08 
THE COTTAGE GAllDENER. 
Novejikeu C. 
! both pleasing and comfortable, and the hearty expressions 
! of good will tendered to him by all, while they must liave 
been highly gratifying, were an earnest of continued support. 
The Judges were H. Hinxman, Esq., Durriford, Salis¬ 
bury; E. Hewitt. Esq., Birmingham; and Mr. Baily, 
London. 
THE BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 
{From the Midland Counties Herald.) 
The forthcoming Show will be the seventh held since the 
foundation of the Society; and while in former years we 
liave had the gratification to congratulate its iiromoters— 
and no less the exhibitors in all departments—upon the 
increasing excellence of the distday from year to year, 
there is no reason whatever to suppose that the Meeting in 
December next will give less satisfactory proofs of progress. 
The Prize Lists for Domestic Poultry afford conclusive 
evidence that the Council are determined to maintain this 
part of their Show in the high position which it has reached, 
and to deal liberally with the exhibitors. Comparing the lists 
of 1854 and 1805, we find that there is an increase in the 
gross amount offered for prizes this year, as compared with 
the last, of TO!) 8s.; the totals, exclusive of extra classes, 
cottagers’ prizes, &c., being A‘:382 2s. in 1851, and i,T51 10s. 
in 1855. This increase has been disposed of partly in the 
substitution of Silver Cups, of the value of ten guineas each, 
for vases of the value of seven guineas. Nine of these cups 
are offered this year, namely, for the best pen of Pencilled 
Hamburgh, Spangled Hamburgh, Polish, Spanish, Dorking, 
Cochin-China, Game, and Gold or Silver Bantams ; and for 
the best four pens of Pigeons of different varieties, to be 
exhibited specially for this j)rize. Tlie addition of the Ban¬ 
tams and Pigeons to the list for extra distinctions has been 
most favourably received by amateurs ; and it is expected 
that the entries of Pigeons wilt, in consequence, be greatly 
increased in number, and that a finer collection will be t 
brought together than on any previous occasion in this 
country. Mr. Ottlcy, the medallist, also offers a gold medal, 
value ten ijuineas, for the best pen of Polish Eowls, to be 
selected from alt the classes of this beautiful variety; and the 
fortunate winner of the medal will also carry off one of the 
Silver Cups—two distinctions greatly exceeding in value any 
prize which has been hertofore offered for competition. A 
second class has this year been added for Geese, the first 
being devoted to whites, and the other to grey and mottled birds 
I —a division which the experience of the last Show proved to 
be absolutely necessary. Another change has been made, i 
which will certainly lead to an increase in the sales of Poultry I 
—a matter of much importance to all who are interested in the j 
i success of these meetings. It is explained as follows in the | 
j Prize Sheet:—“ The Council have determined, in order to en- ! 
I courage the sales of Poultry as much as possible, to permit ( 
I the division of the birds in each pen, so far as to allow of the 
j cock, or the three hens, being sold to different persons. 
' The price of the cock, and of the three hens, separately, 
; must 1)0 stated upon the certificate of entry, in accordance 
! witli the instructions issued therewitli.” Since the 1‘rize 
: Lists were published, in Eebruary last, attention has been 
I drawn to tlie fact that no authoi’ity is given to the Judges of 
' Poultry to decide upon the correctness or otherwise of the 
ages of fowls, as entered in the certificates; and this subject 
j was brought hefora the General Purposes Committee, at a 
j meeting held on Tliursday last, wheji the subjoined resolution 
j was unanimously adopted :—“ That it be an instruction to the 
.Judges of I’oultry to take into consideration the ages of the 
fowls sent for competition, as set forth from the certi- ! 
ficates in the books prepared for their guidance; and if 
perfectly satisfied that in any case the ago has been incor¬ 
rectly stated, to disqualify such fowls. And that no apjioals 
- from the decisions of the Judges shall be entertained, either 
with regard to disqualifications on account of age, or in 
1 consequence of tlie entries having been made in a wrong 
' class, or upon any other grounds whatsoever.” This regnla- 
tion will assimilate the practice in the Poultry Show with 
I that which has been in operation fi’om the comniencenient 
j with regard to Stock ; and although we have no grounds for 
1 Buspocting that any misreproaontations are contemplated or 
will b 9 made, it waa uec-essary that the Judges shnuld bo 
armed with power to deal with and cheek any possible 
irregularities in an essential particular. We shall give 
further particulars next week. 
N.B.—The entries close on the 10th of this month. 
PIGEONS AT THE ANERLEY POULTRY SHOW. 
In your impression of the 10th ult. your correspondent, 
“ Mr. B. P. Beent,” gives me credit, in part ,for my remarks, 
some three weeks since, on the above subject; but ditters 
with me in the most essential point, that of the Judge’s 
decision; inasmuch, as he considers Mr. Eaton’s jrens all 
contained high fancy birds, viz.. Carriers, Pouters, Almonds 
and Black Mottles. I admit (according to the entry) they 
were high fancy birds by name, but by name only; as I beg 
to inform Mr. B. P. Brent, for his future guidance, that the 
pen of birds, which he calls Carriers, were nothing more 
than inferior Horsemen ; and those termed by him Black 
Mottles (at any rate, the cock bird), was what any expe¬ 
rienced fancier would designate a Griggle or Splash (cer¬ 
tainly not a Mottle); and I still maintain, that as there were 
other birds exhibited which were far superior of their land 
to those abovementioned, they were most certainly fairly 
entitled to the award. Had the Committee specified that 
four pens of birds, similar to those exhibited by Mr. Eaton, 
were to be shown for the cup, the Judge could have given 
no other decision than that which he arrived at; but as the 
Committee offered the prize for the best four pens o/' any 
varieties, it is quite clear it was the province of the Judge to 
award it to the best four jiair of birds of their respective 
kinds, be they what they might. 
As I have before stated, there were several gentlemen 
present (one of whom has been a fancier for the last fifty 
years) who are quite willing to bear testimony to what I 
have stated.— Jones Peecivael. 
[We think all the good that can be hoped for in this dis¬ 
cussion is attained, and it had better cease.—En. C. G.] 
SPANISH AND PfJLAND EOWLS. 
Yotje correspondent “ Senex” fancies lie sees a loop-hole 
in the communication of “ W.,” and, therefore, has a shot at 
him. Will you allow me to have a shot at each of them ? 
I agree with “ Senex ” tha t Minorcas, so called, are but ill- 
bred Spanish ; but I must differ entirely with him respect¬ 
ing his assertion, that it is “ unquestionable that in every 
brood, or even from the best parents, there will bo almost 
as many red as white faced, or, at least, very partially white.” 
I should at once come to the conclusion that “ Senex” cannot 
liave lieen a great breeder of Spanish fowls, or, at any rate, 
that they cannot have been bred from the best parents; my 
experience so totally denies the fact. Eor some years past, 
I have annually bred a large number of Spanish chicken, 
and I have not, in any instance, bred what would be termed 
a red-faced bird, ami such as are usually called IMinorcas, 
from birds possessing any merit whatever as exhibition 
birds. I am free to confess that all the chicken are not of 
equal merit, and that many may be produced from first- 
class birds which would be useless to exhibitors; but the 
parent stock must be poor, indeed, when the stock produced 
have “ red or very partially white faces.” I have now a 
great number of Spanish chicken, which are the produce of 
my own stock, and from which no inferior bird has yet been 
withdrawn, and I cannot find one chick whicli would come 
under the tonn “red-faced,” tho.ugh I am not so sanguine as 
to believe that all will be as thoroughly white around the 
eye as to make what arc termed first-class stock. 
And now let me just add one word to “ W.” as regards 
the character of J'o/rt/nA, which he states are belter suited 
to the aviary than the purposes of economy. They arc, 
and have heen, proverbi.ally good layers, which jioint is the 
greatest desideratum for parties who wish to make poultry 
remunerative, without regal’d to fancy. I keep a large num- 
her of this class of birds, and find they jiroducc quite above 
the average f|uaiUity of eggs,—O j^e in the IUjsO, 
