482 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 20, 1877. 



"seventeenth category" is for "Russian, Malay, and similar 

 breeds," which is surely rather abstruse. Polands are called 

 Padua and Dutch breeds, of which the White-crest.=d have two 

 classes. There is a class for Breda fowls, which we should 

 have thought should have been grouped with the other French 

 varieties. Two Variety classes with categories for Geese, Tur- 

 keys, Ducks, and Guinea Fowls finish the poullry department. 

 The Pigeon classification is peculiar. There are but four classes 

 — one for large breeds used for food and one for smaller ditto, 

 another for Doves, and the fourth for Carriers. Rabbits have 

 five classes, one being for Russians. 



The prizes are fairly liberal. An art object of the approxi- 

 mate value of five hundred francs may be awarded to the finest 

 collection belonging to the same owner, and a sum of four thou- 

 sand franCB and silver and bronze medals will be distributed 

 among the attendants to whom the notice of the Jury may be 

 drawn on account of the intelligent care they have given to the 

 prize specimens ; so there will be a good opportunity for some 

 of the poultry managers of England to come in for a share of 

 this £170, and in cases of equal merit the Jury will take length 

 of service into consideration. Of the other prizes, in the classes 

 for cocks the prizes are thirty francs, twenty francs, and fifteen 

 frarjes, and in those for hens they are forty-five, forty, and 

 thirty-five francs ; besides these a silver medal will be added to 

 all first prizes and a bronze medal to ail other prizes. No exhi- 

 bitor can receive more than one prize in each class. The entries 

 have to be sent to the Secretary Royal Commission Paris Uni- 

 versal Exhibition, 1878, Canada Buildings, King Street, West- 

 minster, S.W., and being " on Her Britannic Majesty's service " 

 the postage need not be paid. 



One fact will seem peculiar to our exhibitors ; we allude to 

 the Show being judged by special Juries, the third of which 

 will judge the pigs and poultry. Save Capt. Heaton we person- 

 ally know of no English judge who would give satisfaction to 

 English exhibitors of both pigs and poultry. There is a clause, 

 however, to say each Jury may perhaps be divided into sections, 

 in which case the poultry may possibly have a small Jury to 

 themselves. The awards will be determined upon by a majority 

 of votes, and in cases of equality the President will have the 

 casting vote ; their decision will be taken down in writing and 

 signed by the members. All this must appear very strange to 

 us and would appear to require a great deal of time, but art. 1G 

 tells us that the Jury will have two days in which to perform 

 their duties. Wednesday, June 5th, is set apart, for the reception 

 of the animals, and the Show closes on the 17ih inst. at 5 p.m. 



The time of year is a bad one for a poultry show : old hirds 

 will be ragged and untidy while the chickens will hardly be 

 ready, though we have seen early ehickenB win at the Bath and 

 West of England shows, which are generally held at about 

 that time. We anyhow hope our exhibitors and fanciers will 

 patronise the Show, and do what they can for the foreigners to 

 see that the basses cours of Great Britain have even French 

 fowls equal to their own in size, points, and general character- 

 istics. — W. 



CARMARTHEN POULTRY SHOW. 



The great number of other shows which were being held in 

 other counties on the same dates doubtless interfered with this 

 one, where the classes, though extremely well divided, had not 

 such tempting money prizes. Some of the classes were small, 

 such as the Spanish, Light Brahmas, and Gold and Silver-pen- 

 cilled Hamburghs. There was a class for undubbed Game, with 

 £5 5s. worth of prize money offered by the Baroness Burdett- 

 Coutts, but only eight entries were made ; and though the 

 winner was a good bird, still a £3 first prize would have brought 

 a larger competition from the greater yards we should have 

 thought. Malays were a good class of fifteen pens, and the 

 winners were well chosen. In Black Hamburgh? the winning 

 pair (D. Lewis) were very bright and good. Polands only had 

 five pens, but the winners (Hioton) were very good Silvers, fine 

 in crests and attractively marked. In the class for Boudans 

 Mr. S. W. Thomas won second with a pair which were not in the 

 catalogue from some oversight; third goiog to a good pen of 

 Mr. Scott's. In the other variety French ch)ss Creves won all 

 the three prizes. The first Game Bantams (Parker) were smart 

 and good-coloured birds, and in the other Bantam class Mr. 

 Phelps with his three entries monopolised the three prizes. In 

 the Any other variety of fowl class the Rev. R. Woodgate was 

 first with a capital pen of Japanese Silkies, second going to 

 W. Lewis for Black Minorcas. In the Sale class the Rev. 

 D. Williams was first with a fair Dark Brahma. The local 

 classes were mostly of average merit, but call for no especial 

 remarks. Mr. John Martin awarded the prizes, and gave general 

 satisfaction. 



MID-SURREY POULTRY SHOW. 

 The second annual Show was held at the Drill Hall, Kingston, 

 on Thursday the 13th inst. and following days. The arrange- 

 ments were an improvement upon last year, but a want of 



practical knowledge is still evident with the management. The 

 avenues were too small, and, the light not being good, it was a 

 very difficult task to inspect the birds in the lower pens, and 

 the inconvenience must have added wonderfully to the work of 

 the Judges. 



Old cock and hen, cockerel and pnllGt, was the general classi- 

 fication of the popular varieties of poultry. Considering the 

 space at the command of the Committee, we think they would 

 have done much better had they been less ambitious, and as 

 the season is now far advanced, made one All ages class for each 

 variety, it would have saved a considerable sum in prize money, 

 and they could have spared a little to have increased the value 

 of the other prizes, which would have improved greatly the 

 quality of the birds, as exhibitors do not care to risk good 

 specimens in the chances of an exhibition for prizes of the 

 value of 20s., 10s., and 5s., unless they are very conveniently 

 situated with regard to the Show, as was the case with a large 

 Pigeon exhibitor, who patronised the Show most extensively, 

 and we noticed in only the first five classes of Pigeons he was 

 fortunate enough to take thirteen prizes out of the fifteen offered. 

 We call attention to this in the hope that if the Show is con- 

 tinned the Committee will see the advantage of condensing 

 their schedule, expunging some of the nnpatronised classes, 

 and then, by the slight increase we have suggested in the 

 values of the prizes, the competition will become more general 

 and an improvement of the quality in many classes will be 

 Becnred. 



Dorkings, five classes. — The first, a cockerel, we thought the 

 pick of the lot. The winning pullet was in some respects good, 

 but spoilt by sooty feet. Cochins, Partridge. — First good, cock 

 sound in colour, hens well marked. Buff were generally very 

 uneven in colour. Iu the Any other variety we found two good 

 pens of Whites first and second, and a moderate pen of Black 

 third. Brahmas, Dark Cock and Hen. — First, cock rather 

 narrow, hen well marked ; second a fair pen ; third poor. Light 

 Cock and Hen. — First both good in colour, and the cock had a 

 very neat comb for an old bird. We could not find another 

 even moderate pen in this class. Hocked Birds. — The winning 

 Dark had all that the most extravagant lover of leg feather could 

 desire for breeding purposes, but the merit of the first Light 

 hen we conld not discover ; she was wonderfully hocked, but 

 very short of leg feather, the third toe being quite uncovered. 

 Cockerels a poor class. First a pretty bird, second deserved 

 his position, third crooked in the toe. Pen 89, a pair of Lights, 

 we much preferred. Pullets. — A very evenly-marked Dark 

 first ; second a well-shaped White, nicely marked in the hackle, 

 and with a proper quantity of leg feather. Game. — Black Red 

 cocks a fair class. Hens. — First a very stylish bird, Bhort and 

 hard in feather. DuckwiDg. — Pen 129 we liked in many re- 

 spects better than the winner, but he looked out of condition 

 and soft. The remaining classes were poor, the Any variety of 

 hen containing only one entry. Hamburghs. — Mr. Long ex- 

 hibited two or three good pens. The first Leghorns were good. 

 Polands only one entry. Malays a fair class. Spanish. — First 

 deserved their position, the cock had a face of good quality and 

 was well shown, hen was deficient in lobe. Pen 170 contained 

 a beautiful hen with a grand face and well-Bhaped lobe. Pen 

 171 a cock almost as good as the winner. Both these pens 

 belonged to the same owner, had he matched them differently 

 he would have run very close for the first prize. Andalusians, 

 five entries, all good. Bantams, Red. — We thought the second 

 pan showed more style than the winner. Any other variety, 

 Dockwings were first and second. Bucks were generally good. 



Pigeons. — Pouters. — In Pied cocks Mr. Herrieff succeeded in 

 obtaining a second prize with a good Red. This was the only 

 pen shown in opposition to Mr. Baker in the three Pouter 

 classes. Carriers obtained more support. Dragoons were 

 capital classes. Blue cocks first and second, good coloured birds, 

 and nice and distinct in the bar ; third had a good Dragoon 

 head, but was a little cloudy in the bar. Hens. — First a good 

 bird, second showed a little too much of the Carrier. Dragoons, 

 any other colour. — A very sound-coloured Yellow firBt. A 

 capital Chequer, a good coloured Red, and several very good 

 birds were to be found here. Hens. — Yellow first and third, 

 the competition being close. Jacobins another good class. Mr. 

 Hardy Bnowed a Red that we thought might have been higher 

 in the prize list. English Owls, nine entries, and six first-class 

 pens. Turbits and Fantails were well filled, and so good that 

 many former prize birds only here obtained a card. 



The Show closed on Saturday, a most inconvenient day for 

 the return of the birds. 



POULTRY.— Domhngs — ffre;/ — 1, H. Allen. 2. C. L Boyce. S, H. Brown. 

 Any other colour — 1, S Newiek. 2, Misb Strange. Cockerel.— I, B. Brown. 2. 

 G. Masters. Pullet— 1, S. Newiok. 2, Mrs. Radcliffe. S, K. A. Baker. Cochins. 

 —Partridge.— 1, T. J. Saltmarab. 2. Mrs. Radcliffe. S, C. Marshall. Buff.— I. 

 Rev. J. Kuckmaster. 2, Mrs. W. Paxton. 8, Mrs. H. J. Tritton. Ally other 

 colour— \, J. Turner. 2, R. A.Boissier. 3. A. R. Buekland. Cockerel.— 1. Mrs. 

 Radcliffe. 2, Dr. J. A. Hicks. 8, Miss Swann. Pullet— 1, Mrs. Kadcliffe. 2, 

 Rev. J. Buckmaster. Bbahmas.— Dark.— 1. Rev. J. D. Peake. 2. J. Long. 3, 

 Miss Strange. Liakt —1, G. W. Prtter. Hocked Dalk.—l, L. C. C. R. Norris. 

 2. J. Long. 8, Rev. J. D. Peake. Hocked Light.— \, J. Long. 2. E. Durand 3, 

 G. W. Pelter. Cockerel.— 1, L. C. C. Norria. '2. F. Chapman. 3. J.Long. Pullet. 

 —1, L. C. C. R. Norris. 2, G. W. Petter. 8, J. Long, game.— Black Red.— 



