December 9, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
537 
just a question of price whether inferior Barley in meal may be sub¬ 
stituted for cake. All the yearling steers intended to be fattened on 
the system of early maturity should now be fed in the same boxes as 
they have been kept in during the past summer, for although they 
have had full allowance of green fodder as long as it lasted, they will 
now receive roots with cake and beanmeal mixed, from 40 to 50 tbs. 
of roots being sufficient for the day’s allowance, with plenty of sweet 
Oat straw in the racks, the refuse to be used for littering the boxes. 
The manure removed from the cart-horse stables is too often allowed 
to remain in large heaps in the open, exposed to all weathers. Some¬ 
times it is too dry, at other times too wet. Our plan of using the 
partially stained straw from the stables as litter for the pig pens 
answers a good purpose, for it not only saves straw, but it makes the 
manure more valuable after being trodden down and concentrated in 
the pig pens for a while. Where there is no covered dung pit it is 
well to have the manure as it comes from the stables cast into a yard 
where breeding sows may be kept, and thus the manure is trodden 
down, and the sows kept in a healthy breeding condition, with a hovel 
to lie in attached to the yard. 
THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOW. 
The Show that opened in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, on 
Monday last was, if not the largest, certainly the best that has been 
held there, judged by the average high quality of the animals exhi¬ 
bited. The very slight decline in the number of animals is due to 
a new and very commendable regulation that no animal over four 
years of age have admittance. Early maturity, not old stock how¬ 
ever famous, is obviously what is required at exhibitions of this 
nature. The Show will be remembered not more for its general 
excellence than as having afforded the public an opportunity of 
inspecting one of the most magnificent animals that has ever been 
exhibited—the three-and-a-half-year-old steer with which Mr. Col- 
man, M.P., won the champion plate of 100 guineas. It is a light 
roan, and was bred by Mr. James Durne of Old Meldrum, and is the 
result of a cross between a Shorthorn bull and an Aberdeen cow ; it 
weighs a little over a ton, is almost faultless in form, and in prime 
condition. The same animal also won £25 as the best of his class, £40 
in the best of his breed, £50 as the best of his sex, which, with £105 
as the champion prize, makes a total of £220. Mr. Colman also won 
several other valuable prizes. The silver cups, value £40, were 
awarded as follows Eor Devons, to Mr. John Walter, M.P.; for 
Herefords, to Mr. F. Platt; for Shorthorns, to Mr. C. T. Lucas ; for 
Sussex, to Mr. J. S. Oxley ; for Scotch, Mr. Colman, who had similar 
awards in two other classes. All the cup animals were splendid, and 
many others were of nearly equal merit. 
The sheep as a whole are a grand lot of animals, not so bulky 
and unwieldy as we have seen, but smart, fresh, and of undeniable 
quality. The cups were awarded to the executors of the late Mr. 
Painter for Leicesters, to Mr. J. Craddock for Cotswolds, to Mr. Pears 
for Lincolns, to Mr. Page for Kentish, to Lord Walsingham for South- 
downs, to Mr. Morrison for Wiltshire or Hampshire Downs, to Mr. 
Nock for Shropshires, to Mr. Cooper for Oxfordshire Downs, to Mr. 
Stranger for Cheviots, and to Mr. Farthing for Dorsets. 
Pigs are numerously and admirably represented, attracting crowds 
of visitors. The cup for the best pen of any small white breed was 
won by the Earl of Radnor; for any large white breed by Messrs. 
J. & F. Howard ; for black pigs by Mr. J. A. Smith ; and for Berk- 
shires by Mr. Fowler. The Queen is a prizewinner in this section of 
the Show. 
Collections of roots are an important feature of the Show, all 
the leading agricultural seedsmen being represented. Messrs. Sutton 
and Sons have a large and imposing stand artistically furnished with 
splendid produce ; Messrs. Carter & Co. have superior sample roots on 
view, and a refreshing verge of G-rass growing from recently-sown 
lawn seed; Messrs. T. Gibbs & Co., Messrs. Webb & Sons, Messrs. 
Harrison & Sons, Mr. King, and others have large and excellent displays, 
and Messrs. Hooper & Co. a fine collection of Potatoes. 
Machinery, implements, farming appliances, and household requi¬ 
sites of all kinds, with manures, are represented by nearly all the 
leading manufacturers in the country. The Exhibition, which is well 
managed throughout, closes to-morrow (Friday) night. 
THE POULTRY CLUB. 
We published a few weeks ago some important resolutions to 
be submitted to the general meeting of the Poultry Club, which 
were in the main carried. To some extent this marks a new 
departure in the history of the Club, and is therefore worthy of 
consideration. We will not now go into all the proposed methods 
of extending the Club’s influence ; that which at present claims 
our attention is the passing of a resolution to the effect that a 
circular relating to the objects of the Club is to be sent round 
to some seven thousand fanciers! The fact cannot fail to 
strike us, that the Club has survived to enter upon a new phase 
of its existence ; no other similar poultry club has, to the best of 
our knowledge, ever reached this stage. Those we can recall to 
mind have had a year of organisation and popularity, and then 
a year of dissolution and decay. The present Club has lasted 
three years, and is so far from extinction that it is about thus to 
invite public attention to its existence. Hitherto it has been 
extremely quiet. The now defunct Club occupied itself much 
with formalities ; but red-tapeism has not been the error of 
this Club, and probably this is one of the reasons of its survival. 
Its numbers continue about the same as a year ago, but they do 
not increase. This is perhaps to be regretted, and is probably 
the reason why the said circular is to be issued. There are, we 
are sure, a large number of honourable fanciers without the Club 
who wish all success to its objects, and whose names would add 
influence to its list. Why they should hold aloof from it is a 
subject well worthy of consideration. Of course there are others 
who have a vested interest in perpetuating a bad state of things, 
and who necessarily detest any Club in any way likely to check 
their gains. They are, we believe, few, and are certainly not 
worth any consideration at all. Of the former, however, we 
should like to say a few words. Some of them have, we fear, a 
bad opinion of fanciers in general, and despair of this Club or 
any other being able to effect its object. They consider all its 
work as so much useless labour, in which they naturally do not 
wish to take part. There may in the past have been much to 
justify their gloomy view of the matter, but we think that their 
mistake is now almost capable of proof. Many more are afraid to 
commit themselves to any decided action ; the Club may probably 
come into collision with certain exhibitors and managers of shows, 
with whom they think it more politic to be on good terms ; they 
have not the courage to risk the possibility of giving offence to 
someone, and above all have a perfect terror of identifying them¬ 
selves with any movement which has ever been, or is ever likely 
to be, abused in public print. We will not tax our readers’ patience 
by remonstrating with what seems to us a want of moral courage, 
though often found in most amiable people and agreeable fanciers. 
The former class, however, have all our sympathy, and probably 
that of the Club. For them, doubtless, the circular is chiefly 
intended, and if any remarks of ours, based on what we can 
gather concerning the past history of the Club, should have weight 
with them it will be a source of great satisfaction to us. 
At the risk of seeming to tell a thrice-told tale we go back some 
four years to trace the origin of the Club. Several outrageous 
cases of prizes being carried off by “trimmed” birds, to the 
injury of honest exhibitors, were on the lips of every fancier ; but 
apart from and even before this we believe that the flagrant re¬ 
pudiation of their debts by some committees, and the gross mis¬ 
management of some shows by others, had much to do with its 
formation. One exhibitor who took a prominent part in found¬ 
ing it, and who has ever since been one of its officers, had lately 
suffered many things. At one show most of his winners were 
changed for worthless specimens. He was naturally indignant; 
but when it was found that the lost birds were traced to a place 
very near the Show, a majority of the Committee refused to prose¬ 
cute the matter further, and took refuge in general abuse of the 
suffe r . The same exhibitor accidentally discovered that at 
anot i.e show his best birds were kept in their baskets till the 
judging was over. He consulted lawyers, but was warned of the 
great difficulty and immense cost of collecting convincing evi¬ 
dence ; in fact, it was seen that in such cases an individual is 
almost powerless against a body. “ What could be done to 
remedy such a state of things ? ” It occurred to several fanciers at 
once to unite themselves in a friendly company, and to subscribe 
a common fund for mutual protection. The idea was a good one, 
but while the scheme was in embryo arose a general call for a 
more extended club, and so the lesser was merged in the greater 
undertaking. Its main objects then were—1, The suppression 
of “ trimming; ” 2, Mutual protection of the members against 
all such losses and injuries as we have related. The question now 
is, How far have these objects been carried out ? and how far are 
they in a way to be still further carried out ? 
To the first question we answer—Read in the report of the Club, 
which we lately published, the opinion of the late Mr. E. Hewitt, 
and ask that of some of the best and most experienced judges at 
the late shows. Intelligent observation will, moreover, convince 
any person conversant with the matter that as a rule poultry are 
far more honestly shown than they were four years ago. If, then, 
there has been already this improvement, still further progress 
may reasonably be expected. 
2. The protection afforded to members is less demonstrable, 
because for various reasons numbers of cases in which they appeal 
to the Club are not published. Documents have, however, been 
put before us which show that never a month passes without some 
member receiving redress through the Club—aye, and sometimes 
non-members ; for it has been most ungrudging in helping fanciers 
external to its body. It is not many days since the threat of “ dis¬ 
qualification ” caused the managers of a show to settle at once, 
