270 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
jANU.AnY C. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
We liave been favoured with tlie following note from one 
of the committee of Ttie Great Metropolitan Show. We are 
glad of its removal, not only because it is now separated 
from all connection with a tavern, but because it will be 
much easier of acce.ss, and the poultry will be more com¬ 
fortably lodged; at the same time, we more than regret that 
the committee persevere in what the}' know is wrong, by 
keeping the birds in the pens for so many days. 
“ It is quite true The Great Metropolitan Exhibition is 
postponed, and the place of exhibition changed to the 
Baker-street Bazaar, in consequence of the proprietor of the 
Oval having notice from the solicitor to the Duchy of ! 
Cornwall, that no exhibitions of any kind would be allowed i 
on his ground. The committee were, therefore, taken quite 1 
by surprise, and you may imagine their chagrin and annoy- j 
ance at such information, when a beautiful and most ex- ; 
pensive building was all but finished. The committee, there- i 
fore, immediately waited upon the spirited proprietor of the j 
Baker-street Bazaar, who immediately acquiesced to their | 
terms and application, and we congratulate the public and 
exhibitors in lia-^ung secured a more central, more con¬ 
venient, and more agi'eeable locale ; and we are pleased to 
add, but two of our exhibitors are inconvenienced by the 
change. The entries close on the 4th of January; the 
specimens will be received on Friday and Saturday, the 7th 
and 8th of January; the birds will be judged on Monday | 
the 10th, and the Exhibition open to the public on Tuesday 
the 11th, Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the IJth, and 
Friday the 14th; the same days as at Birmingham. 
“We have uiiwards of 1,000 entries, not 1,000, as erro¬ 
neously stated by a-penny-a-liner, who must have mistaken 
an 0 for a 0." 
We are indebted to Mr. J. J. Nolan, the well-known 
poultry-fancier of Dublin, for the following report:— 
“ The Dublin Amateur Poultry Society had their first show 
in the spacious round room of the llotunda, under the 
patronage of our ATce-Queen, the excellent Countess of 
Eglinton, who inspected each pen minutely, and proved 
herself a scientific connossieur in her selection of some of 
the finest specimens, which subsequently, and deservedly, 
obtained the first prizes in each of their classes. A lot of 
Black Polish, in pen 118, took her Excellency’s particular 
attention. The Embden Geese, with other lots, she com¬ 
manded to be forwarded to the Vice-Royal Lodge, Phmnix 
Park. 
“ The arrangements of the room were judicious, much j 
after the manner of the English Exhibitions, and in the 
evening it was lighted with gas, and formed an excellent 
promenade, but the music in an adjoining room was a total 
failure. This was the first attempt here of having a Poultry 
Show secured from the inclemency of the weather, and was 
found most agreeable to the visitors, as weU as to the birds, i 
What Dublin poultry-fancier does not recollect “ the pelting | 
of the pitiless storm,” when the lofty elms in the Dublin j 
Society’s yard were levelled to the earth, and the poultry j 
pens performed their evolutions through the lawn! We j 
hope to see all future Poultry Shows, as in the present j 
case, comfortably provided for. 
“ Lady Domville added to the Exhibition a splendid col¬ 
lection of AVater-fowl of great raiity and beauty, in which 
was the Cereopsis and Bar-headed Geese, with other rare 
varieties, which would be an acquisition to any Zoological j 
Collection. 
“The catalogue, though not long, being of only 211 lots, j 
consisted of, perhaps, as good specimens as any Great j 
Britain can boast of. Several lots changed hands at high 
prices. There were but few inferior birds. The I’igeons j 
were select and in good feather. I 
“ I perceive we have a new candidate for poultry fame, in ^ 
the person of a Miss 11. Gar(.Uner, who seems to have 
spared neither pains nor expense in procuring the best 
specimens of the most approve<l varieties, and as the prize 
list shows, her stock was so varied and excellent, they were 
a real attraction and acquisition to the Society. If report 
speaks truth, she is determined to promote among her 
tenants the best procurable fowl, to be distributed to them 
as one of the industrial resources of the country, and to 
add to their comfort. I am proud to make a record of the 
feelings of such a lady proprietress, and hope it may be 
speedily followed by our Irish nobility and gentr}'; and 
while on the subject, have to regret that some of this lady’s 
birds, procured at considerable cost, to meet the wordings 
of the amateur prospectus, should be, by either neglect or 
design, improperly classified, or entirely omitted; and her 
Aylesbury Ducks, said to be the best in the room, called 
Labrador! How the managers could mistake the AVhite 
Aylesbury for the Black Labrador, is of difficult explanation. 
“ Our judges, unfortunately, are the relatives or friends of 
the exhibitors, and what Irish judge is so immaculate as not 
to feel an erroneous prejudice in favour of his friend, par¬ 
ticularly when they walk out with printed catalogues in their 
hands, in which is set forth the names and addresses of the 
exhibitor; at the same time, I am satisfied, from Sir Edward 
Borough’s high standing and good taste, he does not feel 
complimented at being awarded a premium for lot 102, 
which, undoubtedly, should have been announced no merit. 
I would advise, as at the English shows, the judges to be 
brought from a distance. I am glad that the error of 
awarding a premium to Mr. Dombrain for three chickens, 
in lot O.'i, instead of four, has been withdrawn. If such 
errors be permitted it will be the certain dissolution of the 
Society; and being a true fancier, and the oldest and first 
amateur in Ireland, I should regret it of all things. I there¬ 
fore beg their strict attention to their own rules. 
“Now, as to the selection of their officers. I should re¬ 
commend its being done by a majority of their members, and 
not by self-appointments. They are more likely to appoint 
men of inteUect, and not persons who have made so many 
eiTors in them prospectus, their catalogues, and their pre¬ 
mium-lists. 
“ AVhile on the subject of poultr}', it may not be out of 
place here to remark a new nomenclature adopted at the 
Birmingham Show. The birds usually known through 
England as Bolton Grays, Bolton Bays, Dutch-every-day- 
layers, Pencilled Dutch Fowl, Chiltiprats, &c., are denomi¬ 
nated Pencilled Hamburghs ; and the birds known and ex¬ 
hibited in England at the poultry clubs, denominated 
Spangled Pheasant Foivl, from their markings approaching 
to the brown I’lieasant, each are called in the Birmingham 
list, Golden-spangled Hamburghs. Now, what they are called, 
appears to me of little consequence, so as it is one general 
name known and understood by all; but when it varies from 
what has been known and established for the last century, 
it cannot but cause confusion; it would, therefore, be well 
if the principal poultry amateurs would communicate with 
each other on tlie subject, and adopt one general nomen¬ 
clature.” 
The Judges in Poultry were—The Hon. Captain Arbuthnot, Thomas 
Rutherford, and Isaac H’OUer, jun., Esqrs. 
In Pigeons—A. H. Darley andW. Slaaon, Esqrs., whose adjudications 
gave general satisfaction. 
The following are the awards of the Judges: 
SPANISH. 
Section 1. (Birds of two-years-old and upwards).—No merit. 
Section 2. (Birds of 1851).—John North, Esq., Clarmda-terrace, Kings- 
town. 
Section 3. (Chickens),—George Perrin, Esq., Bullock, Dalkey. 
DORKING. 
Section 1. (Birds of two-years-old and upwards).—Lieutenant-Colonel 
Hill, Oatlands, Castleknock. 
Section 2.—Mrs. Gresham, Bellegrove, Clontarf. 
DORKINGS (White). 
Honourable C. H. Lindsay, Island House, Island-bridge. 
MALAY. 
Section 1.—Mrs. Franklin, Cottager, Cabra. 
Section 2. (Chickens of 1852).—Mrs. Gresham, Bellegrove, Clontarf. 
COCHIN-CHINA. 
Section 1. (Birds of 1851).—Mrs. Gresham, Bellegrove, Clontarf. 
Section 2. (Chickens of 1852). — Mr. William Ledwich, Mary Villa, 
Ball’s-bridge. 
DUTCH OR BOLTON GREYS. 
Section 1. (Birds of two-years-old and upwards).—Lieutenant-Colonel 
Hill, Oatlands, Castleknock. 
Section 3. (Chickens).—Lieutenant-Colonel Hill. 
GOLDEN HAMBURGH. 
Section 1.—No merit. 
Section 2. (Chickens).—Mrs. Cane, St. AV'oIstan’s, Celbridge, 
