478 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 12, 1872. 



Show, and yet we find them mentioned in the catalogue. — 

 E. Wrxwoon, Worcester. 



EXPERIMENTING WITH LAYERS. 

 Is the American " Poultry 'World," Isaac Lynde, of Ohio, 

 gi ves the result of an experiment with different breeds of pullets 

 in laying for six months, and the cost of their feed. On Septem- 

 ber 1st, he took ten pullets of each of the breeds mentioned 

 below, about six months old, gave them a yard 40 feet square, 

 with a comfortable house, and kept an exact account of eggs and 

 feed, as follows : — 



The Dark Brahmas ate 3691 quarts of corn, oats, and wheat 

 screenings, laid 605 eggs, and weighed 70 lbs. 



The Buff Cochins ate 406 quarts, laid 591 eggs, and weighed 

 73 lbs. 



The Grey Dorkings ate 3091 quarts, laid 524 eggs, and weighed 

 591 lbs. 



The Houdans ate 214J quarts, laid 783 eggs, and weighed 

 451 lbs. 



The Leghorns ate 2311 quarts, laid 807 eggs, and weighed 

 361 lbs. 



To make this experiment more complete, and to show which 

 lot gave the most profit, including both eggs and flesh, we have 

 supposed the fowls to be dressed and sold at the end of the six 

 months at 20 cents per pound ; also, that the eggs were worth 

 24 cents a-dozen (2 cents each), and that the cost of the feed was 

 21 cents per quart, or 80 cents per bushel. The figures would 

 then be : 



Cost of Tame Value Total Total 

 feed. eggs. meal. value, profit. 



Brahmas S9.22 S12.10 £14.00 S26.10 -S16.SS 



Cochins 10.15 11.82 14.60 26.42 16.27 



Dorkings 7.72 10.48 11.90 22.38 14.66 



Houdans 5.35 15.66 9.10 24.76 19.41 



Leghorns 5.77 16.14 7.30 23.44 17.67 



The greatest profit on che inTestment is in favour of the 

 Houdans, with the Leghorns next, and the Dorkings least. It 

 would have been interesting, however, to know the weight of 

 the eggs laid by the several varieties, to see what actual differ- 

 ence there was in the amount of food furnished by them,, and 

 its value at a fair estimate of weight. On such a basis it is 

 quite probable that the Brahmas would have shown the greatest 

 profit. And another item to be considered by investors is, that, 

 where the fowls must be confined, a four-feet fence will 

 answer for the large breeds, while for the light-bodied breeds 

 8 or 10 feet will be necessary, and even then their wings will 

 have to be clipped. Iu addition, it is the general verdict that the 

 large breeds bear confinement the best, and are more easily kept 

 in good health, and from those vicious habits of plucking each 

 other's feathers and eating their own eggs. But all breeds will 

 give trouble enough in confinement if not furnished with plenty 

 of employment, water, and food. 



HARTLEPOOL POULTRY SHOW. 



A fiest Show was held at East Hartlepool on November 

 23th, and although the amount of the prizes was not great, the 

 entries were nearly 460. The Market Hall in which the Exhi- 

 bition was held, although spacious, was too small to accommo- 

 date the great number of visitors. The poultry pens were not 

 of the most modern construction, and inconvenient for hand- 

 ling the birds — a point never to be lost sight of. They were 

 placed in a double tier round the building. The Pigeon pens, 

 quite new, were borrowed from Mr. Bule, of Durham, and being 

 placed upon the flat tops of the crescent- like stalls, presented a 

 very attractive appearance. In every other respect the Show 

 was well managed, and the prize money was paid on the day. 



Dorkings were very good, Dark birds winning all the prizes. 

 The first and second-prize Cochins were adults and chickens 

 respectively, and were Buffs of the highest order of merit, 

 lhe third prize went to good Partridge. Brahmas were all of 

 the Dark variety. The first-prize cock was of great size, but 

 a little too light on the thighs, and the hen pretty good in all 

 points. Second came a cockerel, full young for the show-pen, 

 but mated with a grand hen ; and third a splendid cock with 

 but a moderate hen. Spanish were poor, except the first-prize 

 pen. In Game, Reds were a fair lot, Brown Reds first and 

 second, and Black Beds third. The gems of this section, how- 

 ever, were the first-prize Duckwings, grand in style, colour, 

 and condition. Hambitrghs had but two classes, which in our 

 opinion is a great mistake, as five classes would be well sup- 

 ported. In Spangles, both first and second prizes went to Gold 

 and Silver respectively. Of Pencilled, the first were Silvers 

 not to be easily surpassed, and the second very good Golden. 

 French fowls were all Houdans, the first being very perfect in 

 comb, a point very much neglected in this breed. For Any 

 other variety, splendid Polands were first, and Black Ham- 

 burghs second and third. Game Bantams were a very good lot, 

 and many pens were noticed ; the first and third were Black 



Red, and the second Piles. Bantams of any other variety were 

 an excellent class; the first and second prizes were awarded to 

 Blacks, and the third to Golden-laced. 



Of Ducks, Rouens were ail good in size and quality of beak 

 and plumage. The first two prize pens were very large. In 

 the class for Any other variety, Aylesbury were first, Carolina 

 second, and Widgeon third. 



A valuable pen of Gold-pencils were awarded first in the 

 Selling class, Black Hamburghs were second, and Brahmas third. 



Geese, as is usual in this quarter, were large and good in 

 quality, and of the White Embden variety; Turkeys were mo- 

 derately good, Guinea Fowls poor. 



The cup for the greatest number of points was won by Mr. 

 Thomas Robson, of Bishop Auckland, with sixteen points, the 

 Countess of Tankerville coming next with fourteen points. 



Of Pigeons there were 235 entries, and the birds were shown 

 singly. Almond Tumblers were an extraordinary lot, and the 

 winners unusually good in aU points, hens winning the first and 

 third prizes, and a cock the second. In Tumblers, any other 

 variety, the first was a very small Red Mottle, perfect in flight 

 and tail; second came a Yellow, and third a Kite, both of 

 which were very good in skull. In Carriers were many very 

 good birds, although all the best were more or less overdone in 

 trimming. Pouters were an extraordinary class. The first prize 

 went to a Blue cock, grand in style and marking, and 191 inches 

 in feather, with 6 j limb. The second-prize bird was also a Blue 

 cock, wanting in style, but 201 inches in feather, and 1\ in limb ; 

 third was a White 19 inches by 6f, of grand style and carriage ; 

 many of the others measuring well. Barbs, the winners all 

 Blacks, the first a smart young bird, and the second and third 

 better in quality but wanting in condition. The winning 

 Trumpeters were, first a splendid Mottle, and the second and 

 third Blacks, the first two being extraordinary rose and hooded 

 birds, while the latter was the best in leg-feathering. Fantails 

 were a grand display, the three prizes going to one exhibitor. 

 The first-prize hen was in tail such as is rarely seen, the tail 

 being almost circular and nearly meeting at the bottom. 

 Jacobins were good, a Yellow first, Red second, and Black third. 

 Turbits were a capital class, with a YeUow first, Red second, 

 and Blue third, and the whole class highly commended. Magpies 

 were a fair lot, although some were a little soiled. A Red was 

 first, a Black second, and a Blue third. Owls were a large class. 

 The first prize went to a small Blue foreign bird, the second to 

 a very good Silver English, and the third to a foreign Blue. In 

 Dragoons the winners were very good, a Blue cock being first, 

 a White second, and Silver third. In the Any other variety, 

 a Black Swallow was first, a Spangled Ice Pigeon second, and a 

 Nun third. The birds in the Selling class were of but ordinary 

 merit. 



The cup for points in Pigeons was won by Mr. E. Horner. 



Babbits. — Among Lop-ears, first was a splendid Tortoiseshell 

 doe 22 inches by 4§ ; and a Black 221 inches by 4f, second ; the 

 latter, however, was in bad condition as compared with the 

 former, though in other respects of high quality. The third 

 was a Fawn buck 201 inches by 41, and in grand order. In the 

 Variety class first came Himalayan, second Silver-Grey, and 

 third Angora. 



We published the list of awards and the names of the Judges, 

 together with some other particulars, last week. 



KILMARNOCK POULTRY SHOW. 

 (Concluded from page 437.) 

 Tkeke were 354 pens of Pigeons entered, and almost no empty 

 pens, and few inferior birds. The Pouters and Carriers were all 

 shown singly, all the other classes in pairs; Pouters having 

 four classes, and numbering in all sixty-four entries. In cocks, 

 Black or Blue, the prizes all went to Blues of rare quality ; 

 perhaps the finest-made bird in the Show was No. 372, a Blue, 

 exhibited by Mr. James Millar, Glasgow, but only commended on 

 account of being very badly ticked with black all over the 

 wings, and foul in limb. In Pouter hens, Black or Blue, the 

 first prize was awarded to a young hen of magnificent propor- 

 tions, her only defect at present being an insufficient globe, but 

 this will probably improve with age. Second and third were also 

 Blues, and the fourth a Black, an immense blower. No. 395, a 

 Blue hen exhibited by Mr. James Millar, pleased us exceedingly 

 in the general sweetness of structure, having a crop of capital 

 size, as well shaped, and as neatly placed as we ever recollect 

 having seen, which, taken in connection with her slim figure, 

 made a Pouter such as we always admire, even when feather 

 and limb are not above an average length. Pouter cocks, 

 any other colour, were not a large class, but included some 

 magnificent birds, particularly the first, which was a White of 

 extraordinary proportions. The second was a well-known Red, 

 which seems to have had a constitution of extraordinary quality 

 to stand the amount of showing and winning which he has 

 done. The third was a Chequer, a fine blower, and in show 

 from the time he was penned until he left. The fourth was a 



