JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
142 
two. The first consists in simply restricting their liberty to a 
certain extent, and giving them food which improves the quality 
of their flesh ; the second in closely confining them, and towards 
the end of the time cramming them forcibly if needs be. We have 
occasionally successfully improved chickens by the first method. 
A number of fine young birds of one age should be selected, put 
in a clean enclosed grass run, with access to a dust bath to keep 
their plumage clean, and a heap of gravel to help their digestion. 
The partial confinement and freedom from old tormentors pre¬ 
vent their running the flesh off their bones, and companionship 
tempts them to eat well. All the food of fattening fowls should 
be soft. When first they are put up starve them for twelve hours, 
and if ever they get dainty and do not seem really eager for their 
meals repeat the fast. This will not often be necessary, and as 
long as they are happy and hungry give them as much as they 
will take three times a day. It is needless to say that their house 
and run must be kept scrupulously clean ; in a confined space 
any poultry left in dirt and discomfort soon show its ill effects 
by loss of appetite. Their diet should consist of various meals 
mixed into the crumbly state we have often described, but with 
milk instead of water, and rice boiled in milk. The best kinds 
of meal are barleymeal, Indian meal, and buckwheat meal. The 
latter is largely used in France, and we believe the delicious 
flavour of first-rate Parisian chickens is attributable to it. After 
three weeks of this regime any chickens of good race should be in 
perfection. 
2, For those who wish to attempt more systematic fattening we 
will describe the method which we believe the best from a common- 
sense point of view and from observing it in the establishments of 
our friends, though beyond an occasional experiment, as we have 
said, we have not found it necessary to put it in practice. 
The long coops into which we have formerly seen dozens of 
chickens crammed are nearly exploded ; if any exist we beg our 
readers to burn them—their use is absolute cruelty. The poor 
stupid birds in them invariably crowd to one end, the strong 
trample on the weak, and the violent scalp the timid. The exist¬ 
ence of a bullied bird for weeks in such a purgatory is horrible to 
think of. How could it possibly do otherwise than waste away ? 
If chickens are to be put into close confinement to improve their 
flesh each one must have a separate cell. Some of the ingenious 
contrivers of poultry appliances sell such pens singly and in rows, 
both of wood and galvanised zinc. They are, however, very dear, 
and a few hints may help a clever carpenter to construct some at 
a much less cost. Bach pen should be about 1 foot wide, 1 £ foot 
deep, and 2 feet high. They should be closed above, at the back 
and sides, and be barred in front and at the bottom. Some bars 
in front should push up to form a door, and a sliding tray should 
run under the barred bottom. It should be covered with dry earth 
for deodorising purposes, and cleaned daily. Of course, if a row 
of such pens are constructed together one long drawer will suffice 
for many. Two little earthenware pans should be placed on ledges 
in front of each pen, the one for water, the other for food. These 
are far better than wooden troughs, inasmuch as they can be fre¬ 
quently put into hot water. Milk much improves the flavour of 
chickens, and every vessel into which milk is placed requires scald¬ 
ing. The system of feeding should be the same as that for chickens 
in a semi state of confinement, save that their progress is advanced 
by keeping them in the dark while digesting each meal. Towards 
the end of the time cramming may be resorted to if the more 
natural method is not found sufficient. This, however, requires 
much care and practice, and we are strongly averse to it our¬ 
selves. For those who are inclined to try it we will in another 
article translate some passages from a French authority on the 
subject.—C. 
THE POULTRY CLUB. 
A MEETING of the Committee of the Poultry Club was held at the 
Charing Cross Hotel on Friday, the 4th inst., at 2 p.m. There were 
present Messrs. It. A. Boissier fin the chair), T. W. Anns, and 
S. Lucas. 
A communication from the Secretary of Nottingham Show, as to 
holding the same under Club rules, was read, and a subscription of 
two guineas was granted in aid of the funds of the Show. 
The date of the next meeting was fixed to be held on the first or 
second days of the Dairy Show, the exact time and place of meeting 
to be fixed by the Secretary, who was also empowered to summon a 
special meeting in the meantime should he think it desirable.— 
Alex. Comyns, Hon. Sec.,47, Chancery Lane, W.C., August 8th, 1882. 
THE WARWICK SHOW FRAUD. 
James Wynn alias Groutage, thirty-six, described as a clerk, and 
William Cockerill, thirty-three, oil merchant, were on Saturday last 
[ August 10, 1882. 
put on their trial at Warwick Assizes before Mr. Justice Grove for 
obtaining money by false pretences, and for conspiracy to obtain 
the same. The circumstances of the case, to which we shortly 
referred at the time it occurred, were as follows : — Groutage, the 
principal offender, in the month of April last advertised and issued 
schedules of prizes for a show of poultry, Pigeons, and dogs to be 
held at Warwick on the 10th and 11th May. The prizes offered were 
liberal, there being for poultry sixty-two classes, with £2,15s., 10s., 
and 5s. prize money in each class, besides a few cups. Pigeons were 
to have thirty classes, and dogs forty-seven. We have not the 
Wolverhampton schedule by us, but speaking from memory we 
should say that with the necessary alteration of dates, Judges, Com¬ 
mittee, &c.,the whole schedule was taken bodily from an old schedule 
of Wolverhampton Show. Groutage announced himself as Secretary 
under the pseudonym of James Wynn, and took for address that of 
his brother-in-law the prisoner Cockerill. The Show was announced 
to be held under Poultry Club and Kennel Club rules, and the Corn 
Exchange was named as the site. A Committee of eight completed 
the schedule. Unfortunately for Mr. Groutage several of the War¬ 
wick police are fanciers, and among these Sergeant Hall and one or 
two others were inclined to exhibit at the Show. As a preliminary, 
however, the sergeant made a few inquiries, and] the result of these 
was that he took up the matter in his capacity of police officer instead 
of as a fancier. The result of his investigations was that Groutage 
and Cockerill were arrested just as the former had completed his 
arrangements for emigrating with his family, and the sum of £200 
obtained for entry fees. It appeared from the evidence given on 
Saturday that the prisoner Groutage had made no arrangement with 
the authorities of the Corn Exchange as to holding the Show there, 
that he had not communicated with the Poultry Club or Kennel Club as 
to holding the Show under their rules ; that entry fees to the amount 
of over £200 in cheques and post office orders had been received, 
and that Cockerill having a banking account had changed the most 
of the cheques and post-office orders into cash. Evidence was also 
adduced that before the entries closed Groutage was in communica¬ 
tion with Messrs. Allan Brothers, Liverpool, as to securing passages 
for himself and family to Canada on the 11th May. The trial occu¬ 
pied the entire day on Saturday, and the Jury returned a verdict of 
guilty of both charges in the case of Groutage, and of guilty of con¬ 
spiracy only in the case of Cockerill. The latter prisoner was strongly 
recommended to mercy. Sentence was deferred. We may mention 
that through the action of Sergeant Hall in sending timely notice to 
all exhibitors only one or two exhibits were actually sent to Warwick 
for the Show. It has been suggested that the services, rendered by 
the Sergeant throughout the case are worthy of recognition, and we 
entirely concur in this view. He has rendered a great service to 
exhibitors by bringing these defaulters to justice.—A. C. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Fowl Coops (O. S .).—We believe that coops for fattening fowls are sup *■ 
plied by Christy & Co., incubator manufacturers, 155, Fenchurch Street, London, 
E.C., also by Reynolds, manufacturer of various poultry appliances, Compton 
Street, Soho. The article on fattening fowls on page 141 is a general answer 
to your question. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8- 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1882. 
July. 
August. 
<V CQ 
fl CO <V GJ 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
d 
| Temp.of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
d 
*5 
* 
W-M C3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
££ 
5o 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
eun. 
On 
grass. 
Sun. SO 
Inches. 
30.111 
deg. 
66.2 
deg. 
60.3 
N.W. 
deg. 
60.4 
deg 
77.8 
deg. 
53.9 
deg 
122.3 
deg. 
50.9 
In. 
Mon. 81 
30.322 
61.7 
63.8 
N. 
61.1 
73.8 
49.3 
125.8 
45.2 
— 
Tues. 1 
80.195 
65.5 
61.3 
W. 
62.3 
77.1 
58.7 
109.8 
57.9 
— 
Wed. 2 
$0,085 
70.7 
63.0 
s.w. 
62.7 
79.2 
57.8 
127.7 
56.6 
0.033 
Thurs. 3 
30.187 
58.3 
52.8 
N.W. 
62 3 
69.5 
49.5 
126.8 
60.2 
— 
Friday 4 
30.295 
58.7 
52.5 
N.W. 
61.2 
71.0 
48.8 
125.2 
48.8 
— 
Satur. 5 
30.241 
64.3 
58.4 
N.W. 
61.9 
73.1 
53.0 
116.3 
48.2 
— 
30.205 
6J.6 
57.4 
61.7 
74.5 
53.0 
122.0 
51.1 
0.033 
REMARKS. 
30th.—Fine, bright, and warm; evening cloudy ; slight shower 9.15 p.m. 
31st.—Morning very bright and warm; overcast in afternoon ; sprinkle of rain 
8 P.M. 
1st.—Fair but cloudy; very bright sunset. 
2nd.—Bright warm morning, much wind and dust; afternoon cloudy, rain 
between 4 and 5 P.M.; fine evening. 
3rd.—Fine, much cloud, and cooler. 
4th.—Fine and bright. 
5th.—Cloudy and not much sunshine; finer in evening. 
A much finer week, temparature slightly above the average, and scarcely any 
rain—G. J. Symons. 
