233 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
December 23. 
thought capable of it. If any he hold enough to say, we 
can have nothing better than some of those birds that liave 
been shown in tlie course of the present year, we will 
not argue with him on what must be, as yet, an open 
([uestion; but only add, that we must, for a time at least, 
import, that what we now have may be maintained at its 
present pitch of excellence, and suffer no deterioration. 
Some chicks of a week old had been hatched from those 
last imported; their downy covering varied in every tint 
from brown to white; and if, in spite of Mr. Punchard's 
care, a Suffolk winter checks their growth, they will be a 
useful guide for the matrimonial projects of next spring. A 
cock and hen were here of dark Vandyke brown, almost a 
self-colour, so far, at least, as we could judge, the birds 
' being in severe moult; in lighter birds, the imported spe¬ 
cimens, both here and elsewhere, have generally somewhat 
more of mottling than is commonly liked. A bamboo coop, 
j in the corner of the yard, was their residence during tlie 
voyage; it must have been a narrow residence, and far 
I from convenient. Importers would do well to insist on 
j coops of suflicient height to allow the birds fuU room to 
stand upright; and the bars on which they stand should 
always be parallel to the front. How otherwise tliey escape 
deformity in the feet is a matter of wonder. 
In one of IMr. Punchard’s yards, eighty-five cockerels, in 
another sixty-five, produced a perfect blaze of colmir, from 
which every tint might be selected. The birds were in ad- 
miraldo condition, and did full justice to the liberality that 
had awarded them so comfortable an abode, and so liberal a 
diet; but our eye searches in vain for the beautiful bird that 
was shown at Winchester; for his rich golden hackle, and 
glowing butf body colour, no less than his form and carriage, 
however closely imitated, is not fully attained by any of his 
relations now before us. AVe must find him, however, and 
Mr. P unchard kindly takes us where he appears in company 
w'itli sundry brothers and cousins, each in a separate basket. 
Do you ask why ? A\'e will tell you. They are undergoing 
the iienanoe for having appeared in public; for, however 
peaceable and contenteil their eighty-five relations may live 
together, whenever any of them ai’e separated, though only 
for a few days, their return does not seem anyways pleasing 
to those who have not enjoyed the same excursion, and the 
admiration of the public; and this dissatisfaction is some¬ 
times forcibly illustrated. 
i IMr. Punchard’s name is often exclusively associated with 
the partridge-coloured birds that he has brought to such 
excellence; but, desiring to have the Shanghae race fully 
represented in every branch, his yard now numbers 
specimens of the fawn and buff birds that would do credit 
to the most skilful breeding. As regards the former, 
we might search in vain for better than those shown by 
i\Ir. Punchard at Winchester, and destined, we hope, for a 
similar victory at Dinningham. Mr. Punchard’s arrange¬ 
ment of the yards and poultry is on a large scale, and most 
complete in .all its detail; for, besides the gravelled court, 
each lot has the run of a young shrubbery and an acre or 
so of pastm'C. Fowls, indeed, were never better housed 
; and cared for in all their wants. AVere we lucky enough to 
have the same conveniences for our birds, we should make 
but one alteration, and that would be doing away with 
brick floors, which retain moisture, and consequently lower 
the temperature, and substitute the chalk, which is abun¬ 
dant in the neighbourhood. The advantage of grinding 
a large portion of the corn used for the fowls is here 
evidenced in a striking manner; and Air. Punchard having 
a mill attached to his farm is, doubtless, enabled to practice 
such judicious economy in respect of feeding as the posses¬ 
sion of a iloek of upwards of six hundred birds must render 
necessary. 
The aspect of the site of Mr. Punchard’s different poultry 
yards and houses was against him; but admirably has he 
remedied this objection : and a Newmarket racing-stable 
can hardly boast of more considerations for the wants, and 
more caution for the health of its inmates, than are 
evinced in the plan and e.xeoution of his poultry buildings 
at P>lunt’s Hall. 
The kindness of Mr. Punchard, in affording the fullest 
information on every point to all inquirers, must have led 
' many to profit by his hospitality and experience. And as 
I a large portion of his present stock are destined for the 
auctioneer’s hammer, not only those who have already seen 
for themselves, but poultry-keepers of every degree, will 
do well to take that opportunity of ascertaining how far 
their owm favourites may be benefited by the introduction 
of his stock.—W. 
THE BETSTOT. poultry SHOAV. 
There are too many proofs to admit of a doubt that the 
qiublic interest in Poultry is extending and increasing, and 
not the least of them is that the Exhibitions, hitherto con¬ 
fined to the north of England, almost exclusively, are now 
becoming general. The Bristol Agricultural Society, like 
many others, this year added a Poultry Show to their annual 
Exhibition of other Stock. Tlie show was held on the Cth, 
7th, and tith of December, in a large and commodious room 
in Partwall Lane, part of the agricultural implement manu¬ 
factory of Messrs. Fowler and Fry. 
The number of pens entered for competition was 39.5 ; and 
when the excellence of many of the specimens, and the 
short notice given of the show, together with the fact tliat it 
precedes that at Birmingham by only one week, are taken 
into account, we are sure that the Committee and their 
excellent Secretary, Air. Maimont, have no reason to regret 
the conclusion to w'hich they came, to add this new feature 
to their annual exhibition. The number and I’ospectability 
of the company, also, showed that they had not been 
mistaken in supposing that such an addition would prove 
attractive, and we hope it will turn out remimerative to the 
funds of the Society. 
Our notice of each class must, of course, be short. Taldng 
them in the order of the prize list (we hope the Committee 
will venture upon printing a catalogue next year), the 
Spanish first claim our attention, but vith the exception of 
the pen for which the prize was adjudged to Joseph Bake, 
Esq., there was nothing particular to notice in this class. 
The Dorkings were a better class, and the ijen for which the 
first prize was awarded to Miss Anne AVilcox were very 
good birds. The Cochins were the next, and decidedly the 
best class in the exhibition; the buff preponderating, both 
in number and (quality, although there were two or three 
pens of very fine white breeds. Of this variety fifty-five 
pens were entered in class 3, and if we may judge from them 
of what is likely to be shown in the corresponding classes at 
Birmingham, the jirdges there will have no sinecure. Here, 
at all events, they had no easy task, and there can be no 
doubt that Cochins are the favourite fowl in the AA'est of 
England. The first prize was awarded, after much consi¬ 
deration, to Air. James Bond, of Bath, and the second and 
third to T. H. Potts, Esq., of Kingswood House. Several 
other pens were highly commended by the judges. AA'^e 
were sorry again to see the Alalays wanting—one pen only 
being shown, and these not sufficiently good, in the opinion 
of the judges, to merit a prize. There were fourteen pens 
of Game Fowl, nearly all good, the principal prize being 
carried off by P. AV. S. AlUes, Esq. The Hamburghs were 
not particularly good as a class, but a few fair specimens 
were sho\vn. ami there was a good pen of Golden-headed 
Polands. Of the cross-breeds we will only say that we hope 
they wOl be excluded from all future shows, both of this and 
every other Society. The little Golden Bantams mustered 
strong, but we have seen better birds ; while of the Silver 
variety not a single qien appeared. Some good white ones 
were exhibited, but the blacks were very poor. The Cochin- 
China Chickens were equally as good as the adult class, and 
out of eighteen pens, Mr. Punchard carried off tlie first and 
second prizes, the third falling to the share of Air. Pond. 
AVe should ourselves be glad to see the difierent Societies 
adopt uniformly a rule, that chickens only should be shown 
against chickens, and old birds against old birds, and tve 
are very sure such an arrangement woidd save much trouble 
to the judges, and render their decisions more satisfactory to 
themselves and to the public. There was a class here for 
“ any breed,” in which Air. Potts was again successful in 
winning a first prize for a nice uniform pen of young Cochin 
Chickens. I’he Geese were but middling. The Turkies 
better; and the Ducks, in which latter class Aliss AA'ilcox 
was again the winner, good. The Pigeons, also, were choice, 
but few ; and a pair of fowl marked “ Ceylon Jungle,” were 
quite new to us, and verj' pretty, as well as very distinct. 
