AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
35 
List.” This was filled principally with numbers 
and dates up and down the pages. Each then 
drew his pocket-pencil and a loose piece of 
paper, and all walked, attended by the Secretary, 
to the compartment where a number of large 
black fowls were ranged in pens, each pen 
having a neat wire netting in front. 
“Nowfor the Spanish,” said the brownest of 
the judges; “let us make an end of them.” 
This harsh determination was almost literally 
fulfilled; for the whole party kept walking up 
and down before the terrified black fowls, 
sometimes separately, sometimes in tw r os and 
threes, sometimes altogether—making marks 
upon paper, looking into their little books, 
poking the fowls with their pencils, making 
them start by thumps on the netting. and tens¬ 
es the pi^'o'Things to such an extent that the 
Animals’ Friend Society might have asked what 
they meant by it. After a while, they seemed 
to make up their minds to some conclusion. 
Each entered a note or two in his own little 
book; the Secretary took it down in his big 
book; and they all turned their backs at once 
on the specimens with which they had just been 
so completely absorbed. 
“ Here are the next, gentlemen; we’ve no 
time to lose. A thousand and fifty-six lots to 
pass judgment on.” More walking before cases; 
more “ marking-off; ” more poking with fingers 
and pencils ; more pinching of backs and peer¬ 
ing at feathers; more fluttering of birds ; con¬ 
stant retiring of judges into small groups, and 
mysterious whisperings about red, blue, and 
white ribbons, medals, and “ honorable men¬ 
tions ;” the mysterious gentlemen passing from 
class to class, from pen to pen, from bird to bird, 
until their eyes were so bleared, and their ears 
so pierced with the barn-door chromatics of one 
thousand nine hundred and seventy-one hens, 
besides countless cocks, that it is only wonder¬ 
ful how they could distinguish ducks from 
geese, or fowls from feathers. As a diversion, 
for variety’s sake, they now and then called for 
a man with a weighing-machine, ordered a 
triumphant cock to be taken from his pen, 
and to be laid, with his legs tied, in the scale. 
Huge geese were precipitated into a pillow-case, 
and suspended from steelyards: select parties, 
of a drake and three ducks, were huddled 
without apology into one sack, and, after re¬ 
maining there a few minutes, as unceremoniously 
turned out again. All day long these varied 
sports were continued; at the end of about 
eleven hours, the judges simultaneously shut 
up their little books, and the Secretary ran away 
with his big book, exclaiming, “To press!” 
The mysterious conclave then turned to each 
other, raised their hats, bowed, as if they had 
accomplished some great feat, and departed. . 
They were not, however, allowed to depart 
in peace. Although the evening had far ad¬ 
vanced, a crowd of eager inquirers besieged the 
door of Bingley Hall. These were exhibitors, 
whose anxiety would not keep until the next 
morning. Their chorus was nearly as loud and 
quite as varied as that of their own poultry. 
“ Would you be so kind as to tell me what 
Number Nine hundred and ninety-nine, Class X, 
has got?” The good-natured arbiter turns over 
the leaves of his book, and is obliged to answer, 
“Nothing!” “And what Five hundred and 
one?” “A blank.” “Then, Number Eighty- 
two?” “Again a blank.” “And, if you please, 
[in despair] Number Thousand and four ?” “ I 
am sorry to tell you, still blank.” The querist 
nearly takes the skin off the nose of the judge 
with the sharpness of the tone in which he says, 
“Thank’e, Sir!” 
Another catechist comes into play. “ May I 
take the liberty to ask about Number Fifty- 
seven, Class D ? ” “ First prize, and extra 
medal.” Catechist bolts away instanter. A 
fnint cry of “hooray!” is wafted over the heads 
of the crowd. 
Another still succeeds. “Any thing for 
Three hundred, Class V?” “Blank.” “And 
Number Eleven hundred and twentj^ ?” “Ex¬ 
tra third prize. Are you content ?” “ Y-e-s ! 
yes! I think I ought to be content; but 
still-” Objection drowned in the clamor 
of a hundred voices, asking twice five hundred 
questions. 
On Tuesday the aspect of affairs was differ¬ 
ent : no need, then, to tap at a locked door, 
and slip past the policeman sidewise. Open, 
Sesame ! The feathered recluses are visitable on 
the small payment of half a crown, this being 
the “ private view,” consisting of a select pri¬ 
vate party of a few thousands. 
The mammalia have their attractions; but 
the tide of the throng decidedly sets in to¬ 
wards the oviparous department. Admira¬ 
tion of various degrees is expressed in every 
variety of explanation. “Exquisite!” “Slap- 
up!” “Wonderful!” “Stunning!” “Be-a-u- 
tiful!” But the most intelligible commenda¬ 
tion was that in the report of the “ Midland 
Counties Herald —“The game fowls, as here¬ 
tofore, were in wonderful variety. Every one 
knows how handsome are the males of these 
birds; but the excellent arrangements of the 
Exhibition Committee permitted a close inspec¬ 
tion of the peculiar elegance of the hen-birds. 
There they stood ranged in many-tinted plum¬ 
age, a troop of lovely vixens, petulant and furi¬ 
ous, not merely looking as if each one would eat 
up a rival, but in not a few cases actually 
beginning to do so, to the annoyance of the 
attendants, who have to act as poultry police, 
and keep the Queen’s peace among the fowls. 
One scarcely knew which most to admire in 
this department, whether the dainty Worces¬ 
tershire Piles, the gorgeous Black-breasted 
Reds, the harmonious Duck-winged Grays, or 
the swarthy Birchen Grays and Blacks, look¬ 
ing very like imps disguised in half or entire 
mourning. It needed little imagination to sup¬ 
ply the demoniac fire to flash from out their 
eyes and nostrils.” 
The competing lots of Cochin-China fowls, 
one hundred and fifty-four in number, were 
the grand objects of attraction and discus¬ 
sion. The excitement they caused among the 
persons who attend to such things is barely 
credible. The political convulsions of France, 
the future of Europe, the downfall or the 
established empire of Louis Napoleon, were 
trifling matters, not worth speculating upon. 
“ How much do the best Cochin-Chinas weigh?” 
“ I will tell you, Sir, on authority which you 
may trust implicitly. There, you see, two first 
prizes given for a cock and three hens, running 
each other neck and neck; but Mr. Andrews’ 
are young birds, not so substantial as they will 
be. Mr. Sturgeon’s pen are more mature, and 
weigh thus: cock, eleven pounds two ounces; 
hen, nine pounds; ditto, eight pounds ten 
ounces; ditto, eight pounds five ounces. He 
has several cockerels here weighing more than 
ten pounds a piece. I am told they make 
magnificent capons. Indeed, that gentleman 
and Mr. Punchard, of Haverhill, in Suffolk, 
seem to be doing for Cochin-China fowls what 
Bakewell did for the Leicester sheep, and Ell- 
man did for the South Downs—make them per¬ 
fect in their way. The latter gentleman, in the 
course of 1851, obtained from thirty-five hens 
and their progeny something like six thousand 
eggs! These creatures are adapted to make 
most prolific colonizers. There are some chick¬ 
ens this season. They certainly look a little 
like subjects for the Foundling Hospital in their 
semi-nudity—a friend of mine knits polka 
jackets for hers—fact!—but the circumstance 
is curious, and I could show you even more 
strange, yet authentic statements.” 
A glance at the Catalogue shows the value 
set upon these treasures. By the rules of the 
Society, every pen must have a price set upon 
it. The amount is unlimited: and what is 
thought a prohibitory valuation can of course 
be made. But, if the price be offered, the sale 
must take place. Last year, a gentleman 
ticketed a cock and hen that he wished should 
return home after the Show, five pounds. 
To his surprise, they were bought. After 
this, it is not surprising to see lots of choice 
stock birds estimated at the figures of sixty, 
or even one hundred pounds. It was believed 
at Birmingham, that the actual saleable value 
of the poultry would buy all the cattle, sheep, 
and pigs in the show. 
On the market-day, Thursday, the popularity 
of the pursuit was manifested. And it has the 
advantage of being open to all classes of soci¬ 
ety. Any one raised above poverty can rear a 
few fowls; the choicest specimens are not more 
expensive to keep than the ugliest mongrels; 
so the cottager may here enter the lists with 
the consort of his sovereign, and perhaps carry 
away the prize. During the four exhibition- 
days, the aristocrat and the plebeian seemed 
equally delighted with the display, and equally 
anxious to take the lead another year. Ladies 
of high degree, ladies of low degree, and ladies 
of no degree at all, •were astonished and 
pleased. Such a sight they had never seen 
before. 
It is impossible to shut one’s eyes to the in¬ 
tense symptoms which show the rapid increase 
of the poultry mania. For many years it has 
been the leisure amusement of the humbler 
classes in the north and west of England. It 
now is become a fashionable hobby. Squires 
and ladies, lords and a prince, send flocks of 
feathered claimants, with powers of attorney, to 
get a silver medal if they can. Perhaps the 
most aristocratic poultry-classes at Birmingham 
were the geese and the turkeys; in which, 
however, they were headed by the Rev. John 
Robinson and Mr. E. W. Wilmot, respectively. 
They will try to succeed better another year. 
Lady Calthorpe sent the best pair of Guinea 
fowls of the good old-fashioned sort. It follows 
that prices hitherto unheard-of are given for 
choice specimens. Mr. Sturgeon cheerfully 
paid ten pounds for a white China cock and hen. 
Two gentlemen from a southern county bought, 
to share between them, a pen of six chickens 
for twenty pounds! What will their ladies say 
to it when they get home ? A fancier, of the 
medical profession, purchased a broken-winged 
pullet for four pounds, on the chance of curing 
her. 
Poultry Associations are starting up suddenly 
in various and distant parts of the country; no 
doubt on the principle, “ Light your fire at both 
