THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— August 12, J850. 357 
most forcibly, that Ibe inapproachable condition which tho 
Ivnowsley fowls formerly maintained has not been 
so general as heretofore, in tho adult Dorkings more 
particularly. The Game were decidedly far beyond what are 
generally met with. The Cup birds, belonging to Mr. Shields, 
were most extraordinary specimens, and well deserved their 
exalted position ; but the keen and close inspection 
of a competitor afterwards discovered and exposed a piece 
of the most artistically carried out “trimming,” which conse¬ 
quently, and very properly, “ disqualified ” the fowls, and 
the Cup, therefore, remains still in the hands of the 
committee. One of the principal feathers of the tail had 
been temporarily fastened on, by “splicing it" at the root, 
and affixing a fresh feather as a substitute for the removed 
one, by neatly and tightly binding tho severed portions 
together with waxed dark thread. It so happened that, 
during a temporary quarrel between his two hens, the cock 
partially disunited this new “fixture,” and thus its owner 
not only lost the Ten Guinea Cup by disqualification, but the 
artifice was exposed. It occurred about midday of the day 
of opening to the public. Surely this practical lesson will 
not be lost in preventing an attempt at such deceptions for 
the future. Among the Cochins were many very good 
birds ; the principal Ten Guinea Prize was allotted to the 
best pen of White Chickens we ever saw, the property of 
John Fowler, Esq., of Aylesbury. They were classed by 
Sir Joseph Paxton. Twenty-three pens of Brahmas com¬ 
peted in the four classes allotted to them ; the Judges, 
however, withheld the Cup. From the fact of the continued 
attempts now making, by a few parties, to press these fowls 
into notoriety, some angry feeling was manifested by the 
persons who thus unsuccessfully exhibited; nor were any 
efforts withheld to impress on the bystanders the great 
superiority of these fowls over all other varieties, and the 
continued popularity they enjoy, combined with the fabulous 
statement that the “ demand for them at the present time ” 
was unprecedented. We admit that, of all poultry, Brahmas 
have been “uin up" with the greatest pertinacity; but the 
impossibilityof breeding to anything like one definite 
standard has tended not a little to their difficulty of 
disposal, and fictitious sales are, at this present hour, daily 
occurring, being a last resort to perpetuate the introduction 
of the renowned Bamum, of transatlantic notoriety. The 
Dorking classes were very good. The Turkeys were re¬ 
markably fine, and the competition general throughout all 
the class ; indeed, we have rarely seen so universally 
meritorious a class, there not being a single indifferent pen 
throughout the whole. The Ducks were scarcely surpassing 
mediocrity. Before concluding, it may be well to men¬ 
tion, that the Judges were restricted, in every class, to a 
single “ commendation ’’ by a bye-law of the committee ; a 
feature somewhst calculated to depress the prize list in the 
estimation of non-attendant amateurs, who were thus 
debarred the opportunity of judging for themselves of the 
unrivalled and close competition that generally prevailed. 
We are glad to hear that the return of the fowls was as 
expeditious as even the most anxious amateur could desire. 
EXHIBITION OF POULTRY OF THE MAN¬ 
CHESTER AND LIVERPOOL SOCIETY, IN 
CONNECTION WITH THE ANNUAL AGRI¬ 
CULTURAL MEETING. 
The season of the year was, of course, especially unfa¬ 
vourable to poultry, the late spring causing the chickens to 
be as yet very immature, whilst the adult fowls were mostly 
moulting heavily. This Poultry Show took place on Thurs¬ 
day, August 7th, and was held in a most spacious and con¬ 
venient spot of ground, called “The Mesnes,” near to Wigan, 
under a tent 16(1 feet long by 45 feet wide, and ranging its 
whole length, 25 feet in the centre. Our remarks must be 
somewhat general. The Dorkings stood very highly; and were 
even superior to those of last year; they are gaining much in 
public estimation in Lancashire, and, singularly enough, 
almost all our best fowls of this kind now come from this 
neighbourhood. The Manchester and Liverpool Society 
has always done much to improve a taste for the culture of 
domestic poultry, and certainly its just concluded Exhibi¬ 
tion proves incontestably how much advantage may be 
derived from stimulating by the offer of annual prizes for 
the most praiseworthy. The entries were far more nume¬ 
rous than heretofore, and the generality of the stock was 
excellent. The Dorking chickens were especially good, and 
some young Pencilled Hamhurghs shown as extra stock were 
very promising specimens. The Game ranked highly. 
Among these some white chickens were the best we remem¬ 
ber to have yet seen. A pen of Silver-laced Bantams were 
most deservedly winners of the premium allotted to them by 
the Judges—William Smith, Esq., of Halifax, Yorkshire, 
and Edward, Hewitt, Esq., of Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, 
Birmingham ; both those gentlemen stating the cock was by 
far the smallest adult Sebright they had ever met with, 
whilst the lacings of all three birds were unusually good. 
The Ducks and Geese were most particularly good, and 
enjoyed themselves far more than common under the re¬ 
strictions of a Poultry Show ; they were allowed the range of 
very extensive coops on the grass, and showed, therefore, to 
great advantage. The fowls were exhibited in the round 
wire cages so well-known as Greening’s Pens, and from 
the excessively high temperature that constantly prevailed 
under the tent, they were especially suitable to the occasion. 
The company who visited the Exhibition comprised most of 
the surrounding nobility and aristocracy, and the attendance 
of agriculturists and the working classes of Wigan exceeded 
by far that of prior meetings. 
Dorkings (Grey). — First, Thomas R. Sleddal, Fazakerley, near 
Liverpool. Commended—Captain W. \V. Hornby, R.N., Knowsley, 
near l’reseot. 
Spanish.— First, Captain W. W. Hornby, R.N., Knowsley, near 
Preseot. 
Game. — First, Captain W. W. Hornby, R.N., Knowsley, near 
Prescot. 
Cochin-China. —First, William Copple, Eccleston, near Presrot. 
(Buff.) Commended—William Copple, Eccleston, near Prescot. (White.) 
Hamburgh (Golden-pencilled).— First, Joseph Tate, Sylie Hill, 
Preston. 
Hamburgh (Silver-pencilled).—First, John Robinson, Vale House, 
Gars tang. 
Hamburgh (Golden-spangled).—First, William C. Worrall, Rice 
House, near Liverpool. 
Hamburgh (Silver-spangled).—Prize withheld. 
Bantams. — First, William Wright, West Bank, Widnes, near 
Warrington. (Silver-laced.) Commended—Henry Worrall, Knotty 
Ash House, near Liverpool. (White.) 
Any other Breed, or Cross Breeds. — First, John Robinson, 
Vale House, Garstang. 
Geese. —Prize withheld. 
Ducks (Aylesbury).—First, Thomas Burnett, Hutton, near Preston. 
Ducks (Rouen).—First, William North, Leeds Road, Huddersfield. 
(Cottager.) 
Any other Breed of Ducks.—F irst, Thomas Burnett, Hutton, 
near Preston. (Aylesbury.) Highly Commended — Henry Worrall, 
Knotty Ash House, near Liverpool. (Call.) 
Goslings.— First, William Copple, Eccleston, near Prescot. 
Ducklings.— First, Edward Lister, Cassia Lodge, near Northwich, 
Cheshire. (Aylesbury.) Highly Commended—Thomas Baukes, Weston 
House, Runcorn, Cheshire. (Rouen.) 
Dorking Chickens. — First, Captain W. W. Hornby, R.N., 
Knowsley, near Prescot. Highly Commended — William Copple, 
Eccleston, near Prescot. (Grey.) Commended—Edward Lister, Cassia 
Lodge, near Northwich, Cheshire. 
Spanish Chickens.— First, George Fell, Warrington. 
Game Chickens. —First, Rev. Thomas Edw. Abraham, Bickerstaffe, 
near Ormskirk. Highly Commended—Wm. Lomas, Stoncclougli, near j 
Manchester. 
Cochin-China Chickens. —First, Thomas Burnett, Hutton, near 
Preston. (Buff.) Commended—Frederick W. Earle, Fdenhurst, near 
Prescot. 
Silver-pencilled Hamburgh Chickens.— First, William Wright, 
West Bank, Widnes, near Warrington. Commended—Richard Wright 
Wrightington, near Wigan. 
Silver-spangled Hamburgh Chickens.— First, Thomas Burnett, 
Hutton, near Preston. 
Poland Chickens (Black with White Crests; Golden or Silver).— 
First, George Fell, Warrington. 
Chickens of any other Breed. —First, Edward Roberts, the 
Golden Lion, Oldham Road, Manchester. (Spanish.) Highly Com¬ 
mended—John Robinson, Vale House, Garstang. (White Dorking.) 
