January 20, 1881 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 61 
special office, Key. H. Cecil Fellowes, and Messrs. T. TV. Anns, 
J. C. Fraser, T. P. Lyon, L. C. C. R. Norris, and Butler Smith. 
Poultry and the Frost. —The late terribly severe weather 
has proved most disastrous to poultry. In a famous yard of Dor¬ 
kings the combs or gills of almost every cock have been frost¬ 
bitten. The gills have generally been attacked first, and at once 
swell up to enormous size. TVe need hardly caution our readers 
against bringing birds in this state into a warm atmosphere or 
exposing them to sun. They should be put under cover—out 
of draughts, if possible, in the dark, and be well fed. TVe have 
found them relieved by lancing the bottom of the swollen gills, 
when congealed blood and matter flows out, and the inflammation 
seems allayed. 
ONIONS AS FOOD FOR CHICKENS. 
I FIND on reading over some American notes on Onions, that 
they are particularly beneficial to poultry. Fowls of all varieties 
are extremely fond of them, and derive great benefit from eating 
them. They not only serve all the purposes of food, but aid 
digestion and tend to ward off disease. They may be given raw 
or cooked. Chickens will eat not only the bulbs but the leaves 
when chopped up and mixed with soft food. Chickens that are 
allowed Onions prepared in this way rarely, if ever, have cholera, 
and are not likely to be infested with vermin. A very good food 
for laying hens during the winter months consists of cooked 
meat, Potatoes, and chopped Onions ; the last ingredient answers 
the same purpose as pepper.—L a Fleche. 
THE BEST GRAIN FOR FOWLS. 
The question of “ Which is the best grain for fowls ?” is an im¬ 
portant one for amateurs, more especially for beginners, who are 
always glad to know the best food to give to their fowls at dif¬ 
ferent times. Grain forms a large part of fowl food at all seasons, 
and when good and of the proper kind nothing can be better. I 
prefer Wheat which weighs about 48 or 50 lbs. to the bushel. 
Small inferior samples are not profitable. Next to Wheat comes 
Barley, then Oats, and a mixture of all the three may be used 
with advantage. Buckwheat and Sunflower seed is not so easily 
obtained, but when it can be had at a reasonable price a little of 
both given occasionally is very acceptable. Hempseed is also a 
good change, but too much of it must not be given, as it is rather 
fattening for laying hens or stock birds. Rice may also be given 
at intervals ; but Indian corn, which fattens them so quickly, is 
no favourite of mine. I have an impression if it is given in large 
quantities to white fowls when they are getting their new feathers, 
that it is the means of causing them to have a yellow hue, and if 
it is suddenly given in a large quantity it has a worse effect than 
this. The other day, happening to have no other grain, I was 
obliged to give fowls Indian corn the first thing in the morning, 
and in less than an hour we found one of the most healthy-look- 
ing pullets dead. As she was shut up in a small run with two 
or three others we could think of nothing that could cause her 
death but her sudden repletion of Indian corn. In my opinion 
it is highly indigestible. Ten days ago a neighbour lost a bird 
in the same way, and presumably from the same cause. Many 
Pheasants have recently died suddenly in the covers here. Some 
weeks ago they were supplied with no artificial food, and then 
Iudian corn was spread about to draw them in before shooting, 
and I am quite of opinion that it was the Indian corn which 
caused their death in most instances. As a food for fowls we are 
thinking of giving it up altogether.—M. 
KENDAL POULTRY SHOW. 
This, one of the leading shows in the north of England, opened 
on Thursday, the 13th of January. The poultry numbered 562, the 
Pigeons 207. Messrs. Dixon and Charlton judged the poultry, and 
the last-named gentleman the Pigeons. The arrangements were upon 
the whole excellent, but we would suggest that another year the 
lower tier of pens be raised at least a foot higher ; and as there is 
plenty of space in the passages, the fronts of these lower pens might 
project 6 inches further forward than the upper tier. This would do 
much to remedy the defective light in some of the lower pens. 
Dorkings.— Coloured Cocks (eleven) were of good average quality. 
First (J. White) very white on breast and tail, good profile but rather 
narrow, a fine red lobe, but an ugly comb. Second (B. Smith) a good 
bird of the Dark sort, white in lobe. Third (Carver) of medium colour, 
rather long in leg ; v.h.c., King ; h.c., Ruttledge (2), King, B. Smith, 
Mrs. Hind. Hens (ten) were a very strong class. First, a well-known 
bird of Mr. Butler Smith’s. Second (Cranston) squarely made and 
large, but dark in feet. Third (Smalley) too long in leg; v.h.c., 
(B. Smith) a grand hen, but out of sorts ; h.c., Matthews. Silver-Grey 
or Any Other Variety Cocks (thirteen).— A good class, entirely made up 
of Silvers. First (Cranston) good in all points and of beautiful colour. 
Second (Cranston) another good-coloured Silver, rather long in leg. 
Third (Roe) leather slight, and not so clear ; v.h.c., Ruttledge, Cowen ; 
h.c., Cranston (3), Ruttledge, Abbott. liens (seven) were again all 
Silvers ; a fair average class. First (Ruttledge) short in leg and very 
silvery in plumage. Second (Cranston) of good colour, but with dark 
feet. Third (Cranston) a pullet sound in colour, but dark-footed 
again ; h.c., Cranston, B. Smith. 
Brahmas. — Any Variety—Cocks (fourteen).—Darks and Lights were 
shown together, which in these days is surely a mistake. First (Miss 
E. Cotes; a shapely Dark bird, good in foot feather, but hocked, with 
a little white in his tail, and a comb too high at the back. Second 
(Birch) the Belfast winning Light cock, now even worse in comb than 
before. Third (Wise) another Light, good in other points, but with 
a dreadful comb. Pen 86 (Brook), h.c., a very neat-headed heavily 
hocked Dark cockerel of good shape, though only moderate in colour ; 
should in our view have stood second; v.h.c., Ansdell (2) ; h.c., 
J. Wood, Williams, Aspden. Hens (eleven) contained some of the 
best hens of the season, but were not remarkable as a class. First- 
and-cup (Miss E. Cotes) the Palace cup Dark hen, looking grand in 
all other points, but too brown in ground colour. Second (Birch) a 
Light, good in size and shape, but with far too much of a buff shade 
through her plumage. Third (Aspden) of medium size, and not very 
clear in marking—we preferred her neighbour v.h.c. (Peicival) the 
Birmingham winner, and indeed should have placed this hen second ; 
v.h.c. and h.c., Ansdell; h.c., Silvester. 
Cochins. — Cinnamon or Bvff. — Cocks (seventeen) were a fine class, 
some of the commended and unnoticed birds having been leading 
winners elsewhere. First (Hine) a shapely very even-coloured Cin¬ 
namon of the dark-w'inged sort: sold at the auction for £14 10s. 
Second (Allen) a medium-coloured one of good size, but rather coarse 
in comb, and rather mealy on wings. Third (Rigg) short in leg and 
good in feather, but not large; v.h.c., Hind, Donkin, Brierley ; h.c., 
Bragg (2), Brown (2), Hope, Jordan, Pickering. Hens (twelve) as a 
class were rather unsound in colour. First (Mrs. W. Steven) moderate 
in colour, of good size and shape, but wanting in foot feather. Second 
(Fleming) a Silver Lemon, good size, carrying rather too much tail. 
Third, Hope ; h.c., C. Brown (3). We liked 128 (Clatworthy), a Cin¬ 
namon pullet, as well a3 anything in the class, but her tail was only 
half grown. Partridge Cocks (seventeen) were a very good class 
indeed. First (Sharpe) a shapely bird, rich in colour, though a little 
brown in fluff. Second (J. Wood) large and sound in colour, except 
for white in tail, but quite out of sorts. Third (R. J. Wood) good 
size and colour, but narrow in saddle and white tail; h.c., Southern, 
Wood, Mrs. F. Grant, Percival, Clatworthy, Sharpe (2), Robertson. 
Hens (eighteen) were one of the best classes we have seen this season. 
First (R. J. Wood) a fairly marked one of the old sort. Second 
(Percival) of the old sort again, but poor in marking. Third (T. 
Sharpe) a pullet better marked and larger than second ; v.h.c., R. J. 
Wood, Sharpe ; h.c., R. J. Wood, a beautifully marked bird ; perhaps 
rather narrow ; Sharpe (3), J. Wood, Southern (2), Mrs. F. Grant, 
Robertson. Any Other Variety Cocks and Hens had nine pens of 
Whites and three of Blacks ; these latter, however, did not secure 
even a card. First (Darby) well-known winners, still wonderfully 
clear in colour. Second (J. Rawnsley) not quite so good in this point, 
although above the average. Third (Weeks) good size, but very 
dirty ; v.h.c., Aspden ; h.c., Weeks, Mrs. TV. Steven, Snell, Brierley. 
Game. — Brown-breasted Reds .— Cocks (seventeen) were a fairly 
good class. First (Braithw’aite) a reachy bird, rather wanting in 
style. Second (Brierley) great reach again, but rather heavy in 
head, and not sound in tail. Third (Parker) of similar type to 
second, but better in tail; h.c., German, Nelson, Bothway. Hens 
(thirteen) were a moderate class. First (Martin) stylish and close 
in feather. Second (Braithwaite) a neat bird, in grand condition. 
Third (Mrs. J. Wilson) rather wanting in style ; h.c., Warner, 
Rauthmell, Costelow, Ramson, Mrs. J. Wilson. Black-breasted Reds■ 
— Cocks (sixteen) were again only a moderate class. First-and-cup 
(Brierley) a very stylish bird of good colour, but not hard enough in 
feather. Second (Matthews) very neat in head and long in reach, 
but slight and brown on thighs. Third (Brough) of good reach, but 
dull in colour ; h.c., Fletcher, Martin, Lyon. Hens (thirteen) a good 
class. First-and-cup (Harley) a reachy bird, good in colour. Second 
(Brough) very smart and shapely, as also was third (Brierley) ; h.c., 
Fletcher. Matthews, Dawson, Lyon. Any other Variety —Cocks (six) 
were so poor that first and second were withheld. Third (Harley) 
was a moderate Duckwing. Hens (seven) were but moderate. First 
(Harley) a good Duckwing. Second (Brierley) a willow-legged Pile. 
Third (Dickinson) a Duckwing again ; h.c., Holden. 
Black Spanish. — Cocks and Hens (four).—First (J. Rawnsley) a 
good pair in all points. Second (Boulton), the cockerel rather rough 
in face ; the pullet small, but «ven in lobe and broad over the eye. 
Third (Harrison) a fair pair. 
Hamburghs. — Golden-spangled Cocks and Hens (eight) showed a 
tendency to heaviness of comb. First-and-cup (Bracewell) a neat 
pair, good in colour but only moderate in marking and heavy in 
comb. Second (Bracewell) of similar type. Third (Duckworth) a 
moderate pair ; v.h.c., Duckworth, Beldon; h.c., Rawnsley, Jackson. 
Silver-spangled Cocks and Hens (seven).—A moderate class. First 
(Rawnsley) a good pair in other points, but very bad in comb. 
Second (Beldon) much neater in head than the winners. We should 
have put this pen first. Third (Pickles) red lobes and heavy combs ; 
