October 3, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



277 



Aged Buff Cochins cut out altogether. Fancy that ! No, my 

 spectacles have fallen off. Can it be ? Surely, yes. Ah, now I 

 see. A £5 5s. silver cup, and two classes instead of one, with 

 £3 10s. in each. Jolly times, say I to myself, for the Malays, 

 then. Hurrah for Crystal Palace ! "White Cochin one class, 

 but a silver cup all to themselves. Silver-pencilled Hamburghs 

 two classes, and a chance of silver cup in each. Well, this is, 

 as the horrible slang of the present young generation, male, and 

 alas! female, has it, awfully jolly; and I go on, and receive a 

 startling check, for next come Black Hamburghs, which beat 

 the entries of the Silver-pencilled last year, and. they remain as 

 they were ! This is by the rule of " as we please." Well, but 

 then I am not naturally desponding, and at the Polish classes 

 my hopes are again up to blood heat, if not beyond. The three 

 varieties have each two classes, even White-crested Black, which 

 last year just equalled the Malays. A silver cup, too, all for the 

 Polish. Malays — what ? for the contending emotions of anger 

 and disappointment make me feel as if the ground was slipping 

 away from me. By degrees I recover myself sufficiently to read 

 the utter collapse of my hopes. Malays, cock and hen, 30s., 15s., 

 10s. Well, this is the •" march of intellect" with a vengeance. 

 Injury and insult in one dose ! Better far the chance of the 

 "Any other variety" class than this beggarly offer, say I; and if 

 all the Malay-breeders feel it as I do, let there be no entries at all. 

 I certainly shall not touch the class as it now stands. Silkies, 

 lialloa! silver cup "offered by a few breeders," I suppose. Not a 

 bit of it, offered by the Committee, and two prizes as well, the 

 second being 5s. more than the Malay. By this time I am be- 

 reft of understanding, and much as there is besides to notice, as 

 the song says, "O'erwhelmed with contending emotions," I can 

 only subscribe myself — Y. B. A. Z. 



THE PRODUCTION OP EGGS. 



Our highly-bred and prize fowls, while they excel in many 

 respects, incline, in the case of some breeds at least, to produce 

 fewer and less fertile eggs than their less pretentious neigh- 

 bours. Nor can we wonder at it ; for our poultry-breeders, in 

 their eagerness to please the eye, sacrifice the more useful 

 qualities to beauty, grace, or other fancy points. 



The remedy is simple.. In selecting birds for breeding stock, 

 accept only such as compare favourably, a9 layers, with other 

 birds of the same variety, and reject poor or indifferent layers, 

 no matter how fine they may be in some other respects. In the 

 next place let our poultry societies require of exhibitors that 

 they furnish a correct report as to the fecundity of the stock 

 shown, and instruct the judges to give some consideration, how- 

 ever slight, to this matter. Such a course of action would do 

 much toward raising pure-bred poultry to a higher standard of 

 ■utility than they have yet attained. 



Besides the selection of extra layers to breed from, there are 

 one or two tricks of the trade to Which we may resort in order- 

 to promote the laying of eggs ; such as removing two or three 

 times a-day the eggs already laid. In their undomesticated 

 state fowls lay, at each litter, only so many eggs as can b'e safely 

 covered and kept at the required temperature ; but if all the 

 eggs, except one or two for nest eggs, be removed, taking pains 

 not to disturb the birds and the nest, then Nature tries to com- 

 pensate the loss, and make up the original number. 



A case in point came to our notice not long since. A Golden- 

 winged Woodpecker prepared her nest and laid her full number, 

 eight in all. Seven of them were then quietly removed, and the 

 next day she laid another egg. Each day an egg was laid and 

 an egg removed, until the poor bird had produced no less than 

 twenty-four eggs at a litter, or just three times as many as she 

 would have laid if left to herself. 



Farmers well know that when a hen steals her nest she 

 seldom lays more than fifteen eggs before she begins to sit; yet 

 when laying in the house, the eggs being removed each day, 

 four times that number are frequently laid in one litter. We 

 •conclude, therefore, that the production of eggs is to ' some 

 extent voluntary, and that fowls incline to adapt themselves to 

 circumstances ; so while we would not wish to lose sight of the 

 fancy points already attained, we trust breeders will endeavour 

 to surround their breeding stock with such circumstances as are 

 ■calculated to encourage the increased production of eg°-s - 

 (American Poultry World.) 



Ipswich Poultry Show. — In consequence of so few entries 

 being made, the time for their being finally closed has been ex- 

 tended to October 7th. We fear it is becoming the rule for ex- 

 hibitors to defer entering till the last moment, a practice which 

 gives little time to make arrangements for the comforts of the 

 birds. 



Newcastle-upon-Tyne Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Show. 

 —We wish to call the attention of exhibitors to the schedule of 

 prizes of this Society, to be held on the 7th and 8th November 

 next. For the first time classes for poultry have been introduced, 



with money prizes, gold medals, and silver cups, for both adults 

 and chickens iu a comprehensive list. The Pigeon department, 

 as hitherto warranted by the success of previous meetings, is 

 also liberally dealt with. In Carriers, Pouters, Short-faced 

 Tumblers, and Barbs, the classification is for single birds, 

 cock and hen respectively ; while in the remaining classes single 

 birds also of each variety compete together, cock o r hen. This 

 arrangement will enable fanciers who could not send a well- 

 matched pair to exhibit advantageously. The Canary classes 

 are also very numerous, with money prizes and silver medals. 

 No less than fourteen silver cups and eighty gold medals are 

 offered, winners of the gold medals having the option of the 

 value in money. The Exhibition is to be held in the Corn 

 Exchange, allowing atnple space to place all the specimens 

 on the same level. The able Committee, with Mr. H. O. 

 Blenkinsop again taking the secretaryship, will ensure good 

 care for the specimens. The entries close on the 12th of October. 



CHESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 POULTRY SHOW. 

 This was held at Chester on the 17th ult. All poultry 

 exhibited were to have been hatched on or after January 1st, 

 1872. The following is the list of awards : — 



LOCAL FUND. 



Dorkings.— Grey.— I, T. E. Kelt, Wetherby, Yorkshire. 2, J. Somerville. 

 Chirk. White— 1, E. Shaw, Plas Wiltnot, Oswestry. 2, Miss E. Williams, 

 Benllys Berriew. 



Spanish.— 1 and 2, Miss Davies, Chester. 



Cochins.— 1, E. Tudman, Whitchurch 2. W. Edwards. Eccleston. 



Hamburghs.— 1, R. Beckett, Harftord, Northwich. 2. No competition. 



Brahmas.— 1, T. F. Ansdell, Cowley Mount, St. Helens. 2, J. Finchett, jun., 

 Chester. 



Game.— 1, A. M. Dunlop, Aston, Preston Brook. 2. J. Dickson & Sons, Chester. 

 Cockerel — 1, G. C. Barnett, Birkenhead. 2, No competition. 



Polish — 1, P. Unsworth, Lowton. Newton-le- Willows. 2, No competition. 



Bantams.— 1. R. Ashley, Nantwich. 2, R. H. Ashtnn, Mottram, Manchester 



Geese.— 1, T. Farish, Frodsham. 2, J. Lycett, Stafford. 



Ducks.— 1, G. Moss, Moreton, Birkenhead. 2. Mrs. M. Hornhy, Darnhall. 



TriBKEls.— 1, R. Beckett, Hartford, Northwich. 2, E. Shaw, Plas Wilmot, 

 Oawestry. 



The Judges were Mr. Douglas, Clumber; and Mr. C. A. 

 Bowles, Chester. 



ECCLESPIELD (SHEFFIELD) POULTRY SHOW. 



The annual Show of the Ecclesfield Farmers' Club was held 

 on the 26th ult. An augmentation of the prize list has led to 

 an increase in the number of entries ; and although on this 

 occasion the day was fine, there is little doubt but that for future 

 shows a tent will be provided. ; 



Dorkings were first on the list ; excellent Dark-Grey chickens 

 took both prizes. The first-prize pair of Spanish were adult 

 birds in capital order, and the second prize went to a very pro- 

 mising pair of chickens. In Cochins the first-prize birds were 

 Partridge chickens, which were well grown and capital in 

 colour, and the second a pair of Buffs, the hen in which pen 

 was almost as perfect as we have seen this season. Brahmas 

 were a comparatively large class, and the birds good, the first 

 prize going to an excellent pair of Dark chickens, and the 

 second to Light ones. Game were the most wretched class in 

 the Show, scarcely a bird being worthy of notice. The classes 

 for Hamburghs were mixed, a system we cannot too heartily 

 condemn, as these birds are well worthy of separate classes, 

 and will amply repay the outlay in entry fees. The birds in 

 these classes were only of moderate quality. A splendid pair 

 of Silver Polands were first in that class, and good Blacks 

 second. In the Variety class Creve-Cceurs were first and 

 Houdans second. Game Bantams were a very bad class, but 

 the other Bantams made amends. The first prize in the latter 

 class went to a handsome pen of Blacks, and the second to 

 Silver Sebrights. Many excellent pens of both varieties were 

 highly commended. 



Turkeys and Geese were but moderate, but the Ducks, which 

 were all in one class, were very good. The first-prize Ayles- 

 burys were exceedingly fine in all respects. In the Selling class 

 Golden-pencilled chickens were first, and adult Spanish second. 

 In the Pigeon classes there were some good birds, but the 

 entries were not large. The winning Carriers were respectively 

 Blacks and Duns. In Tumblers the first prize went to Almonds 

 and the second to Black Mottles. The first-prize Fantails were 

 a nice pair. The Antwerps were very good, Silver Duns being 

 first and Red Chequers second; and in Jacobins Reds were first 

 and Yellows second, both pairs being very good in all points. 

 In the Variety class very good White Barbs stood first, and a 

 capital pair of Spangled Ice Pigeons second. 



There were but two classes for Babbits — viz., one for colour, 

 in which a Black-and-white won first and a Fawn second ; and 

 one for weight, in which the first weighed 13 lbs., and the 

 second 12 lbs. 7 ozs. 



Dorkings.— 1 and 2, W. Harvey, Sheffield, c, E. Temple, Pitsmoor. 



Spanish.-!, Burch & Boulter, Sheffield. 2, E. Brown, Sheffield, he Burch. 

 and Boulter; W.Harvey. 



Cochin-china. — 1 Ivnd 2, W. Harvey. - 



Brahma.— 1, J. Earnshaw, Rotherham. 2, W. Harvey, he, J. Earnshaw; G. 



