Februahy 10. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 
309 
Class 21.—Bantams.— other vea'ieti/. 
Serond Prize. —No. 122, Wr. WilUaiu Nosworthy, 7, Prospect Place, 
Exeter. 
Class 22.—Pigeons. 
First Prise.—'No. 128, Miss Selina Northcote, Upton Pyne, Devon. 
(Nuns.) First Prise. —No. 124, Mr. W. h. Channing, builder, Heavi- 
tree, Exeter. (Almond Tumblers.) First Prise. —No. 12.2, Ditto, ditto. 
(White Dragoons.) 
Class 23.—Gkf.se. 
First Prise.—No. 133, Mr. William Wevill Rowe, Longbrook, Milton 
.Abbot, Devon. Second Prise. —No. 132, I. K, Brunei, Esq., Watcombe, 
St. Mary-Churrh, Devon. 
Class 24.—Ducks.—H 7ji7e Aylesbury. 
First Prise.—No. 13(1, Captain Wyndham Hornby, B.N., Knowsfey, 
Prescot. Second Prise.—No. 138, Edward Vivian, Esq., Woodfield, 
Torquay, Devon. 
Class 25.—Ducks. — Coloured. 
First Prise.—No. 139, Mr. William Wevill Rowe, Longbrook, Milton 
Abbot, Devon. Second Prise.—No. 140, Mr. Thomas Blandford, Or¬ 
chard Portiuan, Somerset. 
Class 26 .— Ducks.— other variety. 
First Prise.—No. 144, Mr. John Moon, Lapford, nearCrediton, Devon. 
Class 27.—Turkeys. 
First I'rise.—No. 149, Henry Adney, Esq., Lympstone, Devon, 
Second Prise. —No. 146, Mr. William Wevill Rowe, Longbrook, Milton 
Abbot, Devon. 
Mistakes at I’oultry Shows. — I would venture to call 
your attention to tlie mischief which may he caused by a 
tlegree of carelessness in the minor arrangements of our 
poultry e.\.hibitions, and sometimes tending to cast a shadow 
of blame upon the judges, which I feel sure they do not 
deserve. The circumstance which induces me to bring this 
prominently forward, is the fate of the poultry belonging to 
a Rinningham amateur, whose readiness in sending speci¬ 
mens lias always been conspicuous. Tliis gentleman, Mr. 
Peters, of Moseley, had a lot of beautiful White Cochin- 
China fowls disqualified at the Metropolitan Exhibition, not 
for any fault, but simply because the men employed had 
lilaced them in the wrong pens. I presume the judges had 
but one alternative, and that was to disqualify them, thereby 
bringing on themselves an imputation of injustice, from 
which, knowing well their usual strict impart in Pity, I should 
be as anxious to free them as I am to call down censure 
upon the habitual carelessness of the inferior officers. 
P.S.—You will be pleased to hear that there is every 
jirobability we are to be favoured at the next Birmingham 
Exhibition with a separate class for Black Shanghaes.—W m. 
Lort, IFard End, Birmimjham. 
[We are glad to have the subject of these mistakes 
brought to our notice, not only because it will also impress 
the necessity for more attention upon this point, but because 
it enables us to state, that the Committee of the Metro¬ 
politan Show very handsomely awarded a prize to Mr. Peters 
upon the facts of the case being made known to them.—En. 
C. G.] 
.Tudges and Auctions. — The exhibitions of domestic 
poultry are now becoming so general, that as each show is 
over many alterations suggest themselves as regai'ds the 
judges. I am glad to see you so strongly advocate a change 
from the present system, for upon that so much depends 
whether the future ones will be supported. If judges were 
appointed by the committees, instead of being the mere 
nominees of one or two, as I fear is too often the case ; or 
if gentlemen judges would refuse to act with dealers, the 
i managers would not risk the responsibility of appointing 
' de.alers only; but from our best judges refusing, many are 
i induced to act with dealers, for the popularity, that are not 
at all competent to judge, without thinking the great harm 
they are doing such societies. 
The quantity of pens to be inspected, I think, might be 
reduced, by judges for tlie Cochin, Spanish, Dorking, and 
Malay, and another set of Judges for the other varieties. 
The two last years’ show at Birmingham were 
1851. —Coc)iin. Malay, Spanish, and Dorking- 349 pens. 
Other Varieties of Fowl. 314 ,, 
1852. —Cochin, Malay, Spani-sh, and Dorking- 491 ,, 
Other Varieties of Fowl. 52/ ,, 
giving a very fair division on these two years’ show'. 
The time for exhibition, I think, could not be reduced to 
less than four days; one receiving, judging, private view, 
and public view. 
The now feature of public auction might be advantageously 
introduced as regards the prize pens, for on several occa¬ 
sions I have found them sold a few mmutes after the doors 
were opened to some having superior information; and 
it would give the owner some chance of claiming his fowl 
again, and would take very little time at the private view.— 
An Amateur. 
Sales ry Auction at Poultry Shows. —The sale by 
auction at the Metropolitan Show', taking it all in all, was, 
no doubt, a miserable atfair, and pronounced by many a 
complete failure: enhancing, in some instances, the inti-rests 
of a few, but generally tendmg to tlie detriment of the 
majority. It was, however, quite a new feature in iioultry 
exhibitions, and its originality should not, I think, be too 
hastily condemned, at any rate not in into. It is almost 
impossible, under the,Birmingham system, to obtain even a 
commended pen, as all the best birds are claimed shortly 
after the opening of the doors of Bingley Hall, and many 
of them at one-fourth of the price which they woidd have 
commanded under the hammer. I believe that I am ex¬ 
pressing the wishes of many influential exhibitors, by 
suggesting, that only the prize and commended pens bo sub¬ 
mitted to public competition ; and the time selected for the 
purpose should naturally be when most of the amateurs 
would be present. A sale of this kind would not occupy 
more than a couple of hours, and ought not in any way to 
interfere with the disposal of the other pens, which could 
be earned on as heretofore. 
It appears to me that it would be nothing more than just 
and fair, both to the exhibitor and the purchaser, to adopt 
some method by which the owner can obtain the full value 
of his specimens, and all have an equal chance of obtaining 
the winning birds, and it was, no doubt, witli this laudable 
view that the Metropolitan Committee conceived the idea of 
a sale by auction. This bold step towards an improvement 
might, I think, with the above modifications, produce the 
desired object, and prove advantageous and satisfactory to 
all lovers of the feathered race. Should these few' lines 
meet the eye of any of your readers who may coincide with 
my views, I tmst it may induce them to make some further 
and improved suggestions on this subject, w'hich my homely 
occupations will not allow me time fully to digest, and of 
which mj- want of experience in this new' branch of domestic 
and agricultural industry renders me but an incompetent 
agitator. Incognito. 
Spanish Fowls at Truro and Penzance Shows. —It is 
but fair to Mr. Peck, of Wigan, to state that the birds lie- 
longing to Mr. Lawrence, which took the first prizes at the 
above-named exhibitions, were from the stock of Mr. Peck, 
and not from that of Capt. Hornby. Our reporter was 
misinformed. 
Metropoijtan Snow. — In your notice of the Great 
Metropolitan Poultry Exhibition, in your number for 
January 20th, you give me credit as the sole originator, 
which has given Mr. Houghton offence, and wishing to do 
justice to him, it is certainly due to our indefatigable 
secretary, to state, and I have pleasure in so doing, that had 
he not oti’ered the Oval at Kennington, for the purpose, to a 
friend of mine, and who referred him to me, knowing my 
desire, with others, to have a London Poultry Exhibition, 
no show would have taken place this year. Although the 
Oval had many objections, being the only available place, 
I immediately consulted my active neighbour, Mr. Fletcher, 
and soon formed a small, but “ hurd-worhimj committee," to 
which you have in vei-y kind and approving terms alluded, 
in consequence of the great success with w'hich its labours 
were crowned. 
Having now given our indefatigable secretary his due 
praise, he. cannot escape without censure for not looking 
more strictly into the covenants of his lease, which pro¬ 
hibited any exhibition being held at the Oval; thus deceiv- i 
ing all parties, and compelling the committee, at great 
increased expense and trouble, and to the inconvenience of 
the exhibitors, to postpone the show for ten days, until the 
Bazaar could be got ready. H. Gilbert. 
