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JOURNAL OP HOETICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. [ December 27, 1864. 



■whitewashed boards ; and the floor of about 6 inches deep 

 of gritty dust. A perch can also be fixed in this compart- 

 ment with advantage. 



E. The open run should not be less than 12 feet long, 

 3 feet wide, and 3 feet high, and the floor made of concrete, 

 as shown in fig. 1. The sides and top should be of galvanised 

 iron netting. It is not, however, advisable to fix wire net- 

 ting in too great lengths -without support, as, with the least 

 strain upon it, it gets out of shape. The plan I recommend 

 for the construction of open runs.consists of separate wooden 

 frames 6 feet by 3 feet, on which the wire netting is fixed 



Fig. 9.— Wire Frame. 



(see fig. 9), and grooved uprights in which these frames are 

 slid (see figs. 10 and 11). The frames forming the top can 



show without an interval of rest, but it is worse for managers 

 to injure each other's chances of success, and for exhibitors 

 to lose half their chances of a prize, owing to the suicidal 

 rivalry of leading shows. Can we not induce some of our 

 managers to vary the monotony which crowds the month of 

 December with incessant and competing shows, by a few 

 exhibitions of old birds in the spring, and young ones in 

 summer and autumn ? Will not Islington or Alexandra 

 Park, or the Crystal Palace take the hint? Can we not 

 have a metropolitan show when London is full, and days 

 are lengthening, when moreover a railway journey is not as 

 at this wintry season an act of penance ? — Bbahha Pootra. 



Fig. 10.— Central Upright. Fig. 11.— Corner Upright. 



be joined together by hinges. By adopting this plan the 

 whole run can be removed in a few minutes, or any part can 

 be taken away for repair without interfering with the other, 

 or some spare frames might even be kept in stock to replace 

 those in want of repair. — G. K. Geyelin, Civil Engineer, 

 London. (To be continued.) 



THE POULTRY CLUB'S CENSURE OF THE 

 BIRMINGHAM SHOW COMMITTEE. 

 I see by a report, printed and sent me by the Secretary 

 of the Poultry Club, that a vote of censure was passed by 

 the meeting on the Birmingham Committee for the appoint- 

 ment of the same Judges as last year at Bingley Hall. I 

 beg to say that, although I took part in the discussion of 

 several subjects at that meeting, the vote was passed after 

 I with many others left the room, and that if I had been 

 present at the time I should have opposed the vote most 

 strongly, as I should have hesitated to censure a body of 

 gentlemen from whom I have always received the greatest 

 courtesy, and whose conduct is always characterised by such 

 thorough fairness and honour, evinced towards exhibitors on 

 all occasions. — John K. Fowlek, Prebendal Posi-m, Aylesbury. 



WHY ARE SHOWS HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY? 



In your report of the Leeds Poultry Show, you allude to 

 the fact that the Newport Exhibition was held at the same 

 time, and to the injury which meetings held thus simul- 

 taneously inflict upon each other. I am glad to see the 

 subject noticed in your columns. 



While on the one hand, we hear complaints both of the 

 non-suecess of poultry shows, and of their dearth in the 

 south of England, we find on the other hand existing ex- 

 hibitions jostling one another, nay more, "cutting each 

 other's throats," by seizing with fatal precision the same 

 day for their respective meetings. Last year Basingstoke 

 and Islington were contemporaneous. This very month 

 Birmingham, Brighton, and York, were held at the same 

 time. 



Now, it is bad, certainly, for birds to travel from show to 



MANCHESTER EXHIBITION OE POULTRY 

 AND PIGEONS. 



Four years have now passed away since the first show of 

 poultry was held at the Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Man- 

 chester. Tear by year this meeting seems to grow more 

 important, and to gain rapidly on public favour ; in fact, the 

 aggregate entries of the Show just concluded exceed those 

 of last season by very nearly 130 pens — as strong a proof, 

 perhaps, as could be adduced, that the untiring efforts of 

 the Messrs. Jennison to deserve public support are duly 

 appreciated by exhibitors generally. 



The majority of our poultry readers are most probably 

 aware, that the large Music Hall in connection with this 

 establishment, is one of the most eligible and convenient 

 places we can call to mind for the holding of such an ex- 

 hibition. We may mention, too, the great advantage 

 arising from the proprietors being able to thoroughly warm 

 the whole building by hot-water apparatus, similarly con- 

 structed to those in use for horticultural purposes. The 

 advantage arising from this fact, to such poultry as have 

 been long accustomed to great care and attention when 

 at home cannot possibly be overrated, and it was spon- 

 taneously acknowledged by several visitors, that the fowls 

 not unfrequently came back from the Manchester Exhibition 

 in actually improved condition to that in which their owners 

 had forwarded them. " To serve all alike without respect 

 to rank or station, the printed rules being always adopted," 

 is punctiliously observed throughout the whole proceedings, 

 and, consequently, when one knows that these regulations 

 will be enforced, very few try to evade them, and general 

 satisfaction ensues. We purpose making a few passing re- 

 marks on the classes generally. 



Silver Grey Dorkings are the variety that head the list, 

 and we cannot help feeling regret so beautiful a breed of 

 poultry seem so little supported. The popular notion we 

 are aware is, they are more tender to rear than the com- 

 mon-coloured Dorking; but our own experience in a run 

 holding generally about a hundred specimens, convinces us 

 they are equally hardy with other Dorkings, and that they 

 lay more abundantly, which is. no inconsiderable recom- 

 mendation. The classes for Coloured Dorkings, except Silver 

 Greys, were, however, exceedingly well filled at Manchester ; 

 the choicest specimens from the stockyards of Viscountess 

 Hohnesdale and Captain Hornby here vied with each other 

 in close rivalry. It would be useless to hope for a better- 

 display. It was in these classes that Lady Holmesdale's 

 adult Dorkings secured not only the first position for merit 

 in their respective class, but also the extra silver cup given 

 to the best pen of fowls in the Exhibition regardless of 

 variety. About forty of the best first-prize pens were 

 selected as fitting competitors for this principal premium, 

 and the invidious and delicate task of such an award was 

 deputed by the Messrs. Jennison to Mr. Hewitt, of Birming- 

 ham, alone ; those gentlemen thus carrying out thereby the 

 principle of "voting for the Judges," as pursued by the 

 exhibitors at the time of making their entries, by individual 

 endorsement on each entry paper. This fine pen of Dorkings 

 is certainly one of the best pens we have seen for many 

 years past, and was again shown in first-rate condition. We 

 cannot pass over these classes without remarking that, 

 perhaps, the competition in the Grey Dorking classes through- 

 out was never excelled, consequently those Dorking breeders 

 who missed the opportunity thus afforded lost a treat of no 

 common character. 



The Black Spanish were numerous, and shown in first-rate 



