414 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 21, 1S72, 



impossible on account of the prohibitory prices upon the birds. 



— A. GOODMAN. 



I see no reason why dealers should not be encouraged to ex- 

 hibit. It is true they stand the best chance of winning point 

 cups, owing to their having a knowledge of a greater variety of 

 breeds than mere amateurs, who, as a rule, cultivate but one. 

 It is acknowledged that amateru-s show for honour, and also the 

 more severe the competition the greater the honour attached to 

 the winner. If an amateur has what he considers first-class 

 birds, will he not value them a great deal more if he succeed in 

 beating a large entry made by some extensive and well-known 

 dealer ? the dealer having made the large entry because he 

 thought his birds would "clear the boards." Now, if more 

 honour is attributed to the one who can win in a numerous and 

 good company, and point cups bring out the resources of the 

 dealers, I ask, What more can an amateur desire ? There are 

 some calling themselves amateurs who show for the actual 

 money gain, and I have no doubt it does not please them to have 

 to compete against some of the best birds of the season, as then 

 their chance of winning would be more remote, but what of 

 the honour? But the " money-gain " amateurs have nothing to 

 do with that. 



Shows, according to my idea, should be strictly a competition 

 as to who can produce the best birds ; and the more general a 

 show is, or, in other words, the more it represents the whole 

 country, the better, as the amateur's prize (honour) is so very 

 much increased that it makes shows worth while to real ama- 

 teurs. If it were known that all the large exhibitors were going 

 to send specimens to a certain show, any real amateur having 

 good stock would think it worth while to try and beat the large 

 exhibitors, even if the cost of entry fees, &c, amounted to a con- 

 siderable sum ; hence the great number exhibiting at such a show 

 as Birmingham, where, if money gain were the object, the 

 chance of winning would not pay the cost of entry. If point 

 cups are offered, it immediately raises the show to a much 

 higher standard on account of the increased competition, as if 

 any dealer makes an entry with the idea of trying to win the cup, 

 it can be taken as a good sign that the stock sent will be good, for 

 no dealer would throw away his reputation and money by send- 

 ing inferior birds. I say by all means give point cups, andby so 

 doing first augment the funds — a subject always to be considered ; 

 secondly, make it a show worthy the attention of the general 

 public by having something worth looking at ; and thirdly, in- 

 crease the amateur's prize (honour) by severe competition. To 

 win a prize is something to try for, but to win a first prize at a 

 show where the majority are experienced exhibitors and dealers 

 is a step higher up the ladder. 



I will put it in another light. At some shows, owing to a 

 small prize offered, say one guinea, as first, the entries would 

 be few, the show perhaps almost deserve the name of local, 

 and, as an exhibition of poultry, would hardly be worth looking 

 at. "We will now suppose the prize to be a ten-guinea cup. 

 Immediately entries come in from allparts, and the prize, apart 

 from the actual tenfold value of the money, is increased to 

 gigantic proportions, and most likely is considered the prize 

 of the season. If amateurs grumble because they cannot win 

 when exhibiting against dealers, and on that account want to 

 stop the latter from showing, I consider they should be classed 

 with the dealer, as their aim is precisely the same — viz., money 

 gain, not honour. — Redleaf. 



[We have received several other communications on the sub- 

 ject, but we think that it has been sufficiently discussed, and 

 may now be left to the discretion of the show committees. — Eds.] 



THE CRYSTAL PALACE POULTET AND 

 PIGEON SHOW. 

 Thts Show, known by catalogue as the " Great London Poul- 

 try and Pigeon Exhibition," was opened on Tuesday the 19th 

 at noon, about which time I entered the Palace. Now, had its 

 builder been told that the whole length of the nave of that 

 beautiful and spacious building would be filled with cocks and 

 hens he would have denied the possibility ; yet such is now the 

 case. Actually there is a double row of pens in the centre, a 

 row also on either side of the nave ; more than that, the whole 

 of the transept, reaching up to the theatre stage, is filled 

 entirely with Pigeons ; and, in addition, under the great organ 

 are a dozen pens of four pairs of Pigeons. In all there are 

 3217 pens of poultry, Pigeons, and Babbits. Now it is not too 

 much to say that every other show formerly held anywhere in 

 the United Kingdom is put in the shade ; and aspiring as is the 

 title " Great London Poultry Show," the name should be en- 

 larged to the " Great National Show." It is plainly impossible 

 to give a full detail this week ; there must be greater time given 

 for mastering details, and more time and space for printing. 

 Thus, then, I can give only a general view, subjoining the prize 

 list, and next week I hope to fully narrate what is indeed well 

 worthy the narrating. 



POULTET. 



First in regard to the Poultry. The Dorking classes may be 

 pronounced good. Our old friends the Cochins, whom many 

 people imagine are by-gones, and they suppose were all eaten- 

 up by some very strong-jawed people at the end of the mania, 

 are numerous and very good indeed ; and, mark it, the good old- 

 fashioned Buffs are especially good. Spanish are middling, 

 French not remarkable. Ducks, good; and Geese and Turkeys — 

 nice reminders of Christmas, particularly if they had no bills ! — 

 are remarkably good. The Brahmas, Dark and Light, are 

 good; the Dark cocks the least good, together with the Dark 

 cockerels, while the pullets are the best ever judged. The 

 Light Brahmas have very greatly improved, indeed they have 

 improved more than any variety exhibited. The Hamburgh 

 classes are good, and the prize birds excellent; the Silver- 

 spangled clear in markings, and the right type of bird. The 

 same maybe said of the Golden-spangled; indeed, the Hamburgh 

 classes were hard judging, so almost alike in merit were so many 

 pens. The Poland's, too, are grand birds. Oar little friends 

 the Bantams muster strongly. The Blacks are particularly 

 good, not so the Whites nor the Any other distinct variety 

 class; while the Sebrights are pronounced to be up to the 

 mark, and beyond what they generally are. Among the Selling 

 class are a lot of excellent birds. Concerning other classes 

 more next week. 



THE PIGEONS. 



Bending to the right I enter the quiet transept, where the 

 Pigeons, suitable tenants of the Palace, as suitable as the flowers 

 themselves, are ranged. Ardent fanciers, a somewhat different 

 style of man to the poultry fancier, quite as clever, and yet (it 

 may be fancy), somewhat more gentle, there they are admiring 

 and discussing, anxiously waiting — that is, the exhibitors — for 

 the man with the cards to know their fate — whether cup or no 

 cup, first prize, or second, or third, or those disappointing very 

 highly commendeds, and highly commendeds, and commendeds, 

 or, worse far, no card at all ; pens minus pasteboard, and the 

 prized bird of the home circle quite unnoticed. Well, in this 

 world some must lose, all cannot win — heigho ! — but in this 

 world only. 



Pouters. — Blue-pied cocks, a good class ; Black-pied, fair ; 

 Yellows, too pale for the most part ; Whites, very good. The 

 Black-pied hens are the worst class — a pretty little lot of pretty 

 pigmies. Black Carrier cocks excellent, and commendations 

 strewn thickly as they deserved. Some fear has been expressed 

 that the Carrier fancy is declining, but the numbers and 

 quality shown in the Palace show that fear need not be felt. 



The Dragoons are many too Carrier-like, but among the 

 charmers are Mr. Betty's Yellows. The high-class Tumblers 

 would satisfy both kinds of fanciers, the head-beak men and the 

 colour men. The Jacobins are a very good and strong class; 

 and "A rare lot of good Fans ! " exclaimed a Fan-fancier near 

 me — and the words were true. Trumpeters few, but some very 

 splendid. Turbits are an extraordinarily good class ; Magpies 

 few, but the first-prize Yellows (Mr. P. H. Jones) simply lovely ; 

 Runts, more numerous than usual, and in addition to Blues and 

 Silvers there was a grand Yellow bird. 



Antwerps, the production of the French and German war — at 

 least, that gave the impetus to their breeding — are most 

 numerous, and many such as they should be — powerful, spirited, 

 determined-looking birds, who each seemed to say, Let me out 

 and won't I go home, wherever or however distant that home 

 may be ! 



The Any other variety class, though small, made up in ex- 

 cellence. The large Selling class contained some excellent birds 

 for a fancier to start with, or to strengthen his studs from. 



The best collection of four pairs should, to my mind, be four 

 pairs of different varieties ; the difficulty would be greater and 

 the look more attractive. 



Such is a very brief and faint outline of this wonderful Show, 

 the grandest there ever was, and, adds a sad-hearted prophet, 

 " or ever will be." But absit omen. Why should there not be 

 many others just as good, or even better? for to stand still is to 

 go back in a world of progress, and actually to go back is what 

 no true fancier will permit. — Wiltshire Bector. 



The following is the prize list : — 



Dorkings (Coloured).— Coek.—l, J. Martin. 2, Viscount Tumour. 3, J' 

 White, he, H. J. Wilson, c, R, W. Beachey. 



Dorkings (Coloured).— Hen.— 1 and Cup, Rev. J. G. A. Baker. 2, K. W. 

 Beachey. 8, M. Putney, he. Countess of Dartmouth ; F. F. Fowler ; F. Parlett. 

 c, J. Watts; Mrs. G. Meek; J. Martin; Henry Ling-wood. 



Dorkings (Coloured).— Cockerel. — 1, Cup, and 2. Mrs. Arkwright. 8, J. J. 

 Waller. 4,J.Frost. he, J. Webb; F. Parlett. c,N. Russell; E. Barker; T. E. 

 Kell ; Mrs. E. Wheatley (2) ; Mrs. Arkwright. 



Dobkings (Coloured).— Pullet— 1, Mrs. ArkwriRht. 2. J. Webb. 3. W. W. 

 Ruttlidge. 4, F. Parlett. he, E. Burton; F. Parlett; W. W. Ruttlidge; T. E. 

 Kell; Mrs. E. Wheatley (2). c, F. F.Fo-wler; J. Clift; R. W.Beachey; Henry 

 Linqvrood. __ 



Dorkings (Silver-Grey).— Cock.— 1, Rev. T. E. Cato. 2, W. H. Donison. 3, 

 Wren & Page. _ „. „ 



Dorkings (Silver-Grey).— Hen.— 1, Cup, and 3, O. E. Cresswell. 2, R. D. Holt. 



Dorkings (Silver-Grey).— Cockerel.— 1, F. Cheesman. 2, R. D. Holt. 3, J. D. 

 Simmonds. „ „ 



Dorkings (Silver-Grey)— Pullet— 1, P. H. Jones. 2, E. Fearon. 8, Countess 

 of Dartmouth, he, R. D. Holt ; W. W. Ruttlidge. c, F. Cheesman ; Capt. 

 Downman. 



