JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
84 
While the winning Light Brahmas were in many instances of 
exceptional merit, and the same might he said of some of the winning 
Darks, the Brahma classes were on the whole poor in quality through¬ 
out. One of the chief mistakes in the awards was made in reference 
to the Brahma cup. This was given to Mr. R. S Williamson for a bird 
which in the opinion of every Brahma fancier present should not have 
been in the prize list. He was very large and had a neat comb, but 
there his points of merit ended. He had no chest, grizzled hackles, was 
long in back, had white in the tail, and was quite wanting in Brahma 
shape. Mr. Mitchell’s well-known winner stood third ; he seemed a 
little overdone, but, even so, should in our opinion have stood first, 
whilst the fourth-prize bird of Mr. S. B. Davies was undoubtedly 
second in merit. The winning Dark Brahma hen (Mrs. Bennett) was 
grand in size, shape, and feather, and was well though noc remark¬ 
ably well marked, with an even type of pencilling. She was a trifle 
brown in ground colour. Mr. Percival’s Birmingham winner stood 
deservedly second. In the cockerels we could not altogether agree 
with the awards ; we thought Mrs. G. Ward’s third-prize bird decidedly 
the best in the class. The winner (Mr. G. A. Eastwood) was larger 
and looked very well in profile, but seemed narrow, hollow-chested, and 
wanting in depth when viewed from the front. On the other hand 
Mrs. Ward’s second prizewinner was not, we thought, entitled to so 
high a position, as he had nothing particular to recommend him. 
Mr. R. Holland’s dark pullet easily headed the class, which was by 
no means a strong one. This was the bird which won the cup at 
Cambridge, and we think that either the winning hen or this pullet 
ought to have had the cup here. Personally we should have gone 
for the hen. Mr. G. H. Wood was the largest prizewinner in the 
Light Brahma classes ; his birds stood first in each of the classes 
except that for hens, where Mr. C. R. Williams took the lead with a 
fine hen very distinct in stripe of hackle, and of pure colour. The 
Light Brahma cup was deservedly awarded to Mr. Wood’s pullet. 
The awards in the Light Brahma classes struck us as being upon the 
whole satisfactory. _____ 
Cochins were not so numerous as last year, although the appoint¬ 
ment of Mr. Felton, who some years ago was very well known as a 
breeder and exhibitor of Cochins, ought to have led to a large entry. 
The prizes, as is very frequently the case when old and young birds 
compete against each other at this time of the year, went mostly to 
the old birds. The winning Buff (Mr. R. P. Percival) was very fine 
in size, shape, and colour; and the same remark may be made of 
Mr. A. Darby’s first-prize Buff hen. The Partridge cocks did not 
strike us as being of particular merit, Mr. Percival’s winner, though 
brilliant in colour, having rather too large and coarse a comb for our 
taste. We thought Mr. R. J. Wood’s second-prize hen should have 
stood before the first-prize bird (Mr. T. Atterton) as being larger and 
more shapely. The Black Cochin cocks were only a moderate class. 
Mr. R. Mitchell here headed the list, while Mr. N. Cook took a similar 
position in the next class with a splendidly shaped old hen, whose 
only fault was a want of middle toe feather. Whites were not 
numerous, but the winners were of very high quality. The cup for 
Cochins went to Mr. R. P. Percival’s well-known old hen, and Mr. 
£>arby headed the list in the cock class with an old bird of great 
merit. _ 
Dorkings were fairly well represented, the cup here going to Mr. 
L. Pilkington with the cock from the Cambridge cup pen. Mr. 
Butler Smith showed two fine, large, coloured hens to which first 
and second prizes were awarded. Mr. J. Cranston as usual headed 
the list in Silver-Greys, but we thought the birds hardly up to the 
usual quality shown by this exhibitor. Mr. J. E. Pilgrim repeated his 
Cambridge victory in the variety class with his fine pair of Whites. 
Spanish were, as is usual here, numerous and good. The winning 
cockerel (Messrs. Wingfield & Davies) was in the first-prize pen at 
Cambridge, and is one of the best we have seen for some time. Mr. 
W. Street stood first with an old hen, which we think, however, would 
have had to give way to Mr. W. R. Bull’s unnoticed pullet (second 
Cambridge), hut for some apparently accidental injuries to the beau¬ 
tiful face of the latter. _ 
In Houdan cocks the Cambridge winner (Mrs. Irving) was again 
to the front, while Mr. S. W. Thomas stood first in the other class 
with a very fine hen. Mr. A. Stevens still holds the premier position 
in Plymouth Rocks, pressed pretty closely by Mr. R. B. Wood. Miss 
Beldon’s Silver-spangled Polish won the cup offered for this and five 
other classes. 
Most of the winners in Leghorns were of the Brown variety. Mr. 
A. C. Bradbury here headed the list with a good pair. Mr. W. L. 
Brooke stood first in a good class of Andalusians. The Hamburgh 
classes were well filled. The chief prizewinners in the spangled and 
pencilled were as usual Mr. H. Beldon and Mr. J. Rawnsley ; to 
the first-named the Hamburgh cup was awarded for a very neat pair 
of Golden-spangled. In the Black Hamburgh class, which had 
fifteen entries, Mr. J. H. Jaffray stood first, closely pressed by Mr. 
James Long, who was second. Mr. Darby and Mr. Cresswell won 
the chief prizes for Silkies with birds of the White variety. Fine 
Creve Coeurs, shown by Mr. W. Jackson, easily won in the Any 
[ January 26, 1882. 
other variety class, Miss Beldon’s Sultans being second, and the 
Rev. A. G. Brooke’s Malays third. 
Bantams, owing to the efforts of the Bantam Club, had twelve 
classes this year in lieu of three last year, and numbered no less than 
145 in all. The cup for the Game section went to Mr. J. R. Fletcher 
with a Black Red cock, that for the other section being awarded to 
Mr. H. Stanworth for very neat Black Rosecombs. Mr. Fletcher 
also won five other prizes for Game Bantams, taking, indeed, all the 
firsts except those awarded to Mr. D. Clayton for Brown Red hens, 
and Mr. C. Peake for Pile cocks. The other cup-winner (Mr. H. 
Stanworth) also took first in the Black Rosecomb hen class, while 
Mr. J. Rawnsley held the premier position in the Sebright cocks, and 
the Rev. F. Tearle the like position in Sebright hens. Mr. H. 
Beldon’s single-comb Cuckoos were first in the cock and hen Bantam 
variety classes respectively. 
Ducks had only two classes and were not very numerous. Rouens 
shown by Mr. S. Burn won in the class for Aylesburys or Rouens. 
Pekins as usual headed the list in the Variety Duck class, Mr. T. 
Allen being the winner. Carolinas stood second, Paradise Ducks 
third, and Black East Indian fourth. 
BUTTER AND EGGS. 
Alluding to the failure of the Treaty negotiations, the Couninj 
Gentleman says there is a point of importance connected with the 
failure of the negotiations for a new Treaty which should not 
escape even the farmers’ notice. Of late the trade in French 
butter, eggs, and garden produce has enormously increased. 
Great freights of French things have come here because the 
vessels carrying them could always get return freights. But on 
the 8th of next month most of those return freights will cease, for 
the new French tarilf will send up the charges so high that 
commerce from here will be greatly affected. Then, when return 
freights cease, the cost of sending French produce to England will 
rise proportionately, for the French sellers will have to pay the 
vessel’s charge both ways. In that case the price of French pro¬ 
duce will go up, and the competition with the English farmer will 
be reduced. It is true that the failure to conclude a new treaty 
is a misfortune for both nations ; but it will prove in the end 
more harmful for France than for England. We can do without 
Normandy and Brittany, but Normandy and Brittany will find it 
very hard to do without us. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Dorking Unhealthy (J. T., a Reader ).—Tour Dorking hen evidently ha3 
inflammation of the digestive organs, which has caused her to drink an exces¬ 
sive quantity of water. Empty her crop of water by holding her head down¬ 
wards ; give her at once a tablespoonful of castor oil; keep her from the other 
fowls, and in a warm place ; do not let her have any grain or water, but very 
light soft food (bread boiled in milk is best), and plenty of fine grit. In a week 
this treatment should cure her, unless the malady be of longer standing than 
you think. 
Feeding Swans (S. A. C .).—The taste for bread is only an acquired one in 
Swans. Their natural diet is a vegetable one, which, in so mild a winter as this, 
they will provide for themselves. They may, however, have some oats or barley 
thrown down on the bank they frequent or into shallow water. They will first 
pick up the lighter grains which float, and then begin to dip their heads under 
water in search of the rest. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden square London. 
Lat. 61® 32'40" N.; Long.O® 8'0" W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1882. 
January. 
• a 
® c* o3__ 
E2 CO o 
£ f'S/v 
£ eH 
P3 2 CS 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
O-d 
£ fl 
So 
o • 
.Cl 4-* 
CM—H O 
ioS 
(DCQ^h 
Ph 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Sun. 15 
Mon. 16 
Tnes. 17 
Wed. 18 
Thurs. 19 
Friday 20 
Satur. 21 
Inches. 
30.691 
30.838 
30.928 
30.950 
30.911 
30.746 
30.781 
deg. 
39.2 
42 0 
32.7 
32.3 
36.4 
39.9 
34.4 
deg. 
37.8 
40.7 
32.7 
32.2 
36.4 
38.2 
33.4 
E. 
S.E. 
N.W. 
Calm 
Ca 
N.W. 
\V. 
deg. 
42.0 
42.0 
41.8 
40.3 
4o.U 
40.S 
39.8 
deg. 
43.3 
43.4 
41.3 
36.8 
42.0 
i 1 ’.8 
41.4 
deg. 
37.4 
38.9 
82.7 
29.9 
32.1 
36.0 
30.7 
deg 
43.5 
43.1 
39.6 
37.9 
48.4 
41.9 
58.1 
deg. 
37.2 
39.3 
31.4 
31.4 
33.0 
36.0 
25.3 
30.829 
36.7 
35.9 
41.0 
41.3 
34.0 
44.6 
33.8 
REMARKS. 
16th.—Dull and hazy. 
16th.—Gloomy and dark. 
17th.—Calm ; very high barometer ; dull and hazy. 
18th.—Cold and foggy; very calm ; very high barometer. 
19th.—Dark foggy morning, finer afterwards. 
20th.—Very dark in morning, with dense high fog ; fine evening. 
21st.—Fine dry day with sunshine; fog in evening. 
Weather generally calm, dull, and foggy. Barometer remarkably high ; at 
10.30 A M. on the 18th it stood at 30’955 inches, the highest recorded since 1825. 
Temperature about 6° below that of the preceding week, and about one degree 
below the average.—G. J. Symons. 
