498 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 21, 1871. 



Mr. "W. B. Van Haansbergen, and Messrs. Blenkinsop, Newcastle, tlie 

 Society owes its origin. 



First on the list came Ponters. There were only three entries. Mr, 

 N. Dunn, Newcastle, took the cnp with a very fine bird. Black Carriers 

 numbered eleven entries. Mr. Gnthrie took the cnp with a very fine 

 cock bird, also first prize with a splendid hen ; the pair were claimed 

 for £5. Of Carriers, Any other colonr. there were five entries, Mr. J. 

 G. Dunn. Newcastle-on-Tyne, winning in a canter with a splendid Dan 

 bird — in fact one of the finest yonng Carriers, fanciers say, that has been 

 shown this year, and it was claimed for £o 5s. : it was the general 

 opinion that this bird should have had the Carrier cnp, but the bird 

 being so young the ses could not be determined. In both Carrier 

 classes adult birds were shown. 



Of Barbs, in both classes, there were nineteen entries, and most of 

 them were good. Mr. Joseph Firth won the cup with a splendid bird. 

 In Short-faced Almonds, Messrs. Blenkinsop took the cnp with a mag- 

 nificent bird, in fact one of the finest young birds I have seen this 

 year. Short-faced, Any other colonr, twelve entries, and Mr. H. 

 Adams had no easy victory for the cup. Messrs. Blenkinsop ran a 

 close race with him. 



Trumpeters, Mottled, eight entries. In this class evidently there 

 was a grand mistake, pens 71 and 72. shown by Mr. T. Rule, of 

 Durham, were passed by unnoticed ; but I have not the slightest hesita- 

 tion in saying that scores can bear me out — that these two pens were, 

 without exception, the finest birds I ever saw (to be young ones), and 

 should have been awarded the cup and first prize. Other birds in this 

 class were very moderate. Trumpeters, Self-colour, had seven entries. 

 Mr. T. Rule showed two pens of Blacks, decidedly the best birds, and 

 they ought to have been placed first and second, but, as in the previous 

 class, were passed unnoticed, and the awards went to birds of no merit. 

 Jacobins, Red, twenty-seven entries. Mr. Rule took the cup with a 

 really good bird, while his little Red hen. decidedly the best Jacobin in 

 the Show, was passed unnoticed. In this class Mr. Rule should have 

 stood — pen 90, cup, aiid 91, first prize. Of Black Jacobios there were 

 nine entries. Mr. T. Waddington only obtained a second prize, but 

 undoubtedly should have st-ood first, Mr. Royds' bird being coarse. 

 Jacobins, Any other colour, eighteen entries, Mr. TV. B. Tan Haans- 

 bergen winning with one of the "Whites, for which he is renowned ; H. 

 J. Nalder pressing him very closely with a splendid Yellow. Mr. E. 

 E. M. Royds showed in the Jacobin classes several old birds, which 

 were admitted by telegram, but not before Mr. Jones had judged them ; 

 in any case none of them had a chance, young birds clearly beating 

 them. 



Nest came Point-headed Turbits, with twenty-eight entries, and the 

 best class in the Show. A most difficult class to judge, there being 

 some very young birds shown, and after rhe Judge's patience had been 

 well tried for upwards of an hour, he awarded Mr. J. G. Dunn's Red 

 bird first prize, this bird being the youngest in the Show, and only a 

 little over eight weeks old. It was put up by auction, and brought '2os. 

 Of Shell-crowned Turbits there were thirteen entries, Mr. 0. E. 

 Cresswell taking the cup against Mr. J. G. Dunn's Red bird in the 

 previous class ; the cup bird was sold for £4 os. Nuns, Black, eight 

 entries, Mr. R. W. Richardson, Beverley, taking the cup and first prize. 

 Of Nuns, Any other colour, there were four entries. Mr. "V^"". B. Van 

 Haansbergen had all his own way in this class. 



Of Fantails, "White, there were twelve entries. Mr. J. F. Loversidge, 



Newark-on-Trent, took the cup and first prize easily. English Owls, 



eight entries. Mr. T. "Waddington had an easy victory for the cup. 



In Magpies Mr. T. "Waddington had an easy victory for the cnp. In 



Swallows there were two entries. 



Of Dragoons the entries numbered twenty-sis, and most of them 

 were really first-class birds. This was a most difficult class to judge, 

 and after a great deal of time had been spent, the cup went to Mr. T. 

 "Waddington, who well deserved it, the bird being a splendid Blue with 

 fine carriage and good head, but his greatest point of excellence was 

 his narrow black bars, which are so much admired. Antwerps were a 

 good class, and Mr. V^. H. Mitchell swept off the prizes. Of Long- ! 

 faced Tumblers ttere were thirteen entries of moderate birds ; of Bald- 

 heads, seven entries; of Beards, twenty ; in the Variety class, seven 

 entries. — FAmpLAT. 



"PovTERB.—Ecd or Blue— Cu-p, N. Dunn, Newcastle. 1, J. Towerson, Egre* 

 mont. 2, J. Guthrie, Hexliam. 



Cabbiees.— BZacfc.— Cnp and 1, J. Guthrie. 2, J. G. Dunn, Newcastle, he, J. 

 "Watts, c, J. G. Dunn: C. Vaux, Eoldon. Any other Colour.— l, J. G. Dunn. 

 2 and he, J. Watts, e, J. Toweison. 



Bakes.— BZdcfc —1 and 2, R. W. Richardson, Meaox Abbey, Beverley, he, J. 

 Firth, Dewsbnrv. e, J. Firth ; W. K. & H. O. Blenkinfiop, Newcastle. Any other 

 Colour.— 1 and Cnp, J. Firth. 2, W. R. & H. O. Blenkinsop. c, E. W. Richardson. 



TciiBLEEs (Short-faced).— ^i/yiOHrf.— Cup and 2, W. R. & H. O. Blenkinsop. 

 1. H. Adams, he, C. Yanx. c. "W. B. Van Haansbergen, Newcastle ; H. Adams. 

 Any other Colour.— 1, H. Adams. 2 and he, W. R, & H. O. Elenlonsop. e, J. 

 "Watts (2) ; T. Gallon. 



OWI.S.— Fore tV/n.— Cnp, J. Towerson. 1, R. W. Richardson. Ennlish.—Ca^, 

 T. Waddington. 1 and 2, J. Watts, he. T. W. Kilbnrn. c, T. Gallon. 



Tethipeters.- 3/of(icd.-l, W.B.VanHaansbergen. 2,J. Firth, c, J.Firth; 

 W. B. Van Haansberfjen. Self-colour.-Cnp, W. B. Van Haansbergen. 1, J. 

 Firth. 2, W. R. & H. 0. Blenkinaop. 



JACOBiNS.-JJerf.- Cnp, T. Rule. 1, 2, and he, W. E. Fasten. Hull, c, R. W. 

 Richardson; W. E. Easten; H. F. Nalder. Croydon: E. E. il. Eovds. Roch- 

 dale. Black.— 1,1:,. E. 31. Royds. 2, T. Waddington, Feni=cowles, Blackburn. 

 c, H. F. Nalder. Am/ other Colour.— I, W. B. Van Haansbergen. 2, H. Nalder. 

 c,\W. B. Van Haansbergen; W. R. & H. 0. Blenkinsop. 



T-CRBiTs.—Point-hcadcd.—l, .J. G. Dunn. 2. W. E. Fasten, vhc, O. E. Cress- 

 well. Early Wood, Bagsbot he, T. Gallon, Felling, Gateshead, c, J. G. Dunn ; 

 W. E. Easten (3': W. B. Van Haansbergen; O. E. Cresswell. Shell-crested or 

 Plain-headed.— Cui>, O. E. Cresswell. 1, W. B. Van Haansbergen. 2, H. F. 

 Nalder. c, J. Watte ; O. E. Cresswell. 



Nuxs.— £7flcfc.— Cup, 1, and e, E. W. PJchardson. 2, W. E. Easten. Any 

 other Colour.— I, W. B. Van Haansbergen. 2, N. Dunn. 



FASTAiLs.-White.—Cu-p, J, 2, and he, J. F. Loversidge, Newark, e, H. Adams ; 

 Newark; T. Gallon. 



SlAGPEES.— Cup, T. Wad'iington. 2, J. Watts. 2, J. Towerson. 



Swallows.— 1 and 2. J. Watts. 



Dragoons.— Clip and 1, T. Waddington. 2, J. Watts, /ic, E. W. Richardson; 

 W. H. MitcheU (2). c, R. W. Richardson (2); J. Watts; W. H. ilitcheU ; W. R. 

 and H. O. BlenkinsoTD. 



Antwebps.— Cnp, i, 2, and he, W. H. Mitchell, iUoseley, Birmingham, c, J. 

 G. Dunn (2). 



T\:ziBLiiP.s.— Long-faced.— 1, J. Watts. 2, H. Adams, c, J. Guthrie (2); T. 

 Gallon (2). 



BiLnHEADS.— 1 and 2, J. W. H. Thorpe. 7iC. W. E. & H. O. BlenMrsop. c, J. 

 Wa'ts. 



Beards.— 1. J. W. H. Thorpe. 



Any other Vaeiett.— 1 and 2, J. Watts (Dentilettes). c, T. Enle, Dnrham: 

 (Letz) ; T. Waddington (Porcelain). 



Mr. P. H. Jones, of London, was Jnd^e. 



THE DRAGOON PIGEON. 

 Ix your correspondent's criticism of the pair of Silver Dra- 

 goons with which I took the second prize at Birmingham, he 

 says the bars were of too black a tint ; now I maintain that 

 they cannot be too black, and I shonld be only too glad to meet 

 with a pair having jet black bars and aa good in other points as 

 my own. They were second at the Crystal Palace, competing in 

 the same class with Bines, and second at Bingley Hall. They 

 were so placed by different Jndges ; and I am sure if, as your 

 correspondent says, they were too black in bar, they would not 

 have been amongst the prizewinners. I should be glad to hear 

 the opinions of other fanciers of Silver Dragoons as to this 

 point. I sincerely wish we could come to some more definite 

 standard of a Dragoon. It is very disheartening to hear so 

 many differences of opinion. Some tell you your birds are 

 not stout enough in bill, others that they are too stout. 

 For myself I would not give room to a spindle-beaked bird, 

 such as many of the Birmingham fanciers have. Calling on. 

 one when in that town during the show week, he bragged to 

 me that he had bred birds this year with beaks as thin as s 

 bodkin.^FEiXE Geaham. 



CHELTENHAM CANARY SHOW. 



* G-ooD-BTE — pleasant jonmey — be snre and send a catalogue." 



Tbe 



valediction, benediction, and supplication of tbiree shivering members 

 of the fancy, as I slowly steamed out of the apology which does dnty 

 for a station at Sunderland, on a nasty, wet, sloppy night in Novem- 

 ber. The weather could not mate up its mind as to which was most 

 desirable — to snow, rain, or freeze, and so it did all three by turns. I 

 went my way, out into the black, murky night, and they theirs, back 

 to their own fireside. One, a good man and true, who has learned 

 the first lesson in exhibiting — the art of seeing yourself beaten without 

 grumbling, and a belief in the possibility of there being as good fish, 

 in the sea as ever came out of it ; another, with hope strongly 

 developed in his cerebral formation, and who always comes up to the 

 mark smiling; the third, trembling in mortal agony lest by any 

 chance there should be found better birds than his own, and meditat- 

 ing taking a " turn round by Brussels, Antwerp. Ghent, and there 

 away," to see if haply he might *' pick up anything good." 



Engagements at home have prevented my attending so many shows- 

 as last year. Old friends at Hatfield and Scarborough, and new ones 

 at North Ormesby and Guisborough, I was reluctantly obliged to dis- 

 appoint, and with the esceptions of Whitby and Hartlepool, I had not 

 seen any of the great gatherings of the season. "Week after week I 

 have opened the Journal anticipating something more than a bare 

 return of awards, and longing to hear the opinions of men well qualified' 

 to judge of the progress made in the breeding of the bird, the name of 

 whose admirers is now legion, and I do not know whether my dis- 

 appointment or my wish to see for myself has been the greater.. 

 '•WiLTSHiKE Eector's" observation that the field is not large, often 

 presented itself to my mind very forcibly, but I wished that, con- 

 tracted though it may be, other husbandmen would take as much 

 pleasure in cultivating it as I. If the space be somewhat circum- 

 scribed, we must just do as Mr. Wright recommends for poultry in 

 confinement, dig deep and turn up fresh soil in which we can scratch.. 

 I travelled to Cheltenham in company with a grizzly bear. But it 

 was, withal, a good-natured bear. I found it curled-np in a comer of 

 a carriage at Normanton, with the cleverest arrangement of foot- 

 warmers and cushions I ever saw. I had to climb over the barricade 

 when I entered the carriage, and I think I awoke the bear, which od 

 emerging from its skin assumed the appearance of a bear and seal 

 mule, and a jolly specimen it was. It had a spare portmanteau, and 

 with it and my share of the cushions, built me a barricade and a den, 

 after which it crawled under its skin and hybemated. And how it did 

 snore ! Anxious guards and inquisitive porters, who always wanted to 

 examine our tickets when there seemed to be no necessity, made nt> 

 impression on Ursus Major. 



" Be sure and send a catalogue.'' I knew it would be a large one, 

 for such a schedule has not appeared for some years. I estimated the. 

 probable number of entries at five hundred, and was agreeably sur- 



