October 13. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
19 
I 
the public the fairest opportunity of ascertaining the 
relative economical value, as well as the other points of 
excellence of the various breeds, the ^elusion or con¬ 
fusion of any of these is evidently at variance with 
this design. Thus Dorkings, both coloured and white, 
should stand apart; White Shaughaes should have ad¬ 
mission ; the Golden and Silver Polish should not he 
brought into collision; nor the white, black, yellow- 
spangled varieties of this race banished; although, from 
their present rarity, a class for “ other varieties ” might 
as yet suffice. That the highest prizes throughout the 
whole list should be offered to “ Barn-door Fowls,” we 
should regard as a serious mistake, for reasons that 
have often been adverted to; and, again, that the 
chickens of all, from Shanghaes to Bantams, are to 
compete together, presents a fatal obstacle to the value 
of any inference to be drawn from awards resulting 
from such classification. These last remarks have been 
suggested by our perusal of the prize list, for “ Poultry 
and Pigeons” to be awarded at the meeting of the 
Newton Allot Agricultural Society, on the 8th and 
9th of November next. 
If we are not mistaken, this will be their first exhi¬ 
bition ; our opinion, therefore, which rests on the gene¬ 
ral observations drawn from the management and 
success of many similar Associations, may possibly be 
thought worthy of consideration by those who have 
interested themselves in this and other Societies, on 
whose arrangements our comments have taken the same 
line, before their schemes for another year may be 
determined on. 
It is our task to chronicle the progress of poultry¬ 
keeping in all its details; and since Exhibitions of this 
kind affix the stamp of comparative success or failure 
on the efforts of those who compete on these occasions, 
every single step by which arbitration may be influenced 
calls for our special notice. Let it not be thought that 
in such cases where we find ourselves at variance with 
the regulations authoritatively put forth, that any dis¬ 
couragement is designed, for nothing, in truth, can be 
further from our intention, which is directed to the 
general interest of the poultry-keeping public, and espe¬ 
cially to the ultimate well-doing of the individual bodies 
to whose system we find ourselves unable to give un¬ 
qualified assent. 
This leads us to another suggestion, which would 
refer to the districts in which the formation of Poultry 
Exhibitions are desirable. Not for the first time do we 
now pronounce a very decided opinion that “ Counties ” 
would prove tho wisest limitation; some of the larger, it 
is true, might require division, such as already exists 
for electoral purposes, and Yorkshire should, doubtlessi 
have one for each of its Ridings, but we gravely question 
the policy of multiplying them to the extent that is now 
taking place. Surely Newton Allot and Torquay might 
be satisfied with a common field for competition, for 
they aro barely six miles apart, with, moreover, railway 
communication. Now, the evils of such antagonism, 
for it usually amounts to this, are manifest; a spirit of 
opposition, more or less, invariably arises—the poultry 
of the district are not brought togethor to one and the 
same place—a reduced prize-list fails to collect, from 
other parts of England, the better specimens that would 
serve as models for a higher standard; and last, not 
least, dissatisfaction and discontent is apt to arise from 
birds successful at these minor shows failing to stand at 
the head of their classes when brought into more general 
competition. Wo are far from having attained any such 
point of excellence as may warrant us in resting on our 
oars in respect of any of our breeds of poultry; and the 
managers of every exhibition will do well to consider, 
as an object of primary importance, the means by which 
tho best specimens from all parts of England may be 
placed before the inhabitants of their several districts. 
What has been so often complained of in the smaller 
Agricultural Societies is equally true here; the radius 
of fifteen or twenty miles too generally includes the 
owners of all the stock brought together: A’s boar, bull, 
cows, or sheep, as the case may be, adds another local 
laurel to its wreath; and B. constantly goes home under 
the conviction that A’s animal comprizes all the points 
of excellence which he need trouble himself about; and 
further improvement seems altogether a work of super, 
erogation. We are speaking, be it remembered, of 
those minor meetings to which nearly every market- 
town now seems to be so attached. Parity of reason¬ 
ing will extend to Poultry Societies, crowded unneces¬ 
sarily one on another, a precisely similar list of evils. 
On the lOth and 17th of November, the Winchester 
and Southern Counties Society for the improvement of 
Domestic Poultry hold their meeting, at Winchester. 
This Association has the advantage of a wide area for 
their exhibitors; and the experience of last year has 
enabled them to put forth a very liberal list of pre¬ 
miums. Some of their rules, it may be observed, are 
likely to prove most efficacious in preventing dis¬ 
cussions which have at times proved difficult of ar¬ 
rangement on such occasions. Rule XI., for instance, 
assigns to the discretion of tho honorary secretaries the 
admission of “ cottagers ” as exhibitors. Now, where- 
ever a certain sum has been mentioned for rental, 
beyond which the condition of a cottager has not been 
recognized, the extreme difficulty of discriminating 
between the various circumstances of life that would 
entitle the occupier to this privilege has been a fruitful 
source of depression and inconvenience, which tho 
power here given to the secretaries, arbitrary as it may 
perhaps appear at first sight, is well calculated to allay* 
An alteration in the rule enforcing sale has been 
made, and, on many accounts, wo think the change 
beneficial for all concerned. 
In Rule XXI., the insertion of the exception of the 
Game Fowl’s comb, where the penalties for trimming 
are alluded to, would have rendered the passage more 
explicit; and though, doubtless, the framers of this regu¬ 
lation never contemplated exclusion on that account, 
still exhibitors are often prone to mistakes, and the 
specification of the exception might, therefore, have 
been advisable. With the exception of a wish that 
another year may produce such increased prosperity on 
