July 12, 1S6J. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE ANT) COTTAGE GARDENER. 



37 



" Wiltshire Rector" and "the exhibitor" both seem to 

 forget that it is not always the same pens or the same exhi- 

 bitors who compete : that even supposing they do, the con- 

 dition of the pens may have altered. It reminds me some- 

 what of my man Friday; although he really does attend 

 thoroughly to my poultry, yet he hates cordially all " vowls," 

 wishes "measter 'ud tell he to wring all their necks, 

 shouldn't have to tell 'un twice." Although he dislikes the 

 "vowls," he has no objection to a slice of prize money, and 

 owing to sundry windfalls in this way he has learnt to 

 appreciate my Brahmas. The wind, however, changed, 

 and instead of prizes came commendations and high com- 

 mendations. I do not blame the judges or wish for a code 

 of rules, &c. I like prizes — who doesn't ? but Friday inti- 

 mated, " Thick ther judge up theer warn't much of a judge 

 not to gie the big cock a prize ;" and a few days after when 

 the next dose of high commendations arrived, he remarked, 

 "Thick thur zort of vowl be gwine out o' vashion, be' ant 

 they?" I strove to convince him that there were better 

 birds there, but I fear I did not succeed. I am sure he 

 thinks the powers of the judge in question very limited. 

 "Wiltshire Rector," perhaps, recollects that a few months 

 back there was a great talk about the Poultry Club ; a code 

 of rules seemed about to appear directly. Where are they ? 

 Have the members found it impossible to frame them to 

 satisfy all ? I know by experience it is not pleasant to lose, 

 but, as Hood says, "What can't be cured must be endured." 

 We have, by somewhat general consent, arrived at certain 

 landmarks ; and, after all, I imagine, wrongly perhaps, that 

 something is necessary to make the good judge that no 

 rules can give — something, in fact, which is inherent in the 

 judge himself, and not in any rules, however good. Certain 

 points appear settled — thus even matching and condition in 

 all pens, whatever the breed; a certain fonn of comb in 

 some breeds, a variety in others ; size, large in some, small 

 in others; a certain character of feathers in a variety of 

 breeds, which may be styled " birds in feathers ;" a clean leg 

 in some, feathered in others. Such general points, with 

 others, we all know, or ought to know. Were we to know 

 much more it would be contrary to experience to obtain 

 universal satisfaction. Each judge must see with his own 

 eyes, and mentally make his own calculations as to the 

 relative merits of competing pens. It would add immensely 

 to the labours of a judge if at each pen he must, with pencil 

 in hand, make a calculation of points ; and I am rather dis- 

 posed to believe that the best judges of the present day 

 would not judge under such conditions. — T. B. A.. Z. 



SELBY, TAECASTEE, and MAEEET WEIGHTON 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S POULTRY SHOW. 



The eleventh annual Exhibition of this Society was held 

 at Tadcaster on Friday, the 1st inst. There was a good 

 show of poultry, comprising about 150 pens. The prizes 

 were awarded by Mr. Geo. Jackson and Mr. Alex. Cattlev, 

 of York. 



Spanish.— First, M. Kidd, Tadcaster. Second, W. Houseman, Tadcaster. 

 Chickens.— Prize, F. Powell. Knaresborough. 



Dorkings.— First, T. E. Kell, Wetherbv. Second, T. B. Ireland, Tadcas- 

 ter. Chickens.— Prize, J. E. Kell. Commended, Mrs. Oliver, BoltonLodge, 

 Tadcaster. 



Cochin-China (Any crdour).— First. W. Cannan, Bradford. Second, R. 

 Dewes, Knaresborough. Chickens.— Prize, Ii. Dewes. 



Malay.— First, O.A.Young, Driffield. Second, withheld. Chickens.— 

 Prize, 0. A. Young. 



Single Game Cock.— First, R. Bickers, Beverley, Second, T. B. Ireland. 



Pair of Game Hess.— First, J. Harrison, Holbeck, Leeds. Second, T. B. 

 Ireland. 



Game Chickens.- Prize, J. Barker, jun., Dunninpton, York. 



Hasievhgh Golden-spangled).— First and Second, W. Cannan. Com- 

 mended, G. Holmes, Great Driffield. Chickens.- Prize, C. Snowdon, Tock- 

 wilh. 



Hamburoh (Silver-spangled).— First ana Second, W. Cannan. Chickens. 

 — Prize, \v. Cannan. 



Golden-pencilled Hamburgh Cock.— First and Seeonl, W. Cannan. 



Hambgroh (Silver-pencilled). — First and Second, W. Cannan. 



Chittepratt or Corsican. -First, W. Cannan. Second, withheld. 



Polands.— First, W. Cannon. Secrnd. 0. A. Yonng 



Any other Variety— First, F. Powell (Brahmas). ' Second. W. Cannan 

 (Black Hanibuighs). Chickens.— Prize, Mrs. Moore, Boston Spa (White 

 Dorkings). Commended, F. Powell (Brahma Pootra) ; H. Lacy (Brahma 



Bantams 'Any variety).— First, T. E. Kell (Game). Second and Com- 

 mended, Lidy Londesborongh (Golden). Commended, W. Cannan (Golden). 

 Cock op any o i her Breed.— Prize, W. Cannan. 



Pair op Hens op any other Breed.— Prize, T. E. Kell. Commended, 

 W. Cannan : T. B. Ireland. 



Geese. — First, 0. A. Young. Second and Commended, W. K. Goodbarne. 



Ducks (Any variety except Aylesbury). — First, O. A. Young. Second, 

 W. n. Park, Mewtou Kyme. Commended, W. Cannan, 



Ducks (Aylesbury).— First, W. Cannan. Second. O. A. Young. 



Turkeys.— First, w. Cannan. Second, Miss Walton, North Slilford. 

 Commended, Mrs. Blacker, Healaugh. 



DOMINIQUE FOWLS. 



This variety is, very justly, becoming popular where best 

 known, especially for hardiness. We find the following de- 

 scription of it in a very valuable article upon poultry, in 

 the late report of the Department of Agriculture. 



" The Dominique is the best fowl of common stock that we 

 have, and is the only fowl in the country that has enough 

 distinct characteristics to entitle it to a name. These fowls 

 are full medium size, being but little less in weight than the 

 Dorking, have full breasts, rounded full bodies, double or 

 single combs, and yellow legs. Their main plumage has a 

 light grey ground colour, while each feather is barred cross- 

 wise with a darker shade. They are frequently known by 

 the name " Hawk-coloured fowls." They are hardy, easily 

 raised, retain their peculiarities with great tenacity, have 

 yellow skins, a colour preferred by many for a market fowl ; 

 and taking these fowls all in all, they are one of the best 

 varieties in common use." 



The flesh is good and they are fine layers. They roost 

 high, and hence are not in the way like the lazy Asiatic 

 fowls. 



The Black Spanish are most beautiful fowls, but a winter 

 like the past is very disastrous to them. Undoubtedly, with 

 extra care in winter, they are the best layers in the world ; 

 but we would not recommend them for the general fowl of 

 the farm by the side of the Dominique. The Spanish for a 

 village or city are first. 



To substantiate our estimate of these fowls we will state 

 that Mr. Wentworth, who has experimented with almost 

 every known kind of fowl, has abandoned all others, and is 

 now starting with the Dominique. — (Prairie Farmer). 



HEN PHEASANT ASSUMING THE PLUMAGE 

 OF THE MALE BIRD. 



This change of feather is not nearly of so rare occurrence 

 as many suppose it to be ; and as the subject is now before 

 the public, I willingly add my own experience to the state- 

 ments of others already published. 



Some five and twenty years back I obtained a brood of 

 young Pheasants, which after a time became exceedingly 

 docile and familiar. Without exception they proved of the 

 general common- feather. A portion of them i kept by me 

 for many years. The hens all laid well, and the eggs proved 

 fertile when placed under common fowls. Matters went on 

 in this way for some ten years or more, when I found one 

 of the hens become exceedingly pugnacious, ill-treating 

 alike both her female and male companions. She ceased 

 laying altogether, or rather did not commence laying at all 

 at the customary time, though the others were as productive 

 as" heretofore. Her worst feature now was, she ate every 

 egg she possibly could obtain of the other Pheasants, and 

 this caused me to remove her to run with some fowls, whose 

 eggs she also took a fancy to, with a zest equally depraved as 

 when in the company of her fellows. It was when taking her 

 from her original pen that I first perceived she was assuming 

 the feather of the cock bird. It showed the first year chiefly 

 about the neck and head, the breast also becoming of a 

 peculiar ruddy hue. That first moult, too, the tail-feathers 

 were evidently much longer than in the other hen phea- 

 sants ; and during the three or four years I afterwards kept her 

 she gradually altered more and more to the cock's plumage. 

 At length she became so indomitable a virago as to allow 

 no other bird of any kind to live in the same aviary. She 

 was then killed, and I still have her preserved. The head 

 and neck feathers are precisely the same metallic bluish 

 green as a cock's would be, but she never assumed the 

 coral velvety appearance round the eye as in the cock. Her 

 breast is of the ground colour of a cock, but devoid of ths 

 black markings. The back and tail feathers are still much 



