Details oe Show Management. 161 
selves, would solve all difficulties, and prevent the complaint which Mr. Martin makes with only 
too much reason. 
Constant supei vision of each end of every main alley has of late been too plainly proved 
necessaiy, in order to prevent injury or mutilation of successful birds by disappointed rivals. Such 
occurrences always damage an exhibition, though if due care be taken, it is hard to see how 
a committee can be blamed in such cases, which no care can absolutely prevent if there be the 
determination to indulge in such meanness. The unbridled rivalry which can lead to this and 
similar rascality is the greatest curse of the poultry fancy ; but while it never has been and 
probably never can be altogether put down, w T e are glad to have remarked through many years that 
it is always confined to a wretched minority. All that can be done is to stamp upon it wherever it 
is found ; and while we would, as a rule, prefer legal means for the protection of society, we confess 
we should heartily rejoice to see the scoundrel who could for mere spite pull out the tail of 
a brother fancier’s bird, if caught in the act, receive any amount of “ lynching ” in the exhibition 
hall which did not involve actu-al personal injury. 
Regular removal and breakage of eggs laid during a show is of the greatest importance. 
If left in the pens, breakage is sure to occur, and the birds thus acquire the habit of egg-eating. 
Speaking for ourselves, we would rather even have valuable eggs stolen than this should happen ; 
but neither should be possible in a well-conducted show. 
The manner in which the awards are stated in the catalogue is of considerable importance to 
the pleasure and comfort of visitors. The best plan of all is to have them in the left-hand margin 
of the page, to the left of the pen numbers ; and if properly managed this plan is also t«he simplest 
and least troublesome. The printers should be directed to get up the catalogue with a “ three- 
em quad ” (a space known to them) at the beginning of every line, and to set up the various 
awards, abbreviated thus — Tst cup, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, K-com., and Com. — to this measure or width, 
before the awards are made. Then as the various instalments of the awards are forwarded (which 
they should be at frequent intervals) to the printing-office, the “ quadrat ” is withdrawn and the 
award dropped in its place, and the whole may thus be ready for press almost as soon as the judges 
have done. The next best plan is to publish at the end a list in full of the prizes in each class, 
the method till recently in vogue in Birmingham ; and the worst of all, perfectly disgusting 
in the trouble it gives, is to publish separately, and loosely slipped in the catalogue, a mere 
list of the pen numbers which have taken the prizes. 
One catalogue should be kept exclusively to mark off pens sold, as well as entering them in the 
sales book. Claiming pens entered below their value formerly occasioned much ill-feeling, when, 
as nearly always happened, several wanted them. This difficulty was obviated at Birmingham, and 
afterwards at several other shows, by putting all the prize pens up to auction, and dividing the 
excess over the catalogue price between the exhibition and the exhibitors. This expedient answers 
perfectly at the largest shows, but not at the smaller, for want of competition to pay its expenses ; 
but we may point out that all the advantages of it may be secured by a simple rule, providing that 
if after the sales office be opened more persons than one claim a pen simultaneously, it shall be sold 
to the one who will give the most for it, biddings being unrestricted, and excess divided as on the 
other plan. In this way delay over the many prize pens which are not wanted, and the expenses 
of a sale, are avoided, while the additional price over any great bargain is equally secured. But 
however this matter may be managed, notice of all sales made duiing any day should be dis- 
patched to the exhibitor of the pen by the night’s post. Neglect of this occasions needless 
, anxiety when the sold pens fail to arrive along with the others at the close of the exhibition. 
The last feed of corn before the show closes should be scantier than usual, and the last feed ot 
