JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 30, 1880. ] 
603 
unchecked ? We have had experience in this matter for many years, 
but we never hesitated to employ sufficient skilled labour to keep the 
disease under. Our remedy is as follows :—Take 3 ozs. of nitre. 3 ozs. 
of blue vitriol, 3 ozs. of coarse gunpowder reduced to a very fine 
powder, and well mixed with hog’s lard ; it will then keep ready for 
use. This we have found a satisfactory remedy for forty years past, 
but the sheep must be attended daily, the feet pared if necessary, and 
after the dressing to stand on dry straw for two hours. 
POULTRY IN GARDENS. 
Few can deny that gardeners have generally regarded poultry 
with antipathy, but this, I am glad to say, is fast changing, and 
those who have to employ artificial heat are rapidly becoming 
aware that the heat conveyed into the hothouse and Orchid house 
may be profitably utilised in hatching chickens in the winter, and 
rearing them in the orchard house. They also erect their poultry 
houses close to the chimneys of the boiler fires ; thus the heat 
given off causes the fowls to lay at a time of year when eggs are 
most valuable, and at the present time I am obtaining eggs of 
fancy breeds from gardeners who supply the London markets 
with early Cucumbers and hothouse Grapes. 
It is well known that poultry like plenty of space and new 
ground ; and turning this to account, one fruit-grower in Essex 
thought he would exhibit at a poultry show, and he was surprised 
upon visiting the show in the afternoon to see all his birds marked 
for prizes, and also to find that they were so much larger than any 
others exhibited. This, he assured me, was entirely owing to their 
early development in the spring months in the vineries. He had 
the earth forked up frequently under the Vines, and he did not 
find any ill effects from the small chickens. In fine weather the 
birds run out from the ventilators close to the floor, and soon find 
their way into their own house. In several instances where the 
eggs were set under hens, as soon as the chickens were hatched 
he moved the hen and coop into the vineries, and he hardly lost a 
chick. Birds as soon as they are hatched appear to hunt for in¬ 
sects, and when all is cold outside the house insects flourish within. 
Chickens cannot mount up to the fruit and to the shelves, there¬ 
fore they content themselves with searching about on the floors 
and walls. 
In America it pays well to have Turkeys driven through the 
crops of plants intended for seed, and over the tobacco fields. 
Ducks do a considerable amount of good in a garden, and it pays 
to allow a flock of them to pass through the beds, if the boys are 
watchful to keep them from eating the Lettuces and other tender 
plants. They do work which it is impossible to have so efficiently 
executed by any poisonous compound or lime, because they are 
provided with both sight and touch, which enables them to collect 
the small insects, and the more work there is to do the happier 
are the birds. I hope that gardeners reading these remarks will 
try and overcome their hatred of poultry, and endeavour to find 
them a corner in every establishment.— Thos. Chbisty, F.L.S., 
Malvern House, Sydenham, S.E. 
THE CLOSE OE THE SHOW SEASON. 
The chief events of the exhibition year are now things of the 
past. The real contest is over, but there are still some skirmishes, 
and even a sharp struggle or two yet to come. Our friends 
north of the border are a little later than we are down south, and 
there is yet a chance even in the south for the late-hatched and 
the late-moulted birds. 
The new year opens in Scotland with the Paisley Show, which 
has thirty-two classes for poultry and fifteen for Pigeons, with 
five prizes in most of the poultry classes and four in all the 
Pigeon classes, with a great array of weather-glasses for special 
prizes. We presume our northern friends look anxiously forward 
for days free from mist, and that the thirteen weather-glasses will 
prove an attraction. 
On the same day as Paisley another Scotch show, Kirhcaldy, 
is to be held. Here there are thirty-three poultry and seventeen 
Pigeon classes, with three prizes in each. Next comes the Show 
of the Northern Poultry and Pigeon Club at Aberdeen on the 
Gth, 7th, and 8th of January. This promises to be a really first- 
class show, as there are no less than fifty-seven poultry and twenty- 
four Pigeon classes. There are four prizes in each class (the 
fourth being a card) and ten cups. Brahmas and Cochins seem 
to be hardly dealt with, as all colours have to compete together. 
However, we suppose that the Asiatics are not popular with the 
Aberdeen folk. We thought Scotch Greys might have usurped 
their place, but were surprised to find that they had not even one 
class. The entries have closed in the case of these three Scotch 
Shows, but we mention them so that such of our readers as are 
within reach of them may not forget to pay them a visit. 
Kendal on January 13th, 14th, and 15th comes next on the list 
with fourteen cups, forty-three poultry and twenty-two Pigeon 
classes. Poultry have three prizes of £2, £1, and 10.s., with an 
entry fee of Gs. ; Pigeons a like number of prizes of half the respec¬ 
tive amounts, and a 3.s. entry fee. The entries closed on the 29th 
December. Messrs. Dixon, Addie, and Charlton judge the poultry, 
and the latter gentleman the Pigeons. 
One day later than Kendal comes Stoclqjort, with twenty open and 
twenty-four local poultry classes, with £2, 15s., and 5s. in the 
former, and £1, 10s., and 5s. in the latter. Pigeons have fifteen 
open and nine local classes, the prizes in both sections being 15s. 
and 7s. 6 d. The entry fees are 4s. and 2s. 6 d. respectively. 
There is a five-guinea prize point cup for poultry, and a similar 
£2 2s. cup for Pigeons. These cups may increase the entries, but 
they also lead to borrowing and are thus objectionable. The 
judges are not announced. The entries close January 1st. 
Dorchester takes place on the 19th and 20th January. Here 
we have the promise of a good Show, as there are twenty- 
one cups, forty-five poultry, and sixty-six Pigeon classes, with 
three prizes of £2, £1, and. 10s. in the former, and three of £1, 
10s., and 5s. in the latter case. The entry fees are 5s. Qd. and 
3s. 6d. ; and the Judges announced are Messrs. Teebay and Dixon 
for poultry, and Messrs. Jones and Esquilant for Pigeons. Entries 
close January Gth. 
Lincoln follows on the 22nd and 24th January. Poultry have 
twenty-four classes with four prizes of £1, 10s., 7s., and 4s., and 
an entry fee of 4s. Pigeons eighteen classes, with four prizes 
ranging from 15s. to 3s., and an entry fee of 3s. Messrs. Dixon 
and Smith judge the poultry, Mr. R. Woods the Pigeons. The 
entries close January 10th. 
Next on our list comes Liverpool, which is to be held under 
Poultry Club rules on the 26th and 27th January. It is, we 
believe, some years since a show was held at Liverpool, and the 
schedule is a modest one. There are twelve cups with thirty- 
eight classes for poultry, the prizes being four in each class, and 
ranging from £1 downwards. The entry fee is 4s. Mr. Horsfall 
is to judge the Brahmas ; Mr. Cresswell the Cochins, Dorkings, 
Hamburghs, and Leghorns ; and Mr. Teebay the remainder of the 
poultry. Pigeons have fifteen cups and specials and thirty-one 
classes, the prizes here being 15s. first down to 4s. fourth, with an 
entry fee of 2s. Qd. Mr. Cresswell judges the Turbits and Fan- 
tails, Mr. Graham the Dragoons, and Capt. Heaton the remainder. 
We trust our Liverpool friends will have a good entry, and that 
the Show may become a fixture. The entries close January Sth. 
Wolverhampton ends our list, and is regarded as one of the 
leading events of the year. Poultry Club rules are here also in 
vogue. There are twelve cups for poultry and Pigeons. Poultry 
have fifty-one classes with liberal prizes, and the classification is 
improved, there berng now separate classes for old birds in some 
varieties which had in former years to compete in pairs. Pigeons 
have twenty-three classes with four prizes ranging from £1 
downwards. Mr. Lane judges the Game and Game Bantams ; Mr. 
Cresswell the Dorkings, Brahmas, and Cochins ; Mr. Dixon the 
remainder. Mr. E. Hutton of Pudsey, Leeds, takes the Pigeons. 
The entries close January 19th. We have now noted all the 
forthcoming Shows of importance except perhaps Cambridge, 
which is to be held the days immediately preceding Wolver¬ 
hampton, and the schedule of which has not yet reached us. 
THE SCOTCH GREY FOWL. 
E EADEES of this and other papers are frequently asking which 
is the most profitable fowl to keep ; and I think, if the Scotch Grey 
cannot be said to be the most profitable, it may at least be named 
as one of the best. To rear for table or keep for laying they are 
most satisfactory. Young cockerels six months old weigh as many 
pounds, and by the time they are fully matured they will turn the 
scales at 10 lbs., and this with flesh of the Dorking or Game 
fowl texture and flavour. The hens average from 6 lbs. to 8 lbs., 
and they are capital all-the-year-round layers. In my opinion 
the best way to secure this very desirable quality is to have a 
hardy fowl, as tender varieties never lay well in severe weather ; 
and it is in this the Scotch Greys possess great advantages, as 
they are extremely hardy and not readily influenced by sudden 
changes of weather, nor do they appear the least subject to early 
infirmities, as I have hens over three years old now as hearty and 
laying as well as one-year-old pullets. They are easily reared, 
feathering quickly, and taking good care of themselves. They 
have not the same rambling inclinations as Hamburghs, and 
they succeed remarkably well in confined runs—a circumstance 
not to be wondered at, as their hardy character easily accounts 
for it. 
As these remarks apply chiefly to their value for table and 
