August 2, 1877. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



105 



C ross. Creve-Cozurs.— 1, C. W. Gibbs. 2, Robinson & Myers. Polands.— 1 

 E Newbitt. 2, J. Long. Bantams.— Bed, or any other Dark colour— 1 anas 

 R 'Newbitt. 2, J. Atkinson. Any Light colour.— 1, H. Newbitt. 2 ana 3, W. 

 Hoe. Any othee Variety.-1. J. Long. 2, Dr. E. SneU. 3, Mrs. Cross 

 Selling CLASs.-Cocfc.-l, J. T. Codling. 2, K. Newbitt. 8, C. W. Gibbs. 4, J. 

 Lone. £<ms.-l.J. HornBby. 2, W. Roe. 8, Mrs. Cross. 4, J. Long IxEESE 

 — 1. Dr. E. SneU. 2, J. Walker. 3, B. Annitage, Jan. Ducks —Aylesbury.— 

 1 and 8, J. Walker. 2. Dr. E. SneU. Rouen— 1 and 3, J. Walker. 3, W. Bygott, 

 sun. Any other variety— 1 and 2, J. Walker. Tdbkets.-I, J. Walker. 2. Mrs. 

 Grundy. Guinea Fowls.— 1. Dr. E. SneU. Miscellaneous Selling Cuss.— 

 1, R. Newbitt. 2, W. G. Waters. 3, W. Bygott, jun. 4, Dr. E. Snell. 5, J. 



PIGEONS.— Caebiees.-I, H. Yardley. Tumblers.— 1 and 2. H. Yardley. 

 Fantails.— 1 and 2, J. F. Leveraidge. Any othee Vaeiety.-1, H. Yardley. 2, 

 E. Foster. 



WHITCHURCH SHOW OF POULTRY, Ac. 



This Exhibition was held in a covered tent in connection 

 with the Salop Agricultural Society's Show. The entries were 

 not large, but the quality in most classes was excellent. Mr. 

 Dixon of Bradford and Mr. Lane of Birmingham awarded the 

 prizes. 



Dark Dorkings opened the catalogue. The cup went to a 

 large pair shown by Mr. Walker; they were square-shaped good 

 specimens. The cock in the second pen had a bad comb, while 

 the third were but a fair pair. The next class, for Silvers and 

 Whites, had no entries, and the former one had only five pens. 

 Brown and Partridge Cochins followed, where again there were 

 only five pens, and Messrs. Percival's and Wood's being empty 

 Mr. Tudman walked his three pens in for the three prizes. Of 

 Buffs there were six pens, and for the time of the year the 

 quality was good; pen 12 (Darby) were a little faded in colour, 

 or else as good as any pen. In the next class Blacks and White i 

 met together. There were three pens of the latter colour and 

 one of the former. The cocks here were in better plumage than 

 the hens, the first-prize bird being in grand feather, and was 

 the same bird we fancy which we saw at Banbury. In Dark 

 Brahmas, of which there were eight pens, the cup pen was 

 good and very silvery in colour; the second pen, too, belonging 

 to the same exhibitor, were of much merit, as too was the 

 highly commended pen (25) of Mr. Aspden. In Light Brahmas 

 a pen of chickens came in second. There were half a dozen 

 pens of this colour. Game made fine classes, as is usually the 

 case in this district; not many pens, however, save the winners 

 were in good condition. The cup pen of Black Beds were 

 splendid, being really good all round. In Brown Beds the 

 dinners were well chosen; and in the next class a fine peu of 

 Piles won easily, second and third going to good Duekwings. 

 Spanish made only six entries, five of which were noticed. 

 The cup pen was good, the winning hen being excellent. In 

 Spangled Hamburghs Gold, Silver, and Gold won in this order. 

 All the three pens were in good trim. Pens 76 (Rawnsley) and 

 77 (Beldon) were two excellent pens of Golds. In Pencils Mr. 

 Beldon won the cup with a smart pen, both birds in good 

 leather and condition. French had nine entries, where the 

 -quality was good. Creves won first, and good forward Houdan 

 ohickens second, Creves being third again. Game Bantams 

 produoed fourteen pens, of which Messrs. Fraser's, Cock's, and 

 Adams's were without occupants. The cup went to capital Piles 

 five months old as the catalogue terms them; seoond were 

 Duekwings ; and third pretty Black Red ohickens. In the next 

 class good Blacks were first and third, while a oharming pen of 

 Silver-laced came in between them. In the Variety class, 

 which contained ten entries, Silver Polands of grand quality 

 came in first, very lustrous Black Hamburghs being second, 

 -and Sootch Greys third. 124 (Darby) were good Black Polands ; 

 tbe cockerel had a large crest, but not a very prettily-shaped 

 one. In the chicken class, which comprised twenty-two pens, 

 DarkBrahmaswere first, Brown Red Game second, and Houdans 

 third. Turkeys had four pens. The winners were very large 

 and in good condition ; second were a large pair also, and third 

 -went to good Cambridge. Geese made five pens ; the winners 

 were large birds, all of fine quality. Aylesbury Bucks made only 

 i rar pens, the winners large and clear in bills ; second not quite 

 so heavy in appearance, but very good. The Variety Duck class 

 was truly excellent. Of the other nine pens seven won cards 

 ■from the Judge. 



The Pigeons were of fair quality in most classes. The Fan- 

 tdls especially good; a sweetly pretty pair of young Whites 

 ™ere first, and another good pen of the same colour were second. 

 ^Nuns only brought three pens and Barbs the same number, and 

 PouterB again only a trio, and we are afraid many of these 

 classes will bring much loss on the Committee. In O wis the 

 winners were very pretty and good; the second Blues we much 

 admired. In the Variety claBS fine Black Trumpeters were first, 

 very fair Red Turbits second. Of Dragoons there were eleven 

 pens, Mr. Wood's taking both honours with excellent Blues and 

 Yellows. Antwerps, too, made a large class, and here Duns of 

 fine quality came in first. 



POULTRY.— Dorkings.— Dark. -Cup and 1, J. Walker. 2. Mrs. R. E. Jones. 

 3, T. Brocklebank. Cochins.— Brown and Partridge.— Cup, 1, 2, and 8, E. Tud- 

 man. Cinnamon and Bujf.—l, H. Tomlinson. 2, R. P. Percival. 3, F. Robert- 

 son. Any other variety.— 1 and 3, A. E. W. Darby. 2, R. P. Percival. 

 Bkahmas.— Dark.— 1, Cup, and 2, J. F. Smith. 8, E. Pritchard. Light.— 1, R. P. 

 Percival. 2, C J Naylor. 3, H. C. While, Qkus.-Blaok-breasted Bed.—l, 



Cap, and 8, S. Matthew. 2, R. Ashley. Brown-breasted Red.— I, E. Ashley. 2, 

 T. Burgess. 8, J. White. Duekwings, or any other variety. —I, S. Matthew. 2, 

 W.C.Phillips. Spanish.— Cup, J. W.Holden. l.J.Bonlton. 2, S.L.Edwards. 

 8, J. F. SUUtoe. Hamburghs.— Gold or Silver-spangled.— 1, T. Blakeman. 2, 

 Ashton & Booth. 3, S. R. Harris. Gold or Silver-pencilled.— 1 and Cup. H. 

 Beldon. 2, J. Rawnsley. 8, W. L. BeU. Fbench Fowls.— 1, L. Booth. 2, C.J. 

 Naylor. 3, H. Feast. Bantams.— Game.— 1 and Cup. W. F. Entwisle. 2, G. 

 Hall. 8. J. Piatt. Any other variety.— \ t Ludlow & Raokham. 2, M. Leno. 3, 

 Morris & Cameron. Any other Variety.— 1, H. Beldon. 2, Eev. W. Serjeant- 

 son. 3, W. B. Etches. Chickens— 1, E. Pritchard. 2, W. Perrin. 8, C. J. 

 Naylor. Turkeys.— 1, W. Wykes. 2, S. H. Stott. 3, S. Jones. Geese.— 1, J. 

 Walker. 2, S. H. Stott. 3. J. K. & R. R. Fowler. Dboks.— Aylesbury.— 1, J. 

 Walker. 2, J. K. & R. R. Fowler. 8, J. Hedges. Rouen.— 1, J. Walker. 2, S. 

 H. Stott. 3, F. Robertson. Any other variety.— 1 and 3, Rev. W. Serjeantson. 

 2. J. Walker. Selling Class.— 1, J. Derncutt. 2, S. L. Edwards. 8, J. 

 Parker, jun. 



PIGEONS.— Tumblers.— 1 and 2, H. Yardley. Carriers.— 1, H. Yardley. 2, 

 J. E. Butler. Fantails.— 1 and 2, Rev. W. Serjeantson. Nuns— 1, H. Mears. 

 2, Miss C. Brooke. Barbs. — 1, H. Yardley. 2, S. M. Morris. Antwebps.— 1, W. 

 F. Entwisle. 2, H. Yardley. Dragoons.— I and 2. R. Woods. Pouters.— 1 and 

 2, H. Pratt. Owlb.— 1. E Lee. 2, H. Yardley. any other Variety.— 1, C. A. 

 J.H.Pearson. 2, J.E.Piatt. 



THE SILVER-GREY RABBIT. 



The Silver-Grey, although one of the smaller breeds, is con- 

 siderably larger than the Dutch or Himalayan varieties. Seven 

 and 8 lbs. are the usual weights of good healthy fall-grown speci- 

 mens, anything above 8 lbs. being an exception to the rule. The 

 appearance is neat and pretty, rather stumpy and well-con- 

 ditioned, with an arched back. The legs are wel Iset and strong, 

 the head rather small and inclined to be sharp at the nose. The 

 eyes are usually of a dark colour, and very brilliant in appear- 

 ance. The ears are short and erect without any tendenoy to 

 lopping, although they occasionally fall a little outwards. The 

 best appearance is that of the oommon hutch Rabbit, with the 

 ears nearly parallel and falling rather forward than otherwise. 

 The whole f urm is neat, and seldom fails to attract admiration. 



The variety may, for the purpose of description, be advan- 

 tageously divided into two parts — the dark shade and the light. 

 Opinions differ as to the more valuable, public esteem having 

 veered from one to the other and back again until now tbe shade 

 most admired is a mixture between the two. To such an extent 

 has the shade question been worked that prizes are to some 

 extent monopolised by certain strains, although as some jadgeB 

 prefer one shade and some another, while others prefer a mix- 

 ture of the two, the monopoly is not likely to do much harm or to 

 check their culture. The shade is decidedly peculiar, and the 

 appearance is often strange before a close inspection has shown 

 how things are ; the fact is, the animal has two distinct qualities 

 of hair — a light and a dark. The latter is almost black and 

 rather short, hence when born the animal is black. The other 

 hairs are of a silvery shade — a sort of bluish grey; these are 

 much longer, and do not make their appearance until the Babbit 

 is a month or two old. The great points to be aimed at are first 

 a good shade, and secondly uniformity of shade. The former 

 may generally be obtained by care and diligence, bat the latter 

 desideratum is not a goal easy of access. Fanoy, that fickle 

 and hard-to-be-pleased goddess, calls loudly for dark nose, ears, 

 and toes in the Himalayan, and, like the man in the fable 

 who blew hot and cold with the same breath, calls equally 

 loudly for uniformity in the3e points with tbe remainder of the 

 body in silver-grey. The head is generally a shade darker than 

 the body, especially among the darker or Chinchilla variety. It 

 does not detract at all from the animal's beauty, and, except in 

 very olose competition, does not tell much against it, provided 

 of course that the comparison is not very obvious and that the 

 shade is good. The nose often gives much trouble, there being 

 two crimes of which it is occasionally guilty. In the first place 

 it sometimes has a white spot upon it, and this is a heinous 

 offence, not only to the fancier but also to the casual spectator, 

 as it detracts considerably from the beauty. Then again it will 

 sometimes refuse to " silver," as the fancy call it. The longer and 

 lighter hairs do not make their appearance, and hence the short 

 and black are only visible, and the nose retains its pristine 

 blackness, and that which would make the heart of the Hima- 

 layan breeder dance for joy has a very contrary effect upon the 

 keeper of Silver-Greys. The feet, too, sometimes err. It is rare 

 that these members are too dark, but they not unfrequently 

 present a scraggy grey appearance that is far from being proper. 

 As to the colouring of the belly and under quarters, it is of 

 course much lighter and often approaches pure white. There 

 is a great variety of Bhading; the best of all, in our opinion, is 

 tbe uniform medium shade, as preferable to the heavy or mealy, 

 while of the two latter we prefer the former. 



In order to obtain the desired strain very careful breeding is 

 required, and as the strains generally breed pretty true if reason- 

 able care is employed there need be little fear of sacceBS. The 

 crossing of a heavy swell with a mealy doe will often produce 

 the desired shade. Beware always of white noses, and if possible 

 keep them from the breeding stock. There can be but little 

 doubt that this is the result of a cross, however far back, and 

 these remote crossings give much trouble to eradioate. 



The Silver-Grey is very prolific. The litters will be as fre- 

 quent as discretion calls for them, and the number of young 

 may generally be relied upon to exceed half a dozen. The doe 



