January 5, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



15 



of Polands, the birds composing them being of high merit. 

 They are great ornaments to a show. 



The Hambarghs in their different e'asses have sustained 

 their old reputation. The Capulets and Montagues of the 

 Spangled, represented in the feuds of hen tails and full tails, 

 have ceased the wordy war of bygone days and adooted the 

 decisions of judges ; a hen tail is now never seen. The pen- 

 cilling of the Golden is very superior to that of the Silver, and 

 a desideratum appears accomplished, inasmuch as in many 

 pens we have seen the tails as well pencilled as any other part 

 of the body. We think the Golden birds of both breeds have 

 been shown as nearly perfeclion as is possible, and certainly 

 superior to the Silver. The recent introduction of classes for 

 Black birds of this breed has added a beautiful variety to our 

 exhibitions. The glossy black plumage, the bright red comb, 

 and the pure white deaf ear, form a striking contrast. 



Black and Brown Eed Game run a neck-and-neck race. 

 "vVhen lookiag at the BlacV, we award them the palm, but when 

 we come to the Browns we reverse our decision. It is certain 

 both are nearly perfect. Old cockers sometimes grumble, and 

 say " the birds of the present day are too leggy." The other 

 Game classes make little progress, and we are sorry to see a 

 falling-off in the Dackwings, We know no more beautifal 

 bird in our eyes than the Duckwing Game cock. 



But very few years since the French breeds showed an 

 occasional pen in the Variety class. Then there were two ; 

 then more ; and at last an experiment was tried by offering 

 prizes for any French breeds ; then they were divided, anij 

 now the Cie^e-Ccears and Houdans form large classes. The 

 La Fieche have been failures. Those who appreciate large 

 «ggs and plenty of them, will like the Crcru-Cceurs ; those who 

 care not so much for large eggs, but want hardy fowls, will like 

 the Houdans. We can say little in favour of the La Fieohe ; 

 they are good for the table, they lay large eggs, but they lack 

 constitution, or the climate here is unsuitable to them ; they 

 are well in the morning, and at night, without any visible 

 reason, they are at death's door. 



Malays, once so popular, have now few admirers, if we may 

 judge from their entries. The beautiful Sebrights seem losing 

 ground. Sjme one should step in to the rescue ; they are far 

 too beautiful to be allowed to lose merit, and, being a composite 

 breed, they eo back if not renewed from time to lime. The 

 Blacks and Whites are hardly shown so good as they used to 

 be. The Game have irresistible charms for Bantam-breeders. 

 They are bred to high perfection, and their entries are suffi- 

 ciently numerous to justify an increase in the number of 

 prizes offered for them. The quaint Japanese Bantam is ex- 

 hibited iu considerable numbers. They are familiar little 

 creatures, and from their attachment to man, would seem to 

 be among fowls like the Eobin among birds. While speaking 

 of Bantams, it would be unjust not to mention the beautiful 

 Buff Cochin Bintams that have been seen at some of the 

 shows during the past year. 



In every way the Aylesbury Ducks have quailed before the 

 Pouens; their numbers have been fewer, and their weights 

 less. The Rouens now form the largest class. The Black 

 Buenos Ayreans have shown well, but will still bear reducing 

 in size. A pair of Mandarins or Carolinas caused a sensation 

 a few years since, but they are now shown by dozens. 



Geese go on ircreasing. The Whites hold their own in 

 weight, but the Toulouse are far more numerous. In both 

 classes birds of 28 lbs. each are required for first-prizetakers — 

 no mean success, when we consider that a few years ago 9 lbs. 

 were the average, and 14 lbs. a marvel. Turkey cocks have 

 been shown 30 lbs. iu weight, young birds of the year more 

 than 20, and young hens of 15 lbs. each. 



These are some of the results of careful breeding, and they 

 are not mean ones. When we are sufficiently advanced to 

 have correct statistics of poultry sold for food, those who now 

 speak lightly of it will alter their opinions. It may safely be 

 said that of late years, since the poultry movement took place, 

 fowls. Geese, Turkeys, and Ducks have increased nearly a 

 third in weight. If we could ascertain the numbers that are 

 sent to market, and thereby publish the extra amount of food 

 produced only by choosing the breeds adapted to the places 

 where they are to be kept, and by proper and judicious feeding, 

 it would astonish many, by showing the enormous increase in 

 the delicate food for which we are indebted to the poultry-yard. 



The progress has not been confined to this one part of the 

 question. In the early days roup was the bane of the breeder. 

 Two or three days' confinement, a fortnight's damp cold 

 weather, or a prevalence of east wind caused it to appear. Birds 



were bred in-and-in, they were little oared for, and they took 

 their revenge by their proneness to catch any disorder from 

 which a few of the yard were suffering. At shows a good part 

 of a class was often removed because the fowls composing the 

 pens were diseased. It was never sate to turn down fowls that 

 had been to a show till they had performed quarantine. Now 

 show after show m )y be visited without seeing a diseased bird. 

 It is not only at shows this is observed, but its happy effect is 

 seen in every yard and run. The result has been attained 

 without expense. It is the reward of more careful breeding 

 and of some painstaking. Those who are close observers have 

 seen with much interest the ease with which the requirements 

 of judges have been carried out. The hen-tailed cocks of 

 Hamburghs, the combs and gills of Polands, the drooping combs 

 of Spanish, and many other such defects are now never met 

 with. 



When we come to the question of eggs we again lament the 

 want of statistics. Hundreds of millions are consumed every 

 year, many of them imported. Notwithstanding the war, the 

 number of eggs, more than 22 millions, imported from France 

 last November, was about the same number as imported in 

 that month of 1869. In every way the production of eggs is 

 too little cared for in England. 



We have concluded our poultry lore, but gratitude compels 

 us to say a few words of ourselves. We profess, as poultry 

 chroniclers, to hold an impartial balance on all matters con- 

 nected with the subject. We deprecate anything like person- 

 ality, and while we give an outspoken opinion on every ques- 

 tion that comes before us, we can safelv say we never knowingly 

 print a line that shall cause pain. We have our reward in an 

 increased and increasing circulation, and in the confidence of 

 our readers. We thank them for it. We pledge ourselves to 

 continue a line of conduct consonant at once with our feelings, 

 and productive of our readers' approval. We thank our sub- 

 scribers, readers, and contributors, and we heartily wish them 

 all 



A Happy and Peospekous New Tear. 



THE ANY VARIETY CLASS. 



I QUITE concur with the remarks of " Y. B. A. Z.," and think 

 that the " Any other variety " classes should have awarded not 

 less than six prizes to them, as such classes generally bring 

 together many varieties of fowls that are seldom seen, and 

 birds of superior merit. When four and even six varieties are 

 brought together, how can a judge do justice to the whole if 

 only two or three prizes are given ? 



" Y. B. A. Z." says that Malays ought to have a class to 

 themselves at all established shows, and so I think, as it is not 

 fair to see Malays classed against Black Hamburghs, Sultans, 

 and Polands. At the Durham Show a pen of Malays was not 

 even commended, and this pen had taken honours at Birming- 

 ham three times. The first prize Tveut to Black Hamburghs ; 

 the second to a pen of Malaya — a pen, I understand, which 

 gained prizes at Birmingham and the Crystal Palace. — B. D. 



CARBOLIC ACID AND INSECT VERMIN. 



The Canadian Poultrij Chronicle for December contains the 

 following valuable remarks on this subject, which I know will 

 be useful to many readers here : — 



" All amateurs and poultry-breeders are but too well aware 

 that parasites are the pests of poultry houses, more especially 

 in towns and cities, where poultry are kept within confined 

 limits. Without, as the owner thinks, any real cause, the 

 fowls begin to droop and look sickly, and, after a little, one by 

 one die off. He then becomes alarmed; examines them, and 

 finds them covered with parasites ; he looks into his fowl house 

 and examines the cracks and chinks in the boards, and finds 

 them filled with insects, living insects. He is astonished ; he 

 cannot account for it; and then the question arises in his 

 mind, 'How can I get rid of them?' Scores of times within 

 the last few months has this question been asked of us, and 

 our answer invariably has been, Use carbolic acid. 



"But how to use it is a matter of importance. There can be 

 no doubt about its efficacy, but it becomes everyone to exercise 

 care in handling it. The acid is sold by all druggists in its 

 crystalline and liquid form. In crystals, it dissolves in twenty 

 times its weight of water — that is, 1 oz. of the crystals requires 

 20 ozs. of water to dissolve them. Thus dissolved, it is entirely 

 too strong for any ordinary use. Dr. Emerson gives recipes 

 for preparing this powdtr for disinfecting and other purposes. 



