December 12, 1872. ] 



.TOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



477 



made a race of it, and each had indulged in a game of brag. 

 "Well, there is no great harm in that ; and it was clear to 

 every impartial spectator this year, that each was going on a dif- 

 ferent track, and need in no respect feel jealons of the other, 

 though it was highly amusing to hear the speeches of the re- 

 spective partisans. Both prosper, and deserve to do so. The 

 Crystal Palace was what the Yankees call " a great success," 

 and had the proud Yankee distinction of being the biggest ever 

 held, which, with other particulars, was duly set forth on the 

 small bills. And the Crystal Palace is such a place for it ! The 

 " Giant Shanghae's awful crow " is in no danger of blowing the 

 roof off, and there are few dark pens— a very few there were, 

 whatever may be said to the contrary. The new limited 

 classes, which were first proposed a year ago in this Journal, 

 were well filled with good birds, and paid their way, many pens 

 changing hands, and the old selling classes were as enormous as 

 ever. In sober truth, one was almost wearied with the vast 

 rows of birds ; and I may be permitted to say, now it has been 

 tried, that the plan of showing single hens and pullets increased 

 t he feeling. Every fancier agreed that this was a great mistake, 

 the birds looked moped ar.dlistless, and hid away in the corners 

 of the pens. Later in the season, when breeders want their 

 birds, there may be reasons for the single-hen system, but in 

 November these do not apply, and from a show point of view it 

 was a decided failure, and I scarcely think will be repeated. 

 Even the supposed gain to funds I fancy is a mistake, as the 

 money gained in entries is lost in commission on sales. 



The advantages of this Show are so great that it is a great pity 

 minor causes of reproach should not be removed. The delay in 

 affixing prize cards is a great nuisance to visitors en the first 

 day, and the manner in which the awards are stated in the 

 catalogue afterwards is the most inconvenient possible, and 

 simply a disgrace to any exhibition of such high rank. A loose 

 sheet, merely slippedin, containing only numbers andbare names 

 without addresses, is really unworthy of such a show as this ; 

 and the Committee would do well to adopt some more efficient 

 arrangement if they would retain the place they have acquired. 

 The placing of coarse grit alone in the pens, again, was the 

 cause of sad damage to the colour of all the white birds, which 

 a little chaff scattered over it would have prevented. 



With anolher and more serious complaint I have done fault- 

 finding. This relates to the delay of birds, of which I heard 

 many instances. I have myself no cause of complaint whatever, 

 my own being returned in good time and first-rate condition, 

 but others were not so fortunate. In every case I believe the 

 delay to have occurred at some one of the interminable junctions 

 which have to be passed to get to the Crystal Palace ; and this 

 being a necessity of the position, it would be worth while and 

 would not cost much to post some person at each whose duty it 

 should be to see all baskets promptly forwarded. It is not 

 enough to see the work at the Palace is properly done ; a 

 little care at these tiresome junctions would be well repaid in 

 the avoidance of those many complaints which have always 

 followed on the " C. P." It is a grand Show, and it is really 

 worth " doing " it well. 



Still I may say I was, if possible, still more pleased with Bir- 

 mingham, and have no fear our old friend will ever play second 

 fiddle. The crowing of some of our London friends "in this 

 connection " seems rather ridiculous. After giving the Palace 

 full credit, it is still in all essentials a long way behind Birming- 

 ham yet. Selling classes at 40s. per pen are not what a fancier 

 cares to see, and w-hen these, which are a mere poultry sale — 

 not a show — are deditcted, Birmingham is even in numbers far 

 ahead. This will be seen on comparing almost any of the 

 standard classes. The date, too, is in its favour, giving as it does 

 another fortnight for growth or moulting ; and still more is the 

 careful attention to those business details, want of which is the 

 ■greatest blot on the Palace Committee, but for which Birming- 

 ham has always had such an enviable reputation. I do not 

 wonder at it when I see how the old veteran names still " hold 

 on." Long may they do so ! They have hard work, but they do 

 it as no other show in the world "does ; and they reap their re- 

 ward in the immense classes (Dark Brahma cockerels were 

 ninety-eight pens) which as yet stand above, and will always, I 

 believe, keep this Show the rendezvous of the skilled fancier, 

 while the Palace, no doubt, will take its place to a great extent as 

 regards the mere sightseer. 



Yet there were some blots here too, and in no carping spirit I 

 point them out. The new arrangement of pens was a great im- 

 provement, but there were still some dark rows ; though I 

 believe this is to be remedied by still more skylights next year. 

 But the new galleries, while answering admirably by daylight, 

 had a fatal defect. When the gas was lit the heat and smell 

 were absolutely sickening, and pregnant with danger to the 

 Pigeons and fowls which occupied them. Many were Game hens, 

 some of which were in wonderfully hard condition ; but what 

 state would they go home in after five evenings with the ther- 

 mometer at 112°, to say nothing of the foul gas ? If nothing 

 else can be done to remedy this, the Show ought to be closed 

 with daylight ; the subject cannot but be_dealt with, or disease 



and actual deaths will compel its consideration. Another fault 

 wa? in the drinking pans or saucers. Many of these seemed 

 made purposely to turn over and make a mess with, and a sad 

 mess they did make too. If tins which hang on outside cannot 

 be obtained, the next best thing is an iron round pot with per- 

 pendicular sides, just the size and shape of a marmalade jar. 

 These will go in the front corner, sse not overturned, and do 

 not get soiled by the scratching of the birds. 



Another annoyance at Birmingham was the difficulty of find- 

 ing the pens you wanted. The numbering was probably con- 

 ducted on some occult system ; but what this was no one could 

 possibly find out, and U]) to the last I could not find a pen which 

 a friend had written to ask my special opinion of. Certainly, I 

 only had one day to search, and by Monday, or perhaps Tuesday 

 might have discovered it ; but the number of fanciers who were 

 walking about disconsolate, and asking eveiwbody wherever 

 such and such a class might be found, was a new and rather 

 ludicrous feature of the gathering. Surely some simple straight- 

 forward plan of numbering, as adopted at other shows, could be 

 devised by a Committee which has overcome so many greater 

 differences in its time. 



It is curious that having nothing else to do, I have been ail 

 the time finding fault. Well, it is meant in no unfriendly 

 spirit, aud I had intended a few remarks on my own special 

 favourites as observed at these two Shows, but this I must leave 

 for another occasion. — L. Weight. 



MISTAKES IN CATALOGUES AT OXFORD AND 



CEOYDON. 



No one relishes more than I do a little good-humoured fui :> 

 even when the fun is poked at myself, but I think it is going too 

 far when I receive letters asking howl can advertise a Brown 

 Red cockerel, first prize at Croydon, when the catalogue dis- 

 tinctly states that Mr. Swift, of Southwell, was first in that 

 class. Although feeling the laborious duties and great respon- 

 sibility the secretaries and committees of shows have to contend 

 with, yet out of justice to myself, and as advice to secretaries, I 

 cannot let this matter pass without drawing their attention to 

 the grave fact of allowing catalogues to be forwarded in all 

 directions without first proving them to be correct. Much 

 anxiety was caused in Worcester in respect to the first-prize 

 Brown Red cockerel at Croydon. The second morning of the 

 Show I received a letter and post-card in respect to my bird, first 

 at Croydon : this I made known to the local fanciers. Friday 

 morning came and no catalogue; Saturday morning came and 

 no catalogue — " Two days after the Show — this should not be." 

 neither were there any signs of poultry baskets; and some eight 

 or nine fanciers came to and from the station, all anxious to see 

 our pets at home " after so long a delay." The Field paper is 

 thrown from a railway carriage, and like hounds on scent we 

 follow, to learn the news — lo and behold ! to me a great surprise 

 — " First-prize Brown Red cockerel, R. Swift, Southwell." I 

 thought to myself, Whichever is right — the letter or the paper ? 

 Thenit was I did not relish the fun poked at me. Well, I thought, 

 I have faith in my bird yet, as having won several prizes, and 

 having been sent away in good condition ; and not even a com- 

 mendation ! I said to myself, There must be some mistake. Mr. 



F would not write me to purchase the first-prize bird, and 



know it to be wrong. So I resolved to content myself until the 

 catalogue came to hand. I waited anxiously until half-past 

 two, when the train ran into the station, and, hurrah ! there ai e 

 my hampers at last. All very anxious to see our pets we open 

 the hampers, and I am sorry to say there is my bird — a dejected- 

 looking creature. But joy again, I pull out of the hamper the 

 first-prize card, and hold it up with glee to the fanciers pre- 

 sent, who each said with me, " I cannot understand this." But 

 no time for thinking; I made the best of my way home, and 

 showed every care to my worn-out birds. At four o'clock, post- 

 man's knock, catalogue at last. With eager anxiety I look at the 

 prize list, and sure enough Mr. Swift is first, and my bird not 

 even a mention. I visit friends, and again I get the fun poked 

 at me — in fact it was carried on so far as for me to win — per- 

 haps I should not mention it here — half the value of the prize. 

 As I still had faith, and remembered the good qualities of the bird, 

 the letter, the post-card, and the first-prize card outweighed in 

 my opinion the catalogue and The Field paper. In answer to my 

 letters the Treasurer writes me — "You win first prize," and I 

 also received a post-card from a well-known gentleman, who, in 

 company at the show with a noted breeder of Brahmas, stated 

 he pointed out the mistake in the catalogue to Mr. Nalder and 

 Mr". Wiltshire, and also stated that Mr. Swift's bird was not in 

 competition. This is my reason for giving a long detail of my 

 annoyances, as I think if we cannot receive the catalogues for 

 days after shows have closed, secretaries should see that they 

 are correct, especially when the mistake is pointed out, before 

 sending them away to exhibitors. 



I should not have trespassed on your time and space had mine 

 been the only case ; but we find Mr. C. Dennison, of Halifax, 

 writes to say that his birds were not in .competition at Oxford 



