April 29. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMANS COMPANION. 
89 
“ trimming,” however, the “ trickster practice ” is applied 
some months or so previously to the competition at which 
they may he entered; the removed feathers in this latter 
case being partially restored, the means of detection become 
far more difficult, and the proprietor, as a rule, lays the 
whole blame on “ the hens pecking each other.’’ That 
hens sometimes (from being placed in too confined space) 
are really prone to this vexatious and vicious practice is 
willingly admitted; but numerous instances could readily be 
referred to where the result ensued from well-considered 
plans of their owner, without the fowls themselves being 
culpable in any way. When time is thus permitted for 
partial reproduction, the difficulty of proof is greatly 
increased, and, in some instances, impossible at the time 
being ; but, like many other failings, a few weeks in a new 
proprietor’s possession so alters the general character of the 
fowls, that unless the same means are again pursued, their 
former success allbrds no guarantee whatever of continued 
high position on the prize-lists. 
Again, both in the Buff Cochin classes, and those for both 
the varieties of Pencilled Hamburglis, purely clear ground- 
coloured hackles (without any markings whatever), are the 
main desideratum. How frequently are these feathers, if ob¬ 
jectionable, plucked away, or, still more artistically, “ pumice- 
stoned ” at the edges, to remove the unpermitted stain that 
stands between them and success. Still, though conviction 
that fraudulent practices have boon adopted take firm posses¬ 
sion of the arbitrator's mind, if such opinion is mooted, the 
“fringed” character of the hackle feathers is at once attri¬ 
buted to “ nothing but wear, from the poultry pulling their 
heads backwards and forwards through the wire-work meshes 
of the aviary in which they have been recently confined.” 
The “ docking” of the tails of Cochins (more particularly the 
male birds) is a comparatively easily-discovered practice; 
the original plan was simply to remove the amount of both 
shaft and beard feathers from the end of the principal tail 
feathers. The pumice-stone here was again called into 
requisition, and the shaft (or quill portion of the feather) 
rendered sufficiently pliable by weakening carefully from 
the under side with a sharp pen-knife, and afterwards 
darkening the newly cut part of the surface with nitrate of 
silver. But, to proficient judges, this artifice rarely availed 
to fulfil the deceptive purpose intended, and is now looked 
upon as rather a “ bungling" fraud. The “modern improve¬ 
ment” is to cut oft' the too lengthy feathers closely to the 
rump of the fowl operated upon ; shorten them from the 
the bottom end (to the extent deemed advisable), and after 
sharpening the shaft to fit tightly the hollow of the quill 
still remaining in the bird, again affix each in its original 
position with a kind of varnish that dries instantaneously. 
Instances have occured, where all the principal feathers of 
a Cochin cock's tajl have been scientifically shortened, and 
the outward appearances so preserved, that to detect the 
imposition was far more than a difficulty. 
In Sebright Bantams, the sickle feathers are ofttimes 
“ broken” off midway of their length, to carry the appearance 
of accidental injury, a feature that was even passed over at 
the late Birmingham Show without comment; for the 
difficulty of assigning a positive cause for the deficiency of 
plumage is too obvious to act otherwise than as an actual 
inducement to oversight, rather than promote a quarrel with 
the party practicing the deception. 
But our space will not permit prolonged exposure of 
various other artifices equally unique, and we will at once 
proceed to state our firm conviction, that to detect every 
case of actual “trimming” would, in most exhibitions 
(particularly those of the northern counties), occupy a space 
of time quite equal to the whole of that designed for the 
proper adjudication of the premiums themselves; their 
name is legion, and the universality of the practice sadly too 
general. The delinquents are frequently unexposed from 
the twofold causes of the great rapidity now requisite to 
fulfil the duties in the appointed time, and, again, the host 
of unpleasantries exposure invariably induces, however 
temperately enforced. The principal difficulty seems to be, 
as to whether the absence of any portion of the plumage of 
poultry exhibited arises from accident, or design; in other 
words, whether the injury is produced by misadventure, 
over which the owner has not any control, or, contrariwise, 
being a premeditated act of subtilty on his part, or those 
connected with him. To affix the most advisable line of 
demarcation is a task of great cavil, as in the generality of 
carefully-managed cases, to descriminate beyond dispute is 
impossible; whilst, in some instances, the want of plumage 
has beeu caused by parties unwittingly, and without a 
desire to imposition. Thus, in many cases, we have noticed 
fowls where both wings have been deprived of several of 
the flight feathers by the inexperienced, simply to prevent 
them ranging beyond their allotted boundary, although not 
unl'requently removed because the absent plumage was 
deficient in colour. There are likewise, undoubtedly, examples 
of broken feathers by accident, having every outward 
appearance of crafty intentions to deceive only; in some, 
beyond the bounds of' anyone to descriminate the causes 
that led to them. In this list wo may include broken tail 
feathers, cut wings, ifec. 
Again, there arc some other attempts to improve for 
exhibition purposes, such as laying down the feathers on 
the heads of Game cocks with soap or like adhesives. 
This is, undoubtedly, wilfully altering the natural ap¬ 
pearances of the fowls practiced upon ; but we ask, Does it 
constitute what is called “trimming?” We have consulted 
with many of the most practically experienced poultry 
( amateurs to request their advice as to the most efficient 
remedy for this unfair advantage (now so continually in 
vogue), where valuable prizes tempt to the deception. Some 
reply, “ Let every pen containing any specimen incomplete, 
as to its plumage, bo at once ‘disqualified,’ and assign the 
reason in writing on a card affixed to the front of the pen; 
it will soon work out a cure.” In every case that has come 
to our knowledge, when this plan has been hitherto adopted, 
angry recrimination has been the invariable sequel, and the 
altercation ended in much that was reprehensible every way. 
All this has taken place from the hard proof necessary 
to conviction, and the great facility that ns constantly arises 
of protesting absolute innocence. Our own desire is simply 
to direct public attention to the manifold injustice that 
attends permitting such practices to pass over unexposed 
and unpunished. The honest exhibitor is, of course, the 
injured one, and naturally feels proportionably indignant, 
more particularly when the artificial results were brought, 
about (to his prejudice) by the fraudulent handiworks of 
those from whom wo had a right to have anticipated a more 
honourable course of conduct. We have only to add our 
unfeigned hope, that, now publicly introduced, some whole 
sale I'emedy may be suggested. 
HENS LAYING SOFT EGGS. 
“ Monopoly ’’—“ Selfish secrecy;" those are very severe 
words ; but “ W. II." is possibly a keen scrutiniser of human 
nature, and on that consideration his reflections may not 
prove altogether wrong; though let me think, for poultry 
amateurs, better thoughts. 
If “ W. II.” has read attentively, he must own that a good 
deal has been said, and written, in The Cottage Gardener 
on the subject of fowls laying soft eggs. A case, bearing 
exactly on the subject, lias occurred here during the last 
few days, and I lose no time in communicating the feature 
and. the result, in order, so far as possible, to remove “ W. 
II.’s” severe strictures on poultry amateurs. 
We have recently introduced into our poulty-yard the 
White-crested Black Polands, to the great admiration of the 
cook, who is vastly taken with their topknots. They came 
from the land of Cockeyne, and a bitter cold north east 
wind has been blowing ever since their arrival, to the utter 
seclusion of slugs and worms, and the insect tribe. It was 
thought (and truly so) that a small daily modicum of the 
stockpot residuum of some carrot soup might serve them, 
pro tern., in lieu of all those creeping things. At all events, 
it proved an infinite relish; so much so, that the damsel 
gave the “ pretty creatures ” an infinite deal more of it than 
we were aware of. ’I lia consequence soon spoke to the 
fact, by one of the hens moping about, and expelling the 
mere yolk of an egg, proving at once that a severe inflam¬ 
mation of the egg-passage was the penalty she was paying 
for the cook’s liberality. Of course, the carrot soup was 
instantly countermanded, and the indiscretion of too much 
of a good thing pointed out, along with the remedies, which 
