; and I believe evei-y catalogue 

 promised was dispatched by the first day's post. I should like in 

 future for the Pouters to have a little block each to stand on, as they 

 look better and show better. 



I never enjoyed a show more thoroughly both by daylight and gas- 

 light, for it was kept open at a reduced price for two hours in the 

 evening for the artisan class. I wandered round and round, chat- 

 ting now with old friends, then with new acquaintances ; instruct- 

 ing poultry-ignorant ladies (this a very pleasing task), examining this- 

 bird and that bird, until sis o'clock reminded me of a certain snug 

 dinner at *' The Bear Hotel," a famous hostelry known all over Wilt- 

 shire, and where the Bear Club, connected with the Bear charities, meets 

 every year, some great man in the county presiding. There, too, at 

 the Bear, Sir Thomas Lawrence was born, and first exercised his 

 boyish pencil. Well, there we, too few for so extensive a dinner, sat 

 down, and ate, and drank, and chatted, talked poultry and Pigeon talk, 

 talked over the Show, and fanciers, and birds, and sipped in moderate 

 quantities dry liver-suiting sherry. By the way, Black Ducks came 

 very often on the table. What enthusiasts their fanciers are ! but 

 then at this Show they, the Black Ducks, were the greatest feature. 

 We wanted another specially at that dinner, but whom sickness 

 hindered being present ; he would have brought Black- breasted Keds 

 into the conversation I well know. However, not forgetting the absent 

 but regretting them, we chatted on until the more distant-living had 

 to be up and away, for the " Time approaches, Tam maun ride," and 

 so away into the dark rode one far off to Salisbury Plain. Just when 

 leaving, a kindly new acquaintance and resident said, " Had I seen 

 the unfinished picture of Shakespear, by Lawrence, that was in the 

 house?" "No, I had not." So following my guide, he candle in 

 hand, down steps and up steps, along a corridor and up a landing, I 

 was shown the picture by the boy artist, for which a heavy sum had 

 been offered and refused. It was like the statue of the immortal bar3 

 in Westminter Abbey, a full length and nearly full size, but with little 

 save its history to mark its value. Then to bed, and on the morrow 

 home, to home duties, and scenes, and faces, but with a pleasant re- 

 membrance of Devizes Show, flavouring, as it were, the following 

 days of the week. — Wiltshif.e Rector. 



OVERWORKING THE JUDGES. 



I AM pleased to bear the Committee of the Portsmouth Show 

 have taken the hint with reference to the judging, and have 

 secured the services of Messrs. Hewitt and Tegetmeier, instead 

 of, as in former years, only one Jadge for poultry. The Ports- 

 mouth Show in three years has doubled itself in magnitude ; 

 and when it is considered that several additional classes have 

 been formed, and all classes are to have a third prize, I think 

 it may naturally be expected to increase very much more. 

 Amongst the alterations in the classes I notice Light Erahmas 

 are to have two classes — one for old and another for young 

 birds, and a five-guinea cup to each. The Game Bantams bav& 

 been divided into two classes ; B)ack Eeds to be shown by 

 themselves. — Eedleaf, 



LEEDS POULTRY SHOW. 



Tms Show was held on the 12th, 13th, and 14th insfc. The follow- 

 ing is the prize list : — 



Game.— ^ny Description.— Cock,— \, "W. Spencer, Haworth; 2, A. Haslam 

 Hindle. 3, H. M. Julian, Hull. 



Q^in^.—Black'hreastcd iicd,— 1. H. M. Julian, 2, T. Mnson. Green Ayre, Lan- 

 caster. 3, J. Firth, Chatswortb. Chickens.~\, W. Fell, Adwalton. 2, W. 

 Spencer. 3, J. C. Coupe, Doucaster. 



GAinR.—Brown-bremted and other Red. except Black-breasted.— I, F. Sales, 

 Crowle. 2, J. Watson, Knaresorough. 3. T. Mason. Chickens.—!, F. Sales. 

 2, "W. Ferris, Nantwich. 3. R. U. Bro-n-n, Halifax. 



GAUB.—Duckicmgs.—l. H. C. & W. J. Mason, Driglilin^on. 2, "Winw^od and 

 Cutler, Worcester. 3, W. J. Cope, Barnslev. Chickens. ~1, J. Pickles, My- 

 tholmrovd. 2, W. Fell. Adwalton. 3, H. Jowett. Shipley. 



Gaiie.— ^nj/ other Variety.— I, T. Blason. 2. F. Sales. S, J. Firth. Chickctis, 

 —I, E. Walker. Gomersal. 2, A. G. Wilding, Montford, Burnley, a, J. C. Yates, 

 Bentlev. Doncaster. 



DoREiSGS.— Cup and 1, J. White, Noi-thallerton. 2, R. W. Richardson, Bever- 

 ley. 3, T. Briden, Cononlev, Leeds. Chickcns.—l, K. W. Richardson. 2, T. E. 

 Kell. Wetherbv. 3, F. S. Arlnvrijrht. Chesterfield. 



Spanish.— 1. H. Wilkinson. Skipton. 2, Eurch i: Boult«r, Sheffield. S, W. and 

 F. Pickard, Leeds. Chickens —Cup and 1, H. Beldon, Goitstock. 2, J. Thresh^ 

 Bradford." 3. Hon. Miss D. Pennant, Penrhyn Castle, Bangor. 



Cochin-China— Cup, 1, and 2, W. A. Taylor, Manchester. 3, H. Lacy, Hebden 

 Bridge. Ckickcns.—i and 2. W. A. Taylor. 3, T. Stretch, Ormskirk. 



Brah3I\ Poote-v.— Cup and 1. W. A. Taylor. 2, T. F. Ansdell, St. Helen's. 

 8. Hon. Miss D. Pennant. Chickens.— I, F. S. Arkwright, Sutton ticarsdale. 2, 

 H. Beldon. 3, Dr. Holmes. Chesterfield. 



Hambdbghs.— GoW-iJ<??ic(7/crf.— 1, W. W. Tickner, Ipswich. 2. H. Beldon. 8, 

 H. Pickles, jun., Earby. Chickens.—l, H. Beldon. 2, J. Walker, Birstwith, 

 Rtpley. 3, J. Kollinson, Lindley, Otley. 



