232 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 8. 
we fancy times and circumstances are against us, let us look 
within, and see whether there is not “ an accursed thing ” in 
the midst of our hearts, before we set off, in search of trea¬ 
sure, to other lands. 
ON KEEPING FOWLS FOR PLEASURE. 
Among all my friends and acquaintance who keep fowls 
for family use, I believe there is not one from whom I do not 
hear' frequent complaints of large consumption of corn, and 
small production of eggs—very great expence and very little 
return; and I think this absence of success mainly arises 
from the fowls not receiving the small amount of care and 
attention which is absolutely necessary to produce a good 
result. In many families, where a small live stock only is 
kept, the care of them devolves on all the members of the 
family alike, or—to word it more correctly, perhaps, I might 
as well say—on nobody. Now I wish to see this pleasant, 
healthful, and certainly not unladylike, branch of domestic 
economy attended to—carefully attended to—by the young 
ladies and little girls of families in the middle ranks of 
society. I am quite sure my pretty countrywomen (and that 
they are pretty is confessed by every foreigner who speaks 
upon the subject) would find it conducive to health, activity, 
and cheerfulness, to he thus led out into the fresh morning 
air for half-an-hour, or a little more, every tolerably fine 
day in the year, and with such attention the poultry of our 
land would not, I hope, so often receive, witli justice, the 
ungrateful character of giving no return to those whose corn 
they eat. 
Nor is this closely-watching nature in her living children 
less healthful to mind than body. Our young ladies have 
many less innocent and less improving, as well as less 
healthy, employments. Even the language of the hen-yard 
is interesting to the observant lover of nature. The voca¬ 
bulary of a vigilant, aft'ectionate, gallant cock, is as expres¬ 
sive as it is diversified. Who can possibly misunderstand 
the sharp, shrill cry, with which he recognises any unusual 
sight or sound, and warns his companions of the approach 
of danger? The low, affectionate cooing with which he 
greets his favourite liens, the melancholy cadence of his 
crow if separated from them, his friendly call to them at 
feeding-time, and his * more energetic summons on finding 
some morsel particularly nice to offer them, are all as 
unmistakeable as the plainest English. Nor are the hens 
behind then lords in conversational powers. When an egg is 
likely to be laid, a peculiar, uneasy, complaining sound gives 
warning; when it is produced, they sing a song of triumph ; 
when they desire to sit, another note makes their wishes 
known; which note undergoes an evident change when the 
sitter first hears the chirrup of the chicken within the egg¬ 
shell, some little time before this sound is perceptible to less 
interested listeners ; and when she leads her chickens forth 
there is no end to her talk and its varieties. Surely these 
creatures, so peculiar in their habits as to be often referred 
to in God’s holy Word, are not beneath our notice, and the 
notice of the intelligent, simple-minded, liome-loving young 
women of England ? 
I think it is shrewd old William Cobbett who remarks the 
improvement to the character of cottagers’ children which is 
likely to arise from the care of animals, and the kindness 
and fondness which they are sure to feel towards their 
favourites ; now I am of opinion that it is not only cottagers' 
children who may, in the care of poultry, receive useful 
lessons in patience, good-humour, and the love of order. 
If fowls are not noticed, and treated with patient kindness, 
they will never display the tractable tameness which so 
much diminishes the trouble of taking charge of them, 
especially when sitting and rearing chickens, and without 
order and cleanliness in all the arrangements, they mil be 
neither happy nor healthy, handsome nor productive. 
T lie time occupied need not be considerable, particularly 
when we come to consider, on the one hand, the benefit to 
health from this out-of-door exercise, and on the other, that 
the feeding may at any time be temporarily confided, always 
under superveillance, to any lad or young girl who is trust¬ 
worthy. Half-an-hour before breakfast to let out the poultry 
and spread their food, a few minutes at noon to mix and 
feed, and half-an-hour towards evening to feed again, and 
see them counted and safe to roost; this is all the time 
which need be occupied for nine months in the year. During 
the spring quarter the sitters and the mother-hens, with 
their young broods, require rather earlier attention, more 
frequent feeding, and a little more care. 
Neither is it in many families a circumstance to be entirely 
overlooked, that this may be a cheap amusement. True, 
those who delight in choice and handsome creatures may 
indulge their fancy by rearing the showy Malay, the noble 
Spanish, the pretty Poland, the trim-built every-day-laver, 
or the magnificent Cochin-China; but the soft, tender downi¬ 
ness of the twittering little chicks, and the pleasure of 
watching their development, like the fresh, innocent beauty 
of young children, is not confined to any race, and common 
cocks and hens are not expensive. 
In thus recommending that the care of the poultry should 
be confided to the younger members of families, I would 
not, of course, be understood to wish that those who from 
their stations in life are expected to be educated, refined, 
and delicate, should busy themselves in their hen-houses 
with shovel and broom, or expose themselves to the in¬ 
clemency of cold, rainy weather; but what I wish to advo¬ 
cate is, that where the well-being and comfort of live 
creatures are at stake, they should become the charge of 
one member of the family—one both willing and able to 
attend to their comfort, to see to their feeding, to direct the 
necessary degree of cleanliness, and in all things to take 
care that they receive the regular attention and kind, treatment 
so absolutely necessary to produce success, while at the 
same time this little attention to a branch of that home 
economy—home comfort—so dear to every Englishwoman, 
will assist in forming the character so justly appreciated 
in hundreds of thousands of the homes of our dear country. 
Anster Bonn. 
BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES 
EXHIBITION. 
LIST OF POULTRY PRIZES. 
It must not be supposed that each price attached to a 
lien is the value at which it was estimated even by the 
owner. Many of the prices were attached to prevent a sale, 
as one of the Rules of the Exhibition is, that some price 
must be affixed. 
Judges.—T he Rev. E. S. Dixon, Cringleford Hall, near 
Norwich; Mr. J. W. Nutt, York; Mr. Henry Hinxman, 
Durnford House, near Salisbury; Mr. John Baily, Mount 
Street, Grosvenor Square, London. 
Class I.— Spanish. —( Cock and Three Hens.) —First Prize, 1 /. Is., or 
large Silver Medal, Mr. John Henry Peck, Wigan ; price 20 1. Second 
Prize, 10s., Mr. John Henry Peck, Wigan ; 20/. Third Prize, 5s., Mr. 
John W. Ward, Repton ; 10/. 
Class II.—Spanish.—( Pen of Six Chickens). —First Prize, 15s., or 
small Silver Medal, Mr. John Henry Peck, Wigan; 30/. Second Prize, 
10s., Mr. Edward Simons, Dale End, Birmingham; 71. 7s. 
Class III.—Spanish.—( Cock and One Hen.) —Prize, 10s., Mr. John 
Henry Peck, Wigan ; 12/. 10s. 
Class IV.—Dorking.—( Cock and Three Hens.) —First Prize, 1/. Is., 
and Extra Medal, Mr. George Lowe, Smithfield, Birmingham; 2/. 2s. 
Second Prize, 10s., Mr. T. B. Wright, Great Barr, Staffordshire; 6/. 6s. 
Third Prize, 5s., the Hon. and Rev. Stephen Willoughby Lawley, Escrick 
Rectory, near York ; 4/. 
Class V.—Dorking.—( Pen of Six Chickens.) —First Prize, 15s., and 
Extra Medal, the Hon. and Rev. Stephen Willoughby Lawley, Escrick 
Rectory, near York ; 5/. Second Prize, 10s., the Rev. John Hill, the 
Citadel, Hawkstone, Shrewsbury; 10/. Third Prize, Thomas Townley 
Parker, Esq., of Sutton Grange, near St. Helen’s, Lancashire; 3/. 3s. 
Third Prize, Mr. Edward Mander, Park Farm, Beaudesert, Hcnley-in- 
Arden ; 5/., or 21. per couple. 
Class VI.—Dorking.—( Cock and One Hen.) — Extra Prize, 10s., 
Thomas Townley Parker, Esq., Sutton Grange, St. Helen’s, Lancashire; 
2 /. 2s. Extra Prize, 10s., Mr. George Lowe, Smithfield, Birmingham; 
1 /. 10s. Extra Prize, 10s., Mr. George Lowe, Smithfield, Birmingham; 
1 /. Is. 
Class VII.—White Dorking.— (Cock and Three Hens.) —First Prize, 
1/. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mr. Joseph Jennens, Moseley ; 81. 8s. 
Second Prize, 10s., the Right Hon. the Earl Beauchamp, Madresfiehl 
Court, Worcestershire ; 10/. Third Prize, 5s., the Rev. George Hutton, 
Gate Burton, near Gainsborough ; 10s. fid. per couple. 
Class VIII.—White Dorking.— (Pen of Six Chickens.) —First Prize, 
15s., or small Silver Medal, Mr. Nathaniel Antill, Portsca, Hants ; 1/. 10s. 
Class IX.—White Dorking. — ( Cock and One Hen.) —No prize 
awarded. 
Class X.—Cochin China.—( Cock and Three Hens.)—First Prize, 
1 /. Is., and Extra Medal, Mr. George James Andrews, Dorchester; 20/. 
First Prize, 1/. Is., and Extra Medal, Mr. Thomas Sturgeon, Manor 
House, Greys, Essex ; 60/. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. Frederick Charles 
Steggall, Weymouth; 21/. Extra Third Prize, Mr. George James 
Andrews, Dorchester; 20/. 
Class XI.—Cochin China. —(Pen of Six Chickens .)—First Prize, 15s,, 
