318 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t October 20, 1870. 



adoption in your pages, bat oommittees, as a friend of mine is 

 fond of remarking, " don't seem to see it." 



The matter of the catalogue also, is a serious annoyance to 

 exhibitors. Certainly exhibitors are the back bone of an ex- 

 hibition : this, I Buppose, is granted. True, mariy obtain their 

 quid pro quo, but many do not. I apprehend that in a good 

 show the latter class form the majority, and surely it would be 

 wisdom on the part of committees to show this little courtesy, 

 by sending one to those to whom, after all, they are indebted 

 for any exhibition at all. Then, again, it should be the first 

 duty of the Secretary, after the publication of the catalogue, to 

 dispatch them by first post to distant exhibitors. Before now I 

 have ordered my catalogue, have left home on the second day 

 after its non-arrival by post, have arrived at the exhibition, and 

 found that all the catalogues were sold on the first day ; mine, 

 although previously ordered, sharing the same fate ! Some 

 Committees — and here our grandmother, Birmingham, sets the 

 example — wipe their hands of all catalogue business. In this 

 case, it appears to me the duty to sell this part of the trans- 

 action with the understanding that each exhibitor shall be 

 furnished with a copy as early as possible. — Y. B. A. Z. 



WEIGHT OF FOWLS INFLUENCING JUDGES 

 AT POULTRY SHOWS. 



I have often been asked why I did not exhibit at Birming- 

 ham ? My answer has invariably been, if I did with aDy chance 

 of success, I should for ever spoil my birds for breeding. I 

 exhibit nothing but Dorkings, still the same objection applies 

 to all the large breeds. Why are the exhibitors of the large 

 breeds compelled to fatten their birds to such an extent as to 

 utterly ruin the birds for breeding ? Surely the frame ought 

 to be the criterion, not the weight. If you get the large frame, 

 weight is merely a question of feeding. True, you cannot get 

 a large frame without good feeding, but after you have the 

 frame why should you be compelled to ruin your birds so as to 

 put on extraordinary weight ? This, to me, is one very great 

 objection to the Birmingham Show. Let frame, not weight, 

 carry the honours, and then both the Show itself and the public 

 generally, as well as those who delight in poultry, will benefit 

 by the change. 



Although no novice, let me from sad experience warn in- 

 tending purchasers of the large breeds against buying prize 

 birds at Birmingham, unless they can satisfy themselves, which 

 I have never been able to do, that the birds are not so fat as 

 to be utterly useless for breeding. Mr. Wright's excellent 

 letter has led me to make these few remarks, in the hope that 

 some one of influence in the poultry world will take up the 

 cudgels in favour of frame versus weight. — Thos. E. Eell, 

 Wetlierby. 



[We are in a position to say, the Dorking prizes at Birming- 

 ham have never been awarded by weight. The judges would 

 have wilfully deviated from their instructions had they done 

 so, and, we believe we may add, from their own convictions. 

 Those who believe such a report believe it on hearsay, and 

 hearsay is a bad authority. — Eds.] 



SELECTING FOWLS FOR EXHIBITION. 



[Ora Canadian brethren are going ahead ; we extract this from 

 the Canadian Poultry Chronicle.] 



The first care of an exhibitor should be the proper match- 

 ing in colour of his birds for the show pen. The want of 

 attention to this point causes the frequent loss of a first prize 

 to many otherwise well-deserving pairs of fowls. They may 

 be all that the most fastidious amateur can desire, if taken 

 singly and examined by the scale of points, but yet matched 

 as they frequently are, judges are compelled to pass them by 

 without recognition, much to the chagrin and disappointment 

 of the exhibitor, who, in ignorance of the real cause, not 

 unfrequently attributes to them incapacity, or perhaps some- 

 thing worse. Exhibitors should never forget that birds not 

 matching in the show pen are invariably disqualified by all 

 judges who know anything of the principles laid down for their 

 guidance in such matters, no matter how perfect they may be 

 in all the other points. Size, too, beauty of plumage, markings, 

 symmetry, condition, &c, ought also, all in their turn, to be 

 carefully considered, and each point of the bird carefully 

 scrutinised before being selected for the show pen. 



Poultry-breeders are indebted to the London (England) 



Poultry Club for the " Standard of Excellence " for the guidance 

 of judges in making their awards, a knowledge of which is 

 equally essential to the exhibitor as the judge. Without it he 

 is unable to make his selections with any degree of certainty of 

 obtaining a prize ; with it, he is sure of his birds not being 

 disqualified, even supposing he may not be so successful in the 

 much-sought-for honour of prizetaking. 



The "Standard" places a separate value in numbers on each 

 point of excellence, which, when summed up, make a total of 

 fifteen for each bird. The values attached to these points are 

 not alike in all breeds of fowls. In some they are calculated 

 on a different scale to that of others, a thorough knowledge of 

 which makes the successful exhibitor and good judge. 



In the Cochin breed, the varieties known as Buff, Lemon, 

 Silver Buff, Silver Cinnamon, and Cinnamon, size and colour 

 are highly estimated ; to these two points the value of seven 

 is assigned out of a total of fifteen, the former having three, 

 and the latter four given to it; while to the six remaining points 

 — viz., head and comb, carriage of wing-, legs, fluff, general 

 symmetry, and condition, a value of eight is attached. In the 

 Grouse and Partridge varieties of this breed, instead of a general 

 value of four being given to colour, it is divided into sub- values 

 of two each, on account of the more specific markings of the 

 feathers of these birds, and which exhibitors would do well to 

 note. The value of points in White and Black Cochins are the 

 same as in the Buff and Cinnamon, the diffeience in colour only 

 considered, and the same remark holds good as to Dark or Pen- 

 cilled Brahmas, and Light Brahmas, as to the values of points. 

 To breed to size as well as feather has long been the chief 

 feature of the Dorking breeders. That this should be so is not 

 to be wondered at, seeing the prominent place assigned to it in 

 England as a table fowl. Special value is therefore given to 

 size in the Dorking class beyond that of any other class or 

 breed of fowls, except to La Fleche, Turkeys, and one variety of 

 Ducks. In the Coloured Dorking size counts five, symmetry 

 four ; while head and comb ; legs, feet, and toes ; and condition, 

 count but two each, 



To the White variety a point of excellence is given not re- 

 cognised in the Coloured — purity of plumage, on which a 

 numerical value of two is fixed. To make up this a deduction 

 of one is made from each of the two points size and symmetry, 

 reducing their value to four and three respectively, instead of 

 five and four as in the Coloured. 



A still further deduction from size is made in the Silver-Grey 

 variety, and added to colour ; thus we have in the Silver-Greys 

 the points size, colour, and symmetry, all ranked of the same 

 numerical value — three, while the other three points rank as 

 in the Coloured, two each. 



The Spanish breed of fowls has only one recognised variety, 

 although there are several sub-varieties, known as the Minorca, 

 White, Andalusian, and Aneonas. Face, ear-lobe, and symmetry 

 are of equal rank, each point counting three ; comb, condition 

 of plumage, and purity of white face and ear-lobe, count two 

 each. Of the six points to which the numerical value of fifteen 

 is assigned, the face and ear-lobe count eight — over one-half. 

 It will be seen, therefore, of how much importance it is to select 

 fowls of this breed with face and ear-lobe free from those red 

 blotches which are so frequently met with in birds of this variety. 

 The points of the numerous varieties of Game Fowls, usually 

 known as the Black-breasted, Brown, and Ginger Beds, Yellow, 

 and Silver Duckwing, Birchen Yellow, Pile, White, and Black, 

 are seven in number. Colour of plumage ranks the highest, 

 and has a value of three given to it ; while shape of head and 

 neck; body and wings; tail; thighs, legs, and toes; symmetry, 

 handling, condition, and hardness of plumage, have each a 

 numerical value of two. 



Of the many breeds of fowls which are to be met with at an 

 exhibition, there is perhaps none which attracts the attention 

 of the visitor more than those of the Hamburgh class. The 

 beautiful markings of the feathers of the different varieties 

 known as the Gold and Silver-pencilled, Gold and Silver- 

 spangled, and Black Hamburghs, call forth his admiratioD, and 

 ought to be an increased incentive to exhibitors in the exercise 

 of great care in the selection and breeding of these fowls. In 

 the Gold and Silver-pencilled Hamburghs there are in cock 

 birds six points of excellence, three of which— comb; colour of 

 plumage, except tail, sickle feathers, and tail coverts ; and colour 

 of tail, sickle feathers, and tail coverts — count each three ; the 

 deaf ear, symmetry, and condition numbering two each. The 

 hens have a similar number of points, but vary in name and 

 numerical value— comb, deaf ear, symmetry, and condition 

 numbering two each ; while purity in colour of head and neck; 



