July 19, 1864, ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



57 



Poultry Club ? as the prize list is altogether silent on the 

 subject. 



I need not explain that no exception is intended in this 

 communication to the appointment of Mr. Hewitt, of the 

 value of whose services I am fully sensible, especially in con- 

 nection with such a Show as the Islington one. Indeed, the 

 absence of Mr. Hewitt as judge in an exhibition on so large 

 a scale would destroy confidence in its success. 



I have only to add, that if the three members of the Club 

 selected for judges, of whom Mr. Tudman speaks as the 

 most extensive breeders and successful exhibitors in the 

 kingdom, are still in the practice of exhibiting, they are 

 among the most objectionable parties to fill the office. In 

 proof of this I need only instance the proceedings at the 

 last Birmingham Show, a recurrence of which I should be 

 very sorry to witness. In the present state of matters it 

 would, perhaps, be most satisfactory to exhibitors who are 

 not members of the Club, that the appointment of the 

 judges to act with Mr. Hewitt in the forthcoming Show should 

 be left in the hands of the Manager, he being- a gentleman 

 in whose experience and honour such exhibitors have the 

 fullest confidence. — An Exhibitor. 



SUCCESSFUL POULTET KEEPING. 

 I see many of your correspondents are complaining of 

 want of success in chicken-rearing this season. I give the 

 following as my experience : — 



cochin-. 



January 15th.— 11 Hatched 7 Reared. 



April 16th.— 9 „ 9 



„ 18th.— 9 „ 8 



24th.-ll „ $ , 



May 4th.— 5 , 5 



13th.- 9 „ 9 " 



54 „ iT „ 



SPANISH. 



June 7th.— 9 Hatched _ 9 Reared. 



14th.-6 „ 6 „ 



15 „ 15 



The first have been laying for just a month. The second 

 and third average 4 lbs. 8 ozs. each. Perhaps you will tell 

 me if that is not an excellent weight. [Certainly.] 



I feed my adult fowls early in the morning (at tnis season 

 6 a.m.) on wheat, and twice afterwards on a mixture of 1 cwt. 

 coarse oatmeal, 2 bushels of bran, and I sack of fine barley- 

 meal, and find them thrive and lay gloriously. They have 

 also lettuce ad libitum. — A Cotjntey Potjltky-keepee. 

 Bridport. 



THE POULTET AT LINTON PAEE!. 



Theke may be some among your readers who are not 

 unwilling to hear a few words concerning Linton and its 

 feathered inhabitants. 



To begin. The park stands on a long hill side, the lower 

 portion advancing into the valley, whilst the upper recedes 

 over the plateau to the north. Soon after entering the 

 gates a confused crowing — from what quarter it is not easy 

 to say — strikes upon the ear, and on casting the eye around 

 small shepherd-looking huts are seen at long distances 

 apart But before proceeding further we must make the 

 acquaintance of John Martin, a taciturn man with an honest 

 face, a curt manner, and a house and salary the envy of 

 all the curates around. He is the guardian of Lady Holmes- 

 dale's famous birds, and of his own counsels too; for if 

 wrinkles there be in exhibiting, you might as well attempt 

 to extract them from him as information from John Scott's 

 confidential lad the night before the Derby. 



Let us walk round with him, and a long walk it is ; for 

 about twenty bottomless huts, moveable on rollers, are 

 scattered about the park near a few trees, the corner of a 

 cover, or any such slight shelter, and each contains its in- 

 dependent colony. Here may be seen a score of lean-looking 

 Spaniards foraging about; there a detachment of portly 

 Dorkings ; whilst high tip on the bleak and windy hill top 

 live a large family of Pencilled Hamburghs, clean active 

 birds, wild as hawks, requiring all the blandishments of 

 their keeper's voice and a liberal distribution of corn to 



induce them to approach the unwelcome stranger. Nearer 

 home some more Hamburghs reside, and a few maternal 

 Cochins — fluffy tame domestic creatures, willing to make 

 any one's acquaintance, and grateful for the smallest con- 

 tribution. 



But where are the poultry-houses, where her ladyship's 

 pampered bipeds spend their lives in idleness and luxury ? 

 Where are the prize birds ? " All about. He took fust at 

 Islington, Birmingham, Manchester. His brother choked 

 hisseif last week after I had refused thirty- five sovereigns 

 for him the week before that. He's worth forty," replies 

 Martin, pointing to a monstrous cockerel with a briar- 

 scratched comb and disordered plumage. True it was there 

 running wild. One feed a-day, picking up a precarious ex- 

 istence on grass and insects, roosting in the trees or in their 

 little draughty huts, with less care than the vilest barndoor, 

 during the coldest nights of winter, live and thrive the 

 Linton poultry. Nothing can look simpler than the pro- 

 cess. The least possible deviation from a statu of nature 

 appears to a tyro the sole secret of success. 



Nor is there much stress laid upon breeding from " cup " 

 birds. Out of hundreds the trios are selected on which it 

 is shrewdly surmised the experienced eyes of Messrs. Hewitt, 

 Baily, and Co. will most love to dwell, and on them a brief 

 season of care is bestowed, under which the rough-and-ready 

 customers of the park and shrubbery improve into the sleek 

 and ponderous champions we have so often seen, maintain- 

 ing in the hour of trial the honour of the county of Kent.— 

 A Pullet. 



EIPON and CLAEO AGEICULTUEAL SOCIETY'S 

 POULTEY SHOW. 



The fourth annual Meeting of this Society was held at 

 Ripon, July 5th. Compared with last year, it exhibited a 

 decided superiority in regard to quality. 



Game.— First, C. W. Brierley, Middleton, Manchester. Second, Miss E. 

 Beldon, Bingley. 



Spanish. — First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, W. Elliot. Thirsk. 



Dorking.— First, J. White. Northallerton. Second, Miss E. Beldon. 



Poland.— First, T. Heugh, Bedale. Second, Miss E. Beldon. 



Cochin-China.— First, J. Uell, Thirsk. Second, C. W. Brierley. 



Hamburgh (Golden-splangled). — First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, J, 

 Walker, Knaresborough. 



Hamburgh (Silver-spaog'.ed).— First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, C. Cow- 

 burn, Leeds. 



Hamburgh (Golden-pencilled).— First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, C. W. 

 Brierley. 



Hamburgh (Silver-pencilled). -First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, W. E. 

 Baynes. Bedale. 



Bantams (Golden-laced).— First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, R. White, 

 Rinon. 



Bantams (Silver-laced).— First, C. W. Brierley. Second, Miss E, Beldon. 



Bantams (Game).— First, J. Wade, Leeds. Second, Miss E. Beldon. 



Bantams (Any other variety).— First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, J. Wade. 



Turkeys. — First, C. W. Brierley. Second, J. Greaves, Clotherholuie. 



Ducks (Aylesbury).— First, Miss E. Beldon. Second, J. G. Milner, Ley- 

 burn. 



Ducks (Rouen).— Prize, Miss E. Beldon. 



Ducks op ant Breed or Cross.— First, C. W. Brierley. Second, Miss 

 E. Beldon. 



Extra Stock. — Prize, J. White, Northallerton. 



Pigeons. — Carriers (Any colour). — Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Tumblers 

 (Almond).— Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Tumblers (Any other variety).— Prize, 

 Miss E. Beldon. Poioters.— Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Hunts.— Prize, J. 

 Wade. Jacobins.— Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Fantails.— Prize, R. H. Walbran. 

 Owls. — Prize, W. Hughes. Leeds. Trumpeters. — Prize, Miss E. Beldon. 

 Barbs.— Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Turbits. — Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Nuns. — 

 Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Dragoons. — Prize, G. Sadler, BorougbrMge. Balds 

 or Beards.— Prize, Miss E. Beldon. Archangels. — Prize, Miss E. Beldon. 

 Any New or Distinct Variety. — Prize, Miss E. Beldon. 



Judges of Poultry :— Mr. H. C. Mason, Drighlington, 

 Leeds ; Mr. M. Hunter, Greenhammerton, Tork. 



[We think this should be distinguished in the Society's 

 Annals as "Emily Beldon's Tear."] 



Alexandea Paek Show or Poultey, &c. — The entries 

 for this Show, we are informed, will not close until Satur- 

 day, July 23rd, instead of the 16th. 



Impoetation op Eggs. — It is a startling fact, that in four- 

 teen years the importation of eggs into this country has 

 increased more than one hundred and sixty-nine m il l ions. 

 In 1849 there were imported 97,745,849, and in 1863, 

 266,929,680. The wholesale price in Prance is 6s. for ten dozen. 



