125 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
any such greasy mess ; the residue of a stock-pot is the 
worst food animals can indulge in for any length of time. 
The nails 1 spoke of is a plan I have adopted for some 
years, and with general success, vide No. 284, page 342, 
article headed “ Spanish Preventive of the Roup,” The 
exercise I should curtail, i.e., confine her, and diet her on 
anything but, oats, say grains and potatoes. These remarks 
are applicable more especially to birds laying soft eggs for 
any continuancy ; but for the double-yolked evil there must 
be some ovarian cause, probably structural; still there is 
hut one remedy, non stimulating diet, setting the secretions 
in order, and rest, and, perhaps, an absence front her 
partner.—IV, H-, Exeter, 
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. 
“ J’appelle un chat, un chat.”— Boiteau. 
What a disturbance you have in your columns about the 
names of fowls, and to what does it tend? Hambro’s are 
not Hambro’s, Polands are not Polands, Spanish are not 
Spanish. What proof have you, say the new school, that 
' they are properly named ? Did they come from Hambro’, 
Poland, and Spain? I answer, I cannot say; but after 
^ thirty years constant intercourse with poultry and poultry 
I fanciers, I know that the birds in question during that 
time have been known by those names. 
Many years since, nearly all we had were imported from 
Holland, and they were represented in the invoices as I 
have stated. No Hambro’ had a topknot, all the Spanish 
were black, and had more or less of the white face, and 
there never came a spangled fowl. 
I do protest against the use of the term “ Pheasant 
fowl.” It is the remnant of a folly as great as living witches. 
In the old “infallible signs for detecting a witch,” we are 
told that teats or wounds would he, found on the body where 
the imps sucked ; and in the “ Pheasant fowl,” we are told 
the spangles result from the mixture of Pheasant blood. 
I would as soon believe one as the other. Any intermixture 
of Pheasant blood produces a “ hybrid.” But it will be 
said that it is not believed there is any mixture of Pheasant. 
Then, why use the term, and theieby give those who cling 
to old fallacies a colour for so doing ? Call them Mosses 
or Moonies, if you will, but no Pheasants. 
Then, others say Hambro’s should have topknots. Where 
was this idea found ? Who first discovered such a bird as 
a topknotted Hambro’ ? It is a dream—a fancy. We shall 
next hear of the Ptarmigans and Serai-ta-ooks being called 
Hambro’s. The topknot has always been considered the 
necessary appendage of a Poland fowl. Rob them not of 
their varieties. 
And the Spanish, what wasted eloquence to prove the 
red-faced are as truly Spanish as the white-faced. Tell me, 
says one, have you ever had a white-faced bird from Spain? 
We are bound to answer in the negative. There is triumph! 
Unabashed, we say it proves nothing. If there never was 
a white-faced bird in the Peninsular, we still say they are 
the Spanish fowl. They are known as such ; they always 
have been; and we see nothing to gain by changing the 
! name. But, says the exhibitor, my red-faced are from 
; Spain direct; ergo, they ’ are Spanish fowls. True, we 
answer, but they are not what we call Spanish fowls in this 
country. They were known, and are still known, as Mi- 
! norcas in the west of England, and are called, in some 
1 parts of Spain, the Moorish fowl. Their dark red faces and 
. swarthy black hair on them may well have gained them the 
appellation. Every Spanish fowl, as understood in England, 
must have some white in the face. Then comes a plea for 
the Andalusians, I believe these latter are an offshoot or 
cross from the Spanish, but they are not Spanish fowls. In 
these days, any fowls that can pretend to purity may make 
a class for themselves. Bet their owners be content with 
this, and T beseech them not to trouble a classification 
which it took years to arrange and set tie.— Anti-Disturbance. 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW. 
To be held at Chelmsford, in the week commencing July 
! the 10th. 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— May 13, 1856. 
REGULATIONS FOR THE POULTRY DEPARTMENT. 
1. Members of the Society to pay 2s. 0d., and non, 
members 5s. on each pen. 
2. All pens will be disqualified if the plumage of the birds 
shall have been trimmed, removed, or otherwise tampered 
with. 
3. Proper persons will be appointed by the Society to 
attend to and feed the birds sent without a servant in charge. 
4. After the Show, the Society’s men, only, will be allowed 
to remove the birds from the pens, and place them in the 
baskets. 
5. The birds will only be given up on the production of 
the “ Delivery Order,” signed by the exhibitor or his 
servant; excepting when the owners may desire to have 
their poultry returned to them by railway, in which cases 
the signatures of the railway servants, acknowledging their 
receipt, will be sufficient. 
0. In no case will the Society be responsible for the 
safety of either the birds or the packages. 
GENERAL REGULATIONS. 
Certificates. 
1. The necessary printed forms of Certificates may be 
obtained from the Secretary, at No. 12, Hanover Square, 
London, by persons desirous of exhibiting Live Stock. 
2. No stock whatever will be admitted for exhibition 
unless the necessary certificates, filled in, upon the printed* 
forms prescribed complete, and signed by the exhibitor (or 
his agent) in the manner directed, have been delivered to 
the Secretary, or sent (postage free) directed to him, so as 
to reach No. 12, Hanover Square, London, before the Is/ of 
June. The Secretary will acknowledge, by return of post, 
the due receipt of all certificates sent to him one week 
before the 1st of June, and the receipt of all others as soon 
afterwards ns the pressure of business at that time will 
permit. 
3. Caution. —In order to prevent disappointment, all 
persons intending to become exhibitors of Cattle, Horses, 
Sheep, Pigs, or Farm Poultry, at the Chelmsford Meeting, 
must distinctly understand, that no Certificate will, under 
any circumstances, or on any plea, be accepted, unless de¬ 
livered or forwarded (properly filled up and completed), so 
as to reach the Office of the Society, No. 12, Hanover 
Square, London, free of charge, before the 1st of June, 
1850. No answers to enquiries will be transmitted by 
Electric Telegraph. 
4. Non-members will be required to pay Ten Shillings on 
each certificate for Cattle, Horses, Sheep, and Pigs, and 
Five Shillings on each certificate for Poultry, before obtain¬ 
ing Orders for the admission of their animals into the Show- 
yard. This payment must be made to the Secretary before the 
first of June. No Member of the Society who is in nrrear 
of subscription will be allowed to make an entry until his 
subscription shall have been paid. 
5. The Name and Residence (when known) of the 
Breeder of each animal entered for exhibition should be 
stated. 
0. The age of each animal, calculated up to the 1st of 
July (instead of as formerly, up to the day of the Show), 
must be stated in the certificate. In all cases the age of 
the animal is to be computed from the day of its birth, ex¬ 
cepting in the case of Horses, when the year only will be 
required. 
7. The same animal cannot be entered in two classes for 
the general prizes of the Society. 
8. In every certificate for live Stock the exhibitor will be 
required to sign an engagement, to forfeit and pay to the 
Society the sum of T20, as and for liquidated damages, if 
the animal, or any of the animals (as the case may be) 
which he exhibits are, to his knowledge, suffering tinder any 
contagious or infectious disease. 
GENERAL RULES. 
18. Caution.— In order to prevent disappointment, all 
persons intending to become exhibitors of Cattle, Horses, 
Sheep, Pigs, or Farm Poultry, at the Chelmsford Meeting, 
must distinctly understand, that no Certificate will, under any 
circumstances, or on any plea, be accepted, unless delivered 
or forwarded (properly filled up and completed), so as to 
reach the Office of the Society, No. .12, Hanover Square, 
London, before the 1st of June, 1850. 
