96 
THE CULTIVATOR 
March, 
The New-York State Poultry Society. 
The list of Premiums offered by the Society were 
thrown open to the competition of the country, and Al¬ 
bany was fixed upon as the place for holding the first 
Annual Exhibition. The exhibition commenced on 
Tuesday, the 7th inst., and was continued during Wed¬ 
nesday, Thursday and Friday. 
Van Vechten Hall, the place of holding the show, 
presented a rare collection, ©f fowls of every possible 
form and hue, such as has never before been gathered 
in this country at one time an 1 place. The different 
varieties of the Asiatics figured most largely in the 
display, but representatives of almost every known 
class of domesticated birds were present. The aristo¬ 
cratic Game Fowl looked proud defiance at the larger 
proportions of the quiet and corpulent Shanghai; the 
noble bearing and glossy plumage of the Black Span¬ 
ish showed in fine contrast with the uneasy air and 
dull feathers of the Hamburgs; the Golden and Silver 
Spangled Polands stood side by side with the trim and 
well-built Dorkings; the wee Bantam was there in 
his beauty, looking wonderingly at his distant rela¬ 
tives, the Chinamen. The gobble of the Turkey was 
heard, strangely out of tune with the squeak, of the 
Guinea Fowl, and the shrill tenor of the crow of the 
smaller cocks did not chord well with the cracked bass 
of the long necked Cochin Chinas. Then there were 
Aylesbury, Black Cayuga, Muscovy and Top-knot 
Ducks; Bremen, Chinese, African and Wild Geese; 
fan-tailed, ruffle-necked, carrier, tumbler, spot and 
Malta Pigeons; Chinese and English Pheasants; Prai¬ 
rie Hens and Quails; a pair of American Eagles, and 
a long row of Black and Tan and Rat Terrier Dogs, 
that constituted a sort of special police, charged with 
the guardianship of the assembled convention of poultry. 
There were in all something more than fifty exhibi¬ 
tors, and the number of fowls on exhibition is estimated 
at from twelve to fifteen hundred. Among the more 
prominent exhibitors from this section may be men¬ 
tioned W. H. Southwick, of New Baltimore,who showed 
over thirty coops of varieties; J. W. Platt of Rhine- 
beck who had nearly the same number ; E. E. Platt, 
Albany, who exhibited more than twenty coops ; G. M. 
Van Alstyne, Greenbush, ten coops; Geo. Anderson, 
Albany, ten coops ; Z. W. Goddard, Albany, five; and 
numerous other smaller exhibitions. 
Among exhibitors from a distance, D. P. Newell, of 
Rochester, made a very extensive show. The first pre¬ 
mium was awarded him for that variety of Shanghais 
known as Brahma Pootras, and these fowls were cer¬ 
tainly very fine. They did not show the coarseness and 
slovenliness of some of the large fowls, and are bred 
very true to color. They were more compactly built 
and of more beautiful proportion than any others of the 
same variety we ever saw. 
Mr. McGowen, of Philadelphia, exhibited one cock 
and two hens of the Buff Shanghai, imported by Mr. 
Rudman of Philadelphia, which were very much ad¬ 
mired. They were symmetrical in form and their plu¬ 
mage was faultless. The owner refused $150 for the trio. 
Mr. J. P. Childs, Woonsocket, R. I., showed some 
choice specimens. Among these we noticed four supe¬ 
rior cocks and four hens of the Chittagong variety, one 
cock and two hens of the Black Spanish, which were 
most perfect specimens of the breed, and a trio of inimi¬ 
table little Seabright Bantams. 
Wright, Gilmore & Co., of Utica, made a large dis¬ 
play of the different varieties of Shanghais, which were 
of more than medium quality. R. C. McCormick, Jr., 
of Jamaica, L. I., also made a creditable display. 
Among other exhibitors from a distance were T. B. 
Miner and W. G. Hart, of Clinton; A. Hudson and 
John C. !Hanchett, of Syracuse; D. S. Heffron, R. U. 
Sherman and W. Bates of Utica; L. D. St. George, of 
Oneida Co.; and J. W. Herring of Onondaga Co. We 
have not space to speak at more length of the exhibi¬ 
tors or the relative merits of their stock. The whole af¬ 
fair passed off to general satisfaction, and every one is 
willing to acknowledge that the rearing of poultry at 
present prices is a great business. It commends itself, 
however, to those who keep fowls for ornament and as 
a pastime, rather than to those who raise poultry for 
market and for the eggs. Still the advocates of the 
Shanghais insist that they are intrinsically worth from 
one-third to one-half more than the ordinary fowls for 
producing eggs and dressing for market. 
On Wednesday evening David Taggart, of Northum¬ 
berland, Pa., delivered an address before the Society, 
in which he eulogized the genus gallus in classic 
phrase,—spoke of some of the peculiarities and excel¬ 
lencies of the various breeds of fowls, and maintained 
that the Cochin Chinas, Brahma Pootras, &c., were all 
derived from the Shanghais, and only differed in color 
and other unessential particulars which were determined 
by breeding with care. The address was interspersed 
with considerable humor, and a deal of talk not digni¬ 
fied enough to print. 
POULTRY. 
The following award'of premiums was made : 
GALLINACEOUS FOWLS. 
Best and largest variety of pure bred fowls, bred by the ex¬ 
hibitor, D. P. Newell, Rochester, a Silver Cup valued at 
<$25. Second do., J. AV. Platt, Rhinebeck, $10.—Best and 
largest variety of pure bred fowls, owned by exhibilor, 
AV. H Southwick, New Baltimore, a Silver Cup valued 
at $25. Second do., D. S. Heffron, Utica, $10. 
ASIATIC FOWLS. 
Best variety of Asiatic Fowls, of whatever sub-variety, J. 
P. Childs, Rhode Island, $10. 
Shanghais —Best pair or trio, Red or Buff, Jno. McGowan, 
Philadelphia, $5.—Second do., A. A. Hudson, Syracuse,$3. 
—Best pair or trio of Black, J. AV. Herring, Marcellus, 
$5.—Second do., M. H Smith, Skaneateles. $3.—Best pair 
or trio of White, A. A. Hudson, Syracuse, $5.—Second 
do., George Anderson, Albany, $3.—Best pair or trio of 
Dominique colored, D P. Newell, Rochester, $5.—Second 
. do., J. E. M. Van Alstyne, Greenbush, $3. 
Cochin China —Best pair or .trio, AV. H. Southwick, New 
Baltimore, $5. Second do., George Anderson, Albany,$3. 
Brahma Pootra —Best pair or trio, D. P. Newell, Rochester, 
$5. Second., Wright, Gilmore & Co., Utica, $3. 
Chitta.gong —Best pair or trio, D. Craw, Conn., $5. Second 
do., C. Bonticue, Lansingburgh, $3. 
White Calcutta —Second best pair or trio, D. S. Heffron, Uti¬ 
ca, $3. 
Black Java —Best pair or trio, J. AV. Platt, Rhinebeck, $5. 
Second do., W. H. Southwick, New Baltimore, $3. 
Hong Kong —Best pair or trio, T. B. Miner, Clinton, Oneida 
county, $5. Second do., D. S. Heffron, Utica, $3. 
