IG 



jouenaij of hoeticulture and cottage gardenek. 



[ January 5, 1S71. 



As a whitewash for walla, for proteetion against insects, bugs, 

 &c., he Bays, ' Put 3 ozs. of carbolic acid into 12 quarts of lime- 

 water or whitewash.' Whitewash the walls of the poultry 

 house well with this wash, and no more living parasites will be 

 seen ; their death is inevitable. A weak solution may be made 

 to wash fowls in : one part of the acid to sixty parts of warm 

 water ; let it cool, then dip the fowls in it until the feathers 

 become thoroughly wet and the solution reaches all parts of 

 the body. Afterwards place the fowls on clean dry straw, where 

 the sun will reach them, until they are dry." 



I may add to the foregoing that the most handy and useful 

 thing I know of to have about the poultry yard is carbolate of 

 Hme. It is a powerful and at the same time pleasant dis- 

 infectant, whilst it will also answer most purposes in the w^y 

 of destroying insects, if dusted liberally against the walls or 

 other infested parts. Being a powder, it may also be dusted 

 amongst the straw iu the nests, and in other places where a 

 liquid cannot be used ; though in very bad cases the more 

 searching wash above given will be necessary. The price iu 

 most towns is about 4.d. per pound, and a regular sprinkling on 

 the floors of the houses, I can say from experience, adds greatly 

 to the comfort of all concerned. — L. Weight. 



EXHIBITION GAME COCKS. 

 I 3I0ST fully concur in the remarks on Game fowls in your 

 last number by your correspondent " Yop.KsniKE." Some of 

 the specimens of the Brown Beds shown at many exhibitions 

 really put one in mind, so to speak, of a cross between " a 

 Malay and an Ostrich," if such a cross were possible. The 

 brassy or straw-coloured Brown Beds, especially, that I have 

 seen at exhibitions, were very poor things as Game cocks, stand- 

 ing in their pens, with tails carried horizontally, and hiding 

 their heads in the farthest corners of the pen without crowing 

 at all. I have, however, seen some excellent cockers' birds of 

 this colour, called in some places brass cocks. Those birds I 

 allude to were bred from good daik-legged Brown Red cocks 

 put to good yellow-legged Dackwing hens, and were great favour- 

 ites and very quick birds. Onr judges of Game fowls certainly 

 keep up the wrong type, in the exhibition Brown Reds more 

 especially, though I do not like a full-feathered bird resembling 

 a farmyard Game cock. — Newmaeket. 



BRISTOL AND CLIFTON POULTRY SHOW. 



The total entries for this Show, the judging of which takes 

 place to-day, are 1306, which, by an extraordinary coincidence, 

 are just one more than last year. From information which has 

 reached us we are able to say that iu many of the classes there 

 will be the best show of the season. Partly in consequence of 

 the retarding influence of the dry season many of the finest 

 chickens have not been previously ready for exhibition, and in 

 nearly all the classes there are entries, from eminent exhibitors, 

 of first-rate birds never before shown. 



The Spanish as usual are in great force, the cockerels num- 

 bering thirty-three and the pullets twenty-three entries. We 

 hear, also, that a better show of Buff Cochins than has yet been 

 seen this year is anticipated. But the most remarkable classes 

 will be the Dark Brahmas, which in numbers have beaten every 

 other breed. The cockerel class contains the extraordinary 

 number of forty-five entries, and tbe others are in proportion. 



With the exception of Bantams and Pigeons, the pens at this 

 Show will be, as usual, arranged in single tier, while for light 

 the exhibition hall has perhaps no equal. Altogether, both to 

 the experienced and the tyro, this Show will oii'er opportunities 

 ^ and advantages for the real study of their pet hobbies which 

 have not previously offered during the present season, and 

 which none who can enjoy should lose sight of. 



THE FLYING OR SKY TUMBLER. 

 Two peculiarities are omitted in the description of this class 

 of Tumbler in your Journal of December 29th, and which the 

 Birmingham Columbarian Society will accept, perhaps, from 

 an amateur. I refer to the occurrence of clear-legged and odd- 

 eyed birds (a hazel and a pearl eye), in the Birmingham Muffed 

 Tumbler broods from parent birds both muffed in legs, and 

 with pearl or silver eyes, and vice versa — i.e., muffod-legged 

 and silver-eyed brood from clear-legged and odd-eyed parentage. 

 So it occurs in my own flight o£ about a score of these muffed 

 Tumblers had from Birmingham, and I presume the occur- 

 rence is not an exception. 



Allusion is made, in the description I mention, to a Dutch 

 import of this variety of Tumbler, and, I think, very appro- 

 priately ; for doubtless the Birmingham Roller or Tumbler is 

 a cross between our own old English and the European Dutch 

 or German feather-legged Tumbler, " improved upon," cer- 

 tainly, by English blood. Hence the occasional clear leg ap- 

 pears ; the odd eyes dating back, however, I cannot guess 

 whence, save of hazel-eyed, Bald, or Magpie ancestry. Can the 

 Birmingham Columbarian Society inform us further upon the 

 features I have noticed ? 



As additional testimony to the cross suggested, the Birming- 

 ham Tumblers derive, I infer, their high or sky-flying propen- 

 sity from our English blood, and their rolling properties from 

 the continental admixture. 



What "Young England" fancies is our own dainty, fairy 

 little Sky Tumbler, innocent of feathered legs, red as coral, with 

 eyes of transparent pearl and studded jet, and in all colours, 

 from those of the harlequin Almond, ermine Mottle, and varied 

 Splash, to the sombre selfs — red, black, yeUow, silver, drab, 

 and blue — birds not heavier than a Starling, and whose home 

 appears to be in cloudland or on the roof alike, as caprice or 

 nature prompts. — Eeadek. 



INQUIRY. 



I ADVEP.TisED in your Joumal some Call Ducks, and amongst 

 other applications received one from W. George & Co., poultry 

 merchants, 42, Great Wild Street, Covent Garden, for four 

 pairs, and another from George White, 117, Culford Road, N., 

 for six couple. I replied, giving a reference to a tradesman in 

 London, and requesting post-oiice order before forwarding the 

 birds. I have heard nothing further. Does any reader of this 

 Journal know them ? — J. N. Peeston. 



MANCHESTER POULTRY AND PIGEON SHOW. 



{From tv:o Correspondents.) 



The tenth and most successful poultry and Pigeon Show ever lielS 

 in Maneliester took place on the 30th and olst of December. On 

 botli days the attendance of visitors was very great, and, to some 

 extent, will recoup the spirited proprietors for the loss tliey must have 

 sustained last year, wlien, if we remember aright, it rained nearly all 

 the time of the Show. The arrangements were excellent, and if any 

 fault could be found, we thought it would have been much better, both 

 for the poultry and Pigeons, had the macjnilicent rooms been better 

 heated. 



Old Coloured DorJdng cocks \yere rather a poor class, nearly all 

 bad iu feet or toes, yet there were several vei^ large birds amongst 

 them. The hens were very good in quality, but not numerous. The 

 cockerels were a very good class, which was well tilled. The class for 

 Coloured pullets consisted of a remarkably good lot of birds. Silver- 

 Grey Dorkings were not good. All the Sjjauisli classes were very good, 

 hut many of the birds showed signs of suffering from the severe 

 weather ; in fact, a few were so affected with the frost, that th.y would 

 have been far better at home. The first-prize hens were claimed at 

 £15 immediately the Show opened. The Cochin, classes were all re- 

 markably fine, though some really good birds appeared quite out of 

 condition from being over-exhibited. The first-prize pair of Buff 

 pullets were iu beautiful condition. The Dark Brahnas were both 

 remarkably good classes, hut, as in the Cochins, a few of the best 

 birds were in bad condition. Light Brahmas were not good. Poland 

 cocks were excellent, and a few of the hens were as good as could he 

 wished for. The Game classes were the best by far in quality I have 

 seen this season. All the classes were remarkably good and well filled. 



BucJcs, Geese, and TnrJcetjs, as may bo seen by the prize list, were 

 wonderfni. 



In Ilaiahuvfilis the Spangled were good, and very fai* better than the 

 PeKcUled. Bantams were worth a long journey to see, and no class 

 in the Show was more crowded than the Game Bantams. 



In the Pouter classes, unfortunately for Mr. Gamon, of Chester, 

 his four fine birds were entered in wrong classes, otherwise we feel 

 sure some of them would have been in the prize list ; and, again, a 

 pair of his splendid Yellow Dragoons were passed over, owing to the 

 lien bird being marked, she having a piece of string tied round one of 

 her legs. 



There were 307 entries of Pigeons, and representatives from most 

 of our best lofts. Many pairs of Pigeons arrived too late for compe- 

 tition, we believe the whole of those belonging to Mr. Van Haaus- 

 bergen and Mr. Sharp, of Johnstone. The judgment appeared to 

 give almost universal satisfaction, and wo never heard fewer com- 

 plaints, although a few unsuccessful exhibitors, as usual, attempted to 

 convince novices their unnoticed pens were better than the best. 



The Pouters were good ; Black Carrier cocks escollent, numbering 

 fourteen pens, the winning bii-ds being placed the same as at Bu'ming- 

 ham Show. Black Carrier hens were very good. Had pen 10-13 been 



