JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 369 
exhibitors are generally too careful of their own interests to allow 
the birds to get out of condition, and, apart from any cruelty in 
overshowing, no other charge can be laid at their doors. The 
remedy, if remedy be necessary, lies in the hands of the com¬ 
mittees of such shows. Let them well consider in the first place 
whether the position and importance of their locality and the 
amount of prize money at their disposal is such that a general 
open competition can be expected. If they decide that the show 
cannot be expected to take a really important position, we would 
counsel them then to so frame their prize list that the mere pot¬ 
hunters will be excluded. This can be done in several ways. 
The first and perhaps the most satisfactory method is to limit the 
competition to a certain area. The next best method is to make 
the prizes numerous but small in amount. This can be done by 
increasing the number of the classes, or merely increasing the 
number of the prizes in each class. In no case should the first 
prize exceed £1 ; and if there be £3 to award to a class, five 
prizes of £1, 15s., 12s. 6rZ., 7s. 6d., and 5s. respectively would, we 
think, secure a far better local entry than the usual three of 
£1 10s., £1, and 10s., and would at the same time offer less 
temptation to the commercial prizewinner, to whom a good 
margin over entry and cost of carriage is a necessity. 
Another consideration should also be kept prominently in view— 
namely, whether more real good might not be done by an amal¬ 
gamation with some neighbouring show or shows, and the forma¬ 
tion in this way of one really important show in the place of 
several mere minor affairs which are mutually destructive to each 
other. We know that local jealousies are often very bitter, and 
that such jealousy is by no means absent from the fancier’s breast; 
still in many cases by mutual concessions or by an arrangement 
that the united show shall be held in each locality in turn, the 
difficulties in the way may be removed, and several weakly 
bantliugs may be succeeded by one more robust and enduring 
creation. 
The question of classification should in all, except the most im¬ 
portant shows, be greatly influenced by the local popularity of each 
breed. The experience of former seasons where available, the 
entries in other neighbouring shows, and the individual knowledge 
of the committee must be looked to for guidance here. A rule is 
used by some shows that if there be not a certain number of 
entries in a class, that class shall be cancelled and the entries 
returned. We hardly think this rule deserves general adoption. 
A better plan seems to us to be the more usual one of withholding 
certain of the prizes if there be less than a named number of 
entries ; but even this is open to objection, and should only be used 
as a tentative and not as a permanent measure. The chicken 
classes, especially at the early shows, are much affected by the 
hatching results of the season, and as many accounts which have 
reached us so far are of an unfavourable character, we would 
urge upon the committees the necessity of prudence and full 
inquiry before offering too liberal schedules. We know that the 
breeders who have triumphed over the difficulties of a severe 
season think it hard that they should be deprived of any part of 
their reward, but for the show committee other considerations are 
necessardy paramount. 
One word in conclusion as to speculative shows. These are 
generally got up by one or two individuals, who hope for a 
profit, and have no intention of bearing any share of a loss 
should such arise. Respectable persons frequently allow their 
names to be made use of by such speculators, and then think 
themselves hardly used when called upon to make up a deficit. 
Every means is adopted to avoid payment, and in some cases 
prizewinners are asked to forego a portion of their winnings. 
This is most unfair, and we cannot too strongly condemn the 
dishonesty of the speculative promoters and the carelessness and 
laxity of those who, by allowing their names to be made use of 
in such ways, enable this species of fraud to be perpetrated. No 
show ought to be held unless there be means available to meet a 
possible loss. Of course, exceptional cases will sometimes occur 
in aid of which subscriptions may be reasonably solicited, but 
these should be rare indeed—far more rare than they actually are. 
STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE. 
In your issue of April 14th appeared a letter signed “Buff,” 
raising the question, “Are tricolored Buff (Cochin) cocks to be 
admitted to the prize list ? ” The writer, while appealing to 
those of your readers who are fanciers of the breed to give their 
ideas on the subject, says, “ My experience has been that such 
birds do not breed evenly coloured pullets, and I think that the 
uniformity of colour, which is admittedly indispensable in the 
one sex, should be equally insisted upon in regard to the other.” 
In this short letter I find a great deal suggestive of various in¬ 
teresting points to every fancier and judge of poultry. Firstly, 
of course, it would be well to know the opinions of some of the 
great Cochin fanciers as to the colours which correspond in the 
two sexes of Buff Cochins, and whether tricolored cocks do 
really produce hens of uneven colour; but beyond this a wide 
field of interest is opened in connection with “ standards of ex¬ 
cellence” for poultry, which, it seems to me, in the case of many 
other breeds as well as this, if they are to be really useful must 
contain some statement as to the particular points which in 
one sex go with particular points in the other. If I may I 
will attempt to expand my meaning a little upon both these 
headings. 
1, The Buff Cochin question. I regret much that up to the 
present time nothing has appeared in your pages from the pens 
of those really experienced in the variety in response to “Buff’s” 
appeal. An admirer and at times a breeder of Buff Cochins I 
have long been, since days when as a child I was presented with 
a pair from one of the earlier imported stocks (which, by-the-by, 
I always believe to have been very good Cochins in form though 
wanting the size of the now exhibited birds) up to the present 
time ; but to that real and intimate acquaintance with the breed 
which at once detects the special excellencies or defects which a 
bird is likely to transmit to its progeny I can lay no claim, and 
would therefore gladly learn of those who have such knowledge 
and are sufficiently public-spirited to publish it. As a judge 1 
have not infrequently had some difficulty in placing Buff cocks 
of the colour or rather colours described to my own satisfaction. 
It has always seemed to me that a soft uniformity of colouring 
is one of the chief characteristics of this breed, and consequently 
that sharp contrasts of shade are out of place in it. At the same 
time I have often seen the said tricolored cocks so pre-eminently 
magnificent in form and size that it has been impossible to exclude 
them from the prize list. Such difficulties must often occur to 
judges of poultry. Of course the best state of things would be 
that a judge should only adjudicate upon those classes which he 
has himself bred carefully ; this, however, is obviously impossible, 
and it therefore becomes the duty of all who agree to officiate in 
such a capacity to do their utmost to obtain the best information 
on all such points as that raised by “ Buff ”—viz., whether such 
cocks do produce hens of an objectionable colour. As one who 
may perhaps be called upon again to award the prizes in classes 
of Buff Cochins, I should be glad to gain information from those 
thoroughly competent to give it. 
2, This brings us to the larger question of standards of excel¬ 
lence. At the last general meeting of the Poultry Club a resolu¬ 
tion was passed to the effect that it is desirable for a new standard 
to be drawn up. How far that resolution can be practically 
carried out has, I believe, been lately discussed by the Committee 
of the Club. Various untoward events have prevented my at¬ 
tending its meetings, and so I write in ignorance of any decision 
that may have been arrived at. Much may be said for and 
against the standards of excellence ; what, however, I endea¬ 
voured in November to impress upon the general meeting I 
venture now to repeat—viz., that if a standard is drawn up it 
must be done with so much thoroughness and care, and in the 
case of each variety by so thoroughly representative a committee 
of practical breeders, that it may be generally accepted not only 
by those fanciers who breed but by those who judge poultry. 
Judges are and ever must be independent of such standards, and 
so if they are arbitrary or narrow can well afford to disregard 
them ; at the same time I cannot but think that if one were 
drawn up in a comprehensive and reasonable way it might be a 
great aid to breeders and judges alike. What suggests itself to 
me both from the letter of “ Buff ” and from my own experience 
is, that any standard would be imperfect which did not point out 
the corresponding points in the two sexes of each breed. Con¬ 
siderable latitude might be allowed for fancy, and in some cases 
great variety of plumage, but there should be some indication of 
the points which differences in the one sex necessitate in the 
other. Some of the standards we now have are very good as far 
as they go —i.e., of the breeds comprised in them they give a good 
account of what is generally considered a perfect exhibition cock 
and a perfect exhibition hen ; but there is unfortunately this 
drawback to them, that practically in some cases the perfect cock 
and perfect hen belong to two sub-varieties, which mated together 
will not breed both sexes in perfection, and sometimes neither of 
them. There is no hint in any standard that I know, of the 
(to experts) well-known fact that in the case of several breeds 
separate pens are mated for the production of cocks and hens. 
To be of use to breeders a standard should at least contain some 
statement of this fact, and to be of use to judges it should explain 
the connection between the required points in each sex which 
have brought about this state of things. Arbitrary and absurd 
