284 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— July 15, 1856. 
triflingly, the period of opening to the public, and thus 
offending visitors, subscribers, or exhibitors generally, to the 
loss, perchance, also, of a considerable amount of entrance- 
money. 
We have known gentlemen, appointed to officiate as 
Judges, thus kept waiting in uncertainty, and strolling about 
a strange locality, for five hours out of the six previously 
allotted them for their thankless duty; the committee ac¬ 
tually instilling on them at the last moment (when really 
admitted), that they must indeed “open to time,” or they 
should offend everybody, urging them to “ get on ” as 
speedily as possible. We have even known policemen placed 
to guard the Judges from annoyance or interference after 
the public had been really allowed to enter, the adjudicators 
having only commenced their arbitration one short half hour 
previously ! We ask, Can such laxity in the fulfilment of 
the arrangements end satisfactorily to either the Judges, the 
exhibitors, or the committee themselves? Most certainly 
the probabilities tend vastly against so favourable an issue. 
In other instances we have known policemen placed at 
the ends of the avenues between the pens of poultry, “ to 
keep back the public until the Judges had completed their 
decisions." On such occasions the most angry recrimina¬ 
tions have ensued between those thus placed in authority 
and even showily-attired females, who were grievously in¬ 
convenienced from the downright pressure to which they 
were subjected from tbe restriction complained of; -whereas, 
had “ all been ready," ample accommodation would have 
been afforded for all, and everything would have passed 
over with perfect pleasantry. In one instance, particularly, 
we remember two ladies of title (who had been both 
patronesses, and also liberal pecuniary supporters), who 
instantly left an Exhibition thus circumstanced, and could 
not be again prevailed upon to sanction so “ill-managed an 
affair.” During such times of neighbouring recrimination, 
no doubt can be entertained that the position of the Judges 
was one to be anything but coveted or desirable, and the ten¬ 
dency could only be to force onwards to some ill-judged 
decision or other; for in such cases undisturbed quietude 
should be invariably maintained, and, indeed, is also im¬ 
perative if justifiable awards are really to be hoped for as 
the final result of the present arbitration. 
There is still one other pressure upon poultry Judges, 
that has arisen (of late) to a most unwarrantable degree 
of extra toil, and that, too, at a time when their public 
duties ought most certainly to have drawn to a close. We 
allude to the practice of exhibitors requesting the earliest 
private “information as to their individual success, to be 
forwarded to them by post, immediately the decisions are 
complete, that they (the competitors) may be relieved from 
farther suspense." In a single case or so the trouble would 
certainly be “ nothing at all” deserving of either complaint 
or censure; indeed, too trifling to require any especial 
remark. But what is the absolute fact ? At a recent Poultry 
Exhibition no less than thirty-seven such applications were 
made by as many different competitors, entailing an amount 
of labour few could estimate if correctly rendered, and the 
information would be quite useless were it not so. To form 
some idea of the aggregate additional trouble over and 
above the actual adjudicating of the prizes, let any exhibitor, 
for himself, only take in hand a catalogue of a Poultry 
Exhibition, and after selecting, at random, thirty-seven names, 
go through the whole catalogue thirty-seven different times 
in the instance of each individual pen, comparing notes with 
his “award-book” as to all and every pen the exhibitor may 
happen to show, reducing the whole to writing; afterwards 
directing as many separate envelopes, and taking, all the time, 
especial care no mistaken entries may slip into any of these 
written statements; this «done, we are perfectly assured 
such party will not, till then, accredit the compulsory trouble 
it entails, or the time it occupies. The explanation is very 
easily rendered obvious. A few parties requiring this informa¬ 
tion would not add any considerable additional trouble; but 
the aggregate labour (quite unknown to each or any one, 
except the party of whom it is expected and required), is 
unwarrantable, and occupies time that otherwise might be 
serviceable to the Committee, were these numerous queries 
not propounded, or the impatience of the exhibitor restrained 
until the printed prize-list could be forwarded by the next 
day’s mail. We feel assured, when the matter is calmly recon¬ 
sidered, there are very few who would persist in a practice 
that involves unnecessary labour on parties who, perchance, 
may have already travelled one or even two hundred 
miles, within the previous twenty-four hours, to officiate; 
besides carefully and sedulously endeavouring to fulfil the 
duties of his (or their) onerous office by well-considered 
adjudications. The practice complained of commenced 
with a very few individuals, gradually progressing until 
it has attained the gigantic growth we have adduced, and 
that, too, without involving any guarantee that eventually 
it may not still farther increase beyond the limits of the 
present hour. It is a time-worn axiom of those already too 
heavily burdened, “that it is the last feather placed on the 
camel’s back which breaks it;” and we ourselves are well 
informed, that in some instances, the angry remon¬ 
strances which have ensued from not at once “ complying 
with a small favour ” have completely disunited the exhibitor 
and arbitrator, and urged the latter to the natural conclusion, 
that such duties ought not to be expected of him, nor would 
he undertake office on future occasions, whereby they might 
be considered as entailed. 
POULTRY EXHIBITION AT PRESCOT, 
LANCASHIRE.— July 8th. 
This is the Third Annual Meeting that has taken place 
at this locality, increasing, year by year, in importance, 
popularity, and in pecuniary returns. 
The committee of gentlemen who have instituted the 
Prescot Poultry Show bear pretty indisputable evidence of 
how much can be done by personal efforts, if combined to 
secure the same end, and proper exertions are also made 
that are prompt and well-directed. The first meeting of 
this Society was comparatively a trivial and unimportant 
one ; but few fowls then competed, and even those of trifling 
character. The one just closed, on the contrary, has drawn 
together the most perfect specimens in the United Kingdom. 
The competition was, therefore, very severe, and (from the 
entries) knowing it would be so, the committee of manage¬ 
ment erected a tent that was two hundred and fifteen feet 
long, and more than forty feet in width. The best possible 
light was, therefore, everywhere attainable; and all pens, from 
end to end of the Exhibition, shared this advantage equally. 
There was one drawback upon the general proceedings for 
which no amount of previous care could possibly provide. 
On Monday evening, July 7th, the weather became very 
dull and squally, the rain towards nightfall fell in torrents, and 
occasional peals of thunder rendered the probabilities of fine 
weather the day following somewhat remote. During the 
night, and at daybreak of the morning of the Exhibition, the 
storm increased to a perfect hurricane, many large trees in 
the neighbourhood were torn up by the roots, whilst at 
Liverpool, and the mouth of the Mersey, a considerable 
number of outward-bound vessels were driven back by the 
force of the storm, and stranded on the coast. It is worthy 
of remark, that this really immense tent stood well the 
severe trial it had to encounter until about eleven in the 
morning, when a portion of the covering gave way, prior to 
which time not a single spot of rain had fallen through 
anywhere, and as, lucidly, the weather cleared immediately, 
no ill consequences ensued. The banners used this year 
were similar to those of last season, the church bells rang 
almost incessantly very merry peals, all the shops were 
closed, and business suspended, whilst an excellent band 
drew together a goodly muster of the inhabitants. From 
midday the day was as -fine as possible, and the numbers of 
carriages continuously arriving, well filled with gaily-dressed 
gentry, added much to the pecuniary interests of the pub¬ 
licans, and likewise the excitement of the town. 
The popularity of this Show is as well deserved as it is 
woll supported, and should its growth continue in a ratio 
proportion, it will soon become one of the most extensive 
of any of our local poultry meetings. The great promp¬ 
titude of the committee, also, in returning the fowls to their 
owners after the close of the Exhibition is worthy of 
especial mention, and greatly calculated to insure the con¬ 
tinuance of public favour. We will, as customary, offer a 
few brief comments on the fowls themselves. 
The Spanish class was magnificent, and certainly was 
