426 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 6. 
, Nor have the public been neglected:—to say nothing of 
' those, who, thus instigated by the external beauties of form 
I and plumage there presented to their astonished vision, have 
I zealously enlisted in our ranks : — The poulU-y-consuming 
[ classes, no unimportant fraction of the community, find 
I that their money goes further, and obtains a better article 
than in days of yore. 
More than one of the meetings which will take place at 
I the close of the present year are likely to include “ duad 
I pouUrij " in their prize lists. Now, this would unquestionably 
be most appropriate, ‘ at both Gloucester and I’lymouth; 
though, hapljq from the season of the year, July, at which 
they are likely to be held, it may not be found feasible. 
This bond fide assurance of our earnestness to consider 
the edible wants of the nation should carry us unscathed 
through many a good-natured joke on “extravagant 
manias,” and “ absurd enthusiasm,” provided always the 
specimens prove not merely of aldermanic proportions, but 
with corresponding properties of acknowledged excellence. 
However this may be, on one point we may venture to 
express an earnest hope, that the council of the Royal 
Agricultural Society will not another year so summarily 
abridge the different classes. Let us trust, for instance, that 
we shall see no ''Asiatic class” rivalling in confusion 
“ the great Asiatic mystery” of the author of ‘ Tancred,’—with 
Shanghaes, Brahma Pootras, Bantams, Silk Fowls, Malays, 
ct id genus omne, huddled indiscriminately together. 
From the expression, "fanner's jioiiltry," to which it is 
announced that premiums will be awarded, we should pre¬ 
sume that it is in contemplation to draw a bold line of de¬ 
marcation between such birds as are to be considered valu¬ 
able in an economical point of view, and such as are dis¬ 
tinguished for appearance only. 
The result of tlie Lewes show rendered some such step 
inevitable; and though the task is not to be coveted, we have 
reason to believe that those to whom it is likely to be en¬ 
trusted are as equal to the work as any men in England. 
If our surmises be correct, we wish them well through it, 
though, probably, when their programme is announced, 
however excellent, both generally and in detail, some more 
earnest support than kind wishes may very possibly be 
needed. 
The Shnnghac, whatever questions are now at issue re¬ 
specting his merits as a farmer’s bird, must have his place, 
even if no higher ground were taken than the necessity of 
a more careful enquiry into his alleged merits than be has 
yet obtained. 
Dorkings, grey and white, will of course receive ample en¬ 
couragement ; and no one will question the wisdom and good 
policy of liberality to this class, which, provided we could 
gain greater constitutional strength, would bear compaiisou 
with any in those points of excellence with which the 
farmer is mainly concerned. 
Many persons are, indeed, sanguine as to the good results 
to be obtained by perseverance in judicious crossing, by 
which we might aim at attaining in one bird the weight and 
plumpness of the Dorking, the early maturity and hardihood 
of the Shanghae, and the laying properties of the Spanish 
and Hamburghs. The case of the short-horn cattle and 
the improved Essex pigs are quoted as cases in point, and 
we would not be thought to discourage such praiseworthy 
attempts when we say that our own past experience, with 
that of our friends, has not hitherto induced us to lay much 
' stress on the advantages to be gained by crossing the 
breeds of fowls as yet known to us. 'We have not had in our 
: own possession any of the Scotch Dorkings, as they are 
called, and which, we are told, are free from those traces of 
constitutional debility so generally apparent in their speckled 
and white relations. The birds shown to us under this 
name appear to have had an infusion of black-breasted red- 
game blood, which would, of course, tend materially to 
remedy the defect hitherto complained of; but how far their 
jirogeny may retain this character we should hesitate to 
pronounce upon, since cross-bred fowls have invariably been 
found by us to revert quickly to the habits and character of 
oni; or other of the original parents. 
From the high enconiums passed on the Pencilled Ham- 
biirghs as layers, we should expect to see them included in 
the list of farm-yard poultry ; the exclusion, therefore, of 
I Spanish, which undoubtedly lay an equal number and a 
heavier weight of eggs in the course of the year, and 
usually, moreover, at a season when better prices are attain¬ 
able, would be difficult. 
Nor, on the same ground, would general assent be given 
to the closing of the lists against the Spangled Hamburghs, 
and the Polands, both of which we have found equally good 
as layers with the Pencilled Hamburghs. The Polands espo 
cially, from their excellence as table fowls, would deserve 
a fair trial, though considered as delicate in constitution. 
When we come to Game fowls, the difficulty seems on the 
increase, for this race abready constitutes a considerable 
! portion of feathered live stock of many a farm-yard; and 
I their owners, therefore, would naturally look aghast at 
finding them banished from the catalogue of agricultural 
poultry—not but that we must admit that, however beau 
tiful in appearance, and excellent as sitters and nurses, few 
^ birds have less claim for favourable consideration in a 
i strictly economical point of view. 
I As regards Turkeys, Geese, and Ducks, present arrange- 
; ments would require little, if any, alteration; but we would 
' plead for the admission of Pigeons, which we conceive are 
no less generally a portion of farm-yard stock than they are 
confessedly in need of improvement. The introduction of 
i some larger breeds might render the dovecot a far more ■ 
j lucr.ative matter than it can be now considered. But it is 
I far from our wish to create difficulties, or raise objections 
I to the course apparently indicated by the terms in which ! 
the Royal Agricultural Society has announced its intention [ 
of appropriating TTOO to prizes for poultry at its ensuing 
Gloucester meeting. The more difficult and thankless a 
task awaits those to whom has been enti’usted the drawing 
up of the prize list on that occasion, so much the greater- 
claim will they have both on the forbearance and co-opera¬ 
tion of poultry-keepers in general. 
A lure will then have to be dr-awn, of which few of those 
who entertain strong opinions oir the peculiar merits of 
their own stock will at fir-st be disposed to approve, however 
open to conviction when the questiorr has once been fairly 
tested. 
At the risk of being charged with repetition, we must yet 
refer- to one or two points which have occurred to us as 
likely to influence the success of this as of all other- exhi¬ 
bitions of poultry; at any rate, they deserve full consi¬ 
deration at the present time, before the arrangements have ' 
been finally decided on. j 
Would it rrot be prrrdeut to put an end to all future dis¬ 
cussions as to the issue of catalogues, by enforcing, in every 
case, a rigid rrrle, that none should leave the printer's hands 
till the awards are announced ! In many matters it is easier 
to avoid the most trivial grounds of complaint than to 
explain theirr afterwards. 
Another regulation that we worrld see put in force is, that 
beyond the assistants to the judges, to be selected from 
persoirs who carr fully be relied on, and those who are 
employed to feed the birds, no one should be pernutted to be 
present while the judges are at work. Mirch cavilling and 
discontent has arisen from the garbled statements of persons 
then in the room—remarks often imperfectly heard, con¬ 
stantly misunderstood, and, nine times out of ten, repeated 
abroad with much exaggeration. 
A better system of feeding will be acknowledged by all as 
now required; and we need not add our opinion in favour 
of a linutaliun of the period dm-iug which the poulti-y are 
now often kept hi their pens. 
This leads us to consider how far Messrs. .Tessop’s recom¬ 
mendation for exhibiting in baskets may bo deserving of 
adaptation. We presume its advocates would rest their 
ease principally on two points—the avoidance of mistakes 
in transferring birds from their travelling abode to the 
e.xhibition pen: and the economy to the society in not 
having to provide the latter. As regards the first, we 
cannot but think that ordinary attention to the regulations 
and numbers of the pens, as given on the card sent witli 
the hamper, would be amply sufficient to avoiil such errors 
on the part of attendants. At any rate, competent per¬ 
sons might easily be found to whose hands this work 
might safely be entrusted. As to the argument of eco¬ 
nomy to the society by its not being called upon to provide 
the usual pens ; we might answer, that such pens are now 
usually the property of the society, and are ready for use at 
