November 22, 1864. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



419 



pable of his gross and most unjustifiable insinuations, which 

 from his own reference refute themselves. 



When the public learn the names of the Cork Judges they 

 will be able to decide between us, whether they are the well- 

 known poultry Judges at London, Glasgow, and Birmingham 

 your correspondent would fain lead them to suppose, though 

 gentlemen of the highest standing and integrity. 



Before your correspondent again rushes into print, I would 

 advise him to carefully examine his grounds before attack- 

 ing either an individual or a fellow Society without just 

 cause. 



A suggestion it only was, though of an interested exhi- 

 bitor, and when declined there was an end of it. — A Steward. 



P.S. — Since writing the above I have received the Aber- 

 deen schedule, which I perceive is again under the Poultry 

 Club — a proof that its influence is of great benefit to it, and 

 highly approved of in that quarter, since I find its prize list 

 is greatly extended, and the addition of six silver cups this 

 year. 



POULTRY SHOWS NORTH AND SOUTH. 



I am glad to see that this subject, to which I alluded a 

 few weeks ago, has been taken up by several correspondents, 

 and although each writer differs slightly, yet I am glad to 

 find all acknowledge that the Dorking fowl or fowls ought to 

 have more prizes and more classes at all our southern, per- 

 haps I ought to say south-eastern, Shows. 



I agree with the remarks of a " Wiltshire Rectoe " with 

 one exception, and that is the desirability of introducing the 

 dark-legged, non-sitting breeds into our south-eastern dis- 

 trict. He seems to forget that the colour of their legs is a 

 fatal bar to them as marketable chickens ; and as for eggs, 

 our market is overdone with French and Belgian eggs, sent 

 over by thousands to our south-eastern ports. Chickens 

 are our speciality. I have been seven years now in this 

 chicken-rearing district, and I am sure "T. B. A. Z.'s" 

 Brahmas would find more favour than the blue stockings. 



I again repeat that the Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, and 

 Maidstone Shows ought to give separate classes for White, 

 Grey, and Coloured Dorkings, and if Cuckoo and Speckled 

 could be added so much the better. I am sure the commit- 

 tees would, in a year or two, find it greatly to their interest. 



I trust *' Wiltshire Rector " does not think that I am 

 blinded by fancy. I can assure him I am no fancier of either 

 coloured Dorkings or Spanish, but Silver-pencilled are par- 

 ticular pets of mine ; still I am not blinded to the fact that 

 they are not the fowls for this district. As for eggs, we are 

 not desirous to compete with the foreigner when we can do 

 so much better with white-legged chickens. Let us, there- 

 fore, improve our local breeds. — B. P. Brent. 



visitors to the poultry show by annexing it to an agricul- 

 tural exhibition, of which it is sure to become the most 

 popular part. 



Again : it seems clear that the feeling of exhibitors is in 

 favour, not merely of reviving in the south some good 

 poultry shows, to be combined, as in the very successful 

 case of Basingstoke, with an agricultural exhibition ; but, 

 also, that there is a prevalent and just idea that London 

 ought to give us, once or oftener in the year, a poultry show 

 as good as Birmingham ; and here let me say, though not a 

 member of the Poultry Club, that in my humble judgment 

 we owe them thanks for the late Islington Show, which, 

 although in its infancy, is by no means a puny bantling, but 

 a bouncing healthy child. If the Crystal Palace Show comes 

 to life again, all the better for the south. 



Lastly : As " Y. A. B. Z." points out, we all may do some- 

 thing for the revival of southern shows by personal effort in 

 our own neighbourhood. With an instance of this I will 

 conclude. 



Having read in your columns some three weeks ago, the 

 origin of Lord Tredegar's Show, I sent my gardener with 

 half a dozen pens of fowls, some of which had won laurels 

 elsewhere, to a neighbouring agricultural gathering, among 

 the roots and implements of which no cock had ever crowed. 

 The final result was, that a neighbour seeing the birds, 

 caught some of his fowls and added them to the collection. 

 The next result was, that the fowls attracted more attention 

 than either roots or implements, and when I went in the 

 afternoon I could scarcely reach my pets. The third result 

 is, that some members of the Committee are actively or- 

 ganising a poultry department at their next annual show. 



So from little beginnings may arise , but I will not 



trespass longer on your space. The snowball is started and 

 will gather as it rolls. — Brahma Pootra. 



POULTRY SHOWS IN THE SOUTH. 



I am obliged to "T. B. A. Z." for his courteous response to 

 my request for some suggestions on the subject of southern 

 poultry shows. 



Some points have, I think, been clearly established by 

 the discussion of the question in your columns. First, we 

 see that southern exhibitors are quite prepared to support 

 both new and existing shows in the south, provided that 

 the schedules are framed in a liberal spirit, and due notice 

 is given of the time of meeting by advertisement. The 

 neglect of either of these conditions is fatal to the success 

 of a poultry show. 



Some of our southern managers, however, have not yet 

 learnt this lesson. Take the case of the Kent and Maid- 

 stone Show : having merely by the chance mention of this 

 Exhibition become aware of its existence, I applied for, and 

 received its schedule. I found that by "Rule 5, all exhibi- 

 tors were required to reside in or occupy land in Kent ; that 

 no person could send stock unless he had been three months a 

 subscriber, and that all animals and poultry must have been 

 in the possession of the exhibitor three months previous to 

 the Show. 



Take, again, the case of Dorking, where the Show is con- 

 fined to Dorking fowls. Obviously in cases such as these, 

 what southern exhibitors want is not found. The next point 

 we owe to " T. B. A. Z." — namely, the wisdom of attracting 



ARE HAMBURGH FOWLS PROFITABLE? 



I am not much addicted to public speaking or writing, 

 and, therefore, not up to prefaces. Poultry is my hobby. 

 I dearly love my poultry. I live in the centre of a good-sized 

 town, but have a tolerably good run for my poultry ; yet I 

 have not been altogether satisfied with the fowls I have 

 kept. At first I bred and reared a lot of splendid Buff 

 Cochins. These, after laying a very few eggs — say, seven or 

 eight, wanted to sit and proved a great nuisance, frequently 

 three- parts of them were broody, and I had scarcely any 

 eggs from a dozen large and well-kept Cochins. And don't 

 they eat ! The quantity of food consumed by them as- 

 tonished many people. I soon grew tired of my Cochins. 

 Next, I had some Dorkings. These are splendid fowls for a 

 farmyard, the best for general usefulness, and most profit- 

 able for the farmer, but not suitable to me as a fancier. I 

 tried Game, but the chickens from the eggs (stated to be 

 from first-prize birds), which I purchased, did not come true 

 to colour, and other points, so they were soon given up. I 

 do not like Spanish. I admire Game very much, but I 

 think that Hamburghs will satisfy me better than any other 

 breed, and I much wish for your opinion, or that of "Wilt- 

 shire Rector." I am happy to say I am not " ossy," and 

 he sympathises with me and my hobby. I wish he would 

 give us more of his articles concerning poultry. I will now 

 tell you what I wish for. I want a breed of poultry "as 

 special pets and favourites, with a possible view to an oc- 

 casional exhibition," good egg-producers, tolerably hardy, 

 easily reared, and not large. If you or "Wiltshire 

 Rector," think with me that Hamburghs would be best, 

 please inform me which are considered the more handsome, 

 the Gold-pencilled or the Gold-spangled, and which the more 

 striking as regards the markings, &c. Silvers would never 

 look so well on account of the smoke. I shall also be very 

 glad if any one will inform me through your Journal, 

 the best and cheapest way to procure really first-class 

 birds to breed from, " with a possible view to an occasional 

 exhibition."— Partlet and Chanticleer. 



[It is a pleasure to me to give any information in my 

 power. I would say to the writer of the above, " Try, try, 

 try again." Success in poultry matters never waits upon 

 any but the persevering. " A tolerably good run ; " by this 

 I imagine something better than a small yard, probably an 



