THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— May 20, 1856. 
142 
patching them for competition, he will be in a position to 
estimate the amount of labour that must he entailed on the 
judges who have to discriminate the perfections and fail¬ 
ings of, perhaps, as many hundred competing pens, and 
in most probably an even more limited space of time and 
opportunity for selection. The amateur, usually, has 
had the advantages not only of long acquaintance with 
his favourites, but also unlimited time, and careful in¬ 
spection by open daylight. On the contrary, we know 
many instances in which poultry judges have had no other 
resource, than to apportion the premiums by the aid of a 
policeman's “ bull’s-eye lantern,” or even the light of a 
couple of common candles, and be it remembered, without 
the slightest previous knowledge of the competitors. This 
leads to the fact, on which we cannot too strongly insist, 
viz., that daylight is really indispensable to the proper ad¬ 
judication of the prizes, and that it is not less important, 
1 that all the pens in the exhibition should enjoy, at least, a 
j close approximation to daylight and similarity of position. 
| If poultry exhibition committees would only strive to effect 
a perfect arrangement as to light, it would tend, incalculably, 
i to prevent complaints as to judges and their decisions. 
None hut the experienced can appreciate the disadvantages 
of position, arising from either a dark under pen, or con- 
trawise (in case of triple rows of coops), where the top pen 
has to he judged by the agency of a “ pair of steps,” or left 
an undetermined question, “ whether there arc any fowls 
I whatever in the pen.” Another circumstance that tells 
| heavily on judges, arises from parties who send poultry for 
I exhibition drawing, little by little, on the time appointed for 
the use of the judges. Committees very naturally desire 
to make their exhibition as attractive as possible to the 
public generally, therefore, not uufrequently, if fowls arrive 
“ after time,” they are still admitted, nay, even “ wailed 
I for,” perchance for hours. From this sole cause we have 
known poultry judges kept waiting for three or four hours 
before commencing, beyond the affixed time, and then 
endeavour to make up lost time, by apportioning 140 or 150 
premiums in the sadly too limited space of two hours, that 
the expectant visitors might not be interfered with. 
It is everywhere admitted, that whatever is done with 
compulsory rapidity, must, of necessity, be always liable to 
the mischances of oversight. It cannot fairly he expected 
that so many prizes can possibly be fairly awarded at the 
rate of about one per minute. The effort is too great for 
even the most proficient, though we most readily admit, we 
are acquainted with some few gentlemen who will “ run 
through a poultry show ” in a couple of hours, with by far 
less mistakes in the awards than others who drearily toil at 
the same allotted task from daybreak to actual evening. 
Constant practice, decisiveness, and a really quick eye, 
telling thus favourably to the advantage of the more ex¬ 
perienced. 
There is still another point well worthy of the particular 
attention of committees,—the time of day selected for ap¬ 
portioning the premiums. Very early or very late hours are 
equally to be avoided, as poultry never look to advantage at 
those periods. From eight in the morning until about four 
in the. afternoon are the most favourable hours, as fowls of 
all kinds always then look their best. Again, poultry should 
never be too long fasted, and the difficulty is only increased 
a hundred-fold by after repletion. 
Committees are very apt not to be ready with the pens in 
time ; the fowls are from this cause not only fasted unne¬ 
cessarily, hut also cramped, more particularly where the 
travelling hamper is a somewhat confined one. Poultry 
thus treated, must, inevitably, show more or less of ex¬ 
haustion, according to their previous “ condition." The 
most robust will recover very speedily, and, on the contrary, 
those partially “ worn out," by previous “ over-working ” 
(from excessive travelling, or exhibition excitement), will 
look “ very sadly ” for hours, or even the whole remainder 
of their stay. The latter, of course, lose ground propor- 
tionably by their lack of rude health, and look the very 
reverse of interesting, when admitted, alike to the public or 
the previously determined examination of the arbitrators. 
Want of proper care at home is never so prominently in¬ 
jurious as in close competition, where almost every trait of 
character is perfect in two competing pens of fowls ; of 
course, “ condition ” wins the day. It is really wonderful 
to see the alteration a few hours ill-usage will produce in 
fowls, more particularly if tenderly reared hitherto ; and we 
ourselves have frequently been witnesses to fowls purchased 
when successful at one show, for prices, too, that must 
ensure the new owner’s attention (however ill-applied), ex¬ 
hibited a few week’s afterwards in a state of lassitude really 
deplorable to look upon. It is not. all amateurs who know 
how to improve, or can retain the “ condition ” of their 
fowls. They being too severely tested, “ die actually by 
inches,” and are cruelly still shown on, till death proves 
the end of their most serious sufferings. 
If fowls previously fasted are then permitted the full 
satiety of their appetites, they not only become frequently 
“ crop-bound,” and die speedily, if not properly attended, 
but compete to terrible disadvantage if judged during the 
temporary indisposition thus produced. Still these con¬ 
tinued changes of “ condition,” and consequent appearance, 
are rarely considered when complaints are in vogue against 
the judges, though “ condition ” is the main feature in favour 
or disadvantage of the competitors, and which may pos¬ 
sibly be much altered, either for or against any specified 
pen in only a few hours. 
We are not persistant in the opinion that poultry 
judges are immaculate. We know that errors are al¬ 
ways occasionally unavoidable, but we have thus dared 
to point out a few of the circumstances that not unfre- 
quently cause the burden of complaint “ to be laid on the 
back of the wrong horse; ” but we must maintain, at the 
same time, how much more easy it is to point out (at 
leisure) an erroneous poultry award, than either to rectify it, 
or determine which is the most praiseworthy at the onset. 
We loan to the suspicion very strongly, that when errors do 
unfortunately arise, the generality of them occur almost in¬ 
variably when none of the fowls competing are really good ; 
in short, that good poultry, however closely they struggle 
for the mastery, are more easily judged than when all are of 
medium character only. Still it does not answer to “ with¬ 
hold ” too many premiums; it lessens alike the importance 
of the present meeting, and tends sadly against those of 
coming years. 
The observations we have now made are called forth 
from facts which have very frequently been brought before 
us lately, viz., the unexpected difficulties of getting indi¬ 
viduals to act at our poultry meetings (as arbitrators), who 
alike enjoy the confidence of exhibitors for their probity 
and efficiency. Those committees only who have “ tried 
it," know how great a trial this now proves, as from the 
annoyances (both personal and by anonymous complaints), 
we know two or three gentlemen, hitherto notorious, who 
have voluntarily declined the acceptance of this thankless 
office for the future, and their efficiency (and, at present, 
much-wanted services) are, therefore, altogether lost to 
the poultry world generally. 
In respect of judges, our opinions are easily explained. 
Complaints, if any arise, ought, by all means, to be exclu¬ 
sively determined whilst the poultry can be inspected, and 
facts proved, or statements falsified. The diverse after¬ 
expression of opinion only fosters rash assertions, angry 
expostulations, and, in some instances, anything but a well- 
advised or gentlemanly style of correspondence. On the 
contrary, if complaints are only recognisable whilst the 
fowls are available, we shall not find parties pertinaciously 
insist on matters that any one possessing common discern¬ 
ment could satisfy himself, even by a furtive glance, did or 
did not exist. The feelings of all disputants would be 
spared, the judges could not complain of false or needless 
accusation, and good friendly sentiments would abound far 
more universally than they now do. 
THE TURTLE DOVE, COLUMBA TURTUE. 
French. Toueteeelle des Bois. Ger. Die Tuetei.taube. 
The Turtle Dove is the smallest of our native Doves, or 
arboreal Pigeons ; they are natives of the whole of temperate 
Europe and Asia. In this country they are birds of passage, 
coming in the spring about the beginning of May, breeding 
here, and leaving again early in autumn. They are about 
the size of a Missel Thrush, measuring about ten or eleven 
