December 2o. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
227 
It is fair to suppose that the judges, after spending j 
eleven mortal hours by themselves in the vast building, 
and scanning every class, pen and bird, as closely as 
knowledge and experience will enable them, are well 
qualified to speak of the exhibition as a whole. Let 
them do so for themselves. 
“The Judges of the Poultry Department have ab¬ 
stained from any commendatory notice of the different 
classes, until the conclusion of their work. ! 
“ They now deem it their duty to record, that with the j 
exception of the Black Cochins, they have never seen the j 
Show equalled.’’ 
But there may be some who would like to know more 
about weights in those classes where that quality is 
most essential. We will begin with 
Oeese. —And here lot us mark a curious fact. Four 
years’ since, the White Geese carried all before them for 
a time, especially those of the Rev. John Robinson, 
'.rhese were eclipsed by brown birds, belonging to IVIrs. 
; Towneley Parker. Mr. Breavington came to the rescue 
of the white, and then gave jjlace to IMessrs. Davies and 
\ Edwards, and 'Mrs. H. Fookes, who have everywhere 
! showed grey and mottled birds of greater weight than 
i the white. 
[ lbs. lbs. lbs. 
First Prize Pen of White Gander 21^ Geese 20 19^- 
j Second ditto ditto 18’^ Ditto 1(! 
! Third ditto ditto 10 Ditto 14 15 
I First Prize Pen of Grey Gander 25 Geese 24T 24 
Second ditto ditto 23 Ditto 20 10 
, Third ditto ditto 22 Ditto 20 18 
j Aylesbury Ducks were not so heavy as at Dorchester, 
the first prize pen weighed 204tbs., the second 20lbs., 
and the third 28jlhs. '^fhe average of the commended 
pens was above 251bs., giving G;^lbs. for each duck. A 
I few years since 4flbs. was considered a large one, and 
! let it be borne in mind this increase in weight is en¬ 
tirely caused by shows having directed attention to the 
' subject. 
In adult Turkeys the three birds in the first prize pen 
weighed 5541bs., second 52Mbs., third 51 lbs. 
We have been accustomed, for some years, to witness 
the interest taken in poultry ; but we were not prepared 
for such an attendance as was seen at Bingley Hall in 
the show week. Let numbers speak. 
The recorded entrances exceeded 35,000 people, and 
the money taken at the doors amounted to T 1,592. 
Seventy bags of food were consumed by the poultry, ex¬ 
clusive of bread, &c. 
As usual, every member of the Committee was at his 
post, and every effort was made to ensure satisfaction 
! to all. 
THE BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 
From various sources we have received the following 
' notes, relative to this recent great Exhibition. 
I It appears that the judges were divided into two par- 
■ ties, and to each party were submitted different classes 
' of fowls, as follows ;— 
I H iMBURGU, POLISH, GAME {including Classes for single Code) •, 
\ MALAY, Class Forty-three; and COTTAGERS’ POULTRY:— 
I The Reverend WILLIAM WRIOTHESLEY WINGFIELD, Gulval 
■ Vicarage, Penzance. 
HENRY HINXMAN, Esq., Durnford House, Salisbury. 
Mr. THOMAS CHALLONER, Burnt Leys, Whitwell, near Worltsop, 
Notts. 
DORKING, SPANISH, COCHIN-CHINA, BRAHMA POOTRA {in¬ 
cluding Classes for Single Cocks); B.iNTAMS, GFIESE, DUCKS, 
and TURKEYS-,— 
The Reverend ROBERT PULLEINE, the Rectory, Kirby Wiske, 
near Thirsk. 
GEORGE JAMES ANDREWS, Esq., Dorchester. 
Mr. JOHN BAILY, Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, London. 
It would be better, we think, to divide the judges into 
j three parties. Let each party have one-third of the 
classes submitted to them; and when they had selected 
all the pens which they considered worthy of ]U’izes, or 
commendations, then for the whole of the six judges 
to sit in judgment, as to how the prizes and commenda 
tions should be appropriated to the pens selected in 
each class. 
The Game classes, we noticed last week, as being very 
superior. “All varieties,” says the MUllaml Herald, 
“ were especially good, but the old fault seems still per¬ 
sisted in by thoughtless exhibitors, to their own inevi¬ 
table loss and discomfiture, and causing endless increase 
of toil and exertion to tlie Committee of Management. 
\Ve allude to the extreme folly of placing fowls unknown 
to each other, or only partially acquainted, in the same 
pen. At the outset, they appear, it is readily admitted, 
perfectly at home with each other; but the slightest ten¬ 
dency around them to quarrel instantly induces the 
most fearful and totally unmanageable pugnacity among 
those thus only recently acquainted ; and injury whicli 
cannot he made good by the most anxious and extended 
after care takes place in the interval of only a few se 
conds. Strange to say, the hens are decidedly the most 
impulsive and expeditious in this “ scalping ” process ; 
and we especially noticed a valuable hen that was ac¬ 
tually torn from the body to the very top of the head, 
from a single blow by one of her infuriated female as¬ 
sociates, although parties were in the very act of taking 
her aw'ay. To be safe from such certain contingencies, 
all fowls should have been accustomed to each other, at 
the least, for the space of one month prior to exhibition. 
On entering the Exhibition, the remarkable cleanli¬ 
ness and comfort which pervaded the whole of the 
Poultry was the universal theme of congratulation, and 
' proved what the untiring determination of Mr. Edward 
Hewitt could effect. Early and late at his post, he en¬ 
forced the strictest attention to their duties of all placed 
under his authority; and the result proved that, though 
I decidedly one of the largest and most valuable collec¬ 
tions that have yet been placed under the public eye, 
1 everything was carried out with a care and rectitude that 
we but rarely witness, even at the most limited of our 
j Poultry Exhibitions.” 
I The nine Silver Prize Cups were manufactured by 
Messrs. Mapplebeck and Lowe, of the Bull-ring, Bir¬ 
mingham. 'J’he general form of each cup is Grecian, 
! the base surrounded by a fillet of the acanthus leaf, 
and the echinus, the stem being relieved by a boldly- 
moulded boss, enriched by the bead ornament. The 
latter is repeated on the edge of the cover, which is snr- 
I mounted by a tasteful floral group in frosted silver. On 
; one side of the cup is a panel, containing a group of 
\ poultry, with a background of farm-buildings, in basso 
relievo, encircled by a wreath composed of ears of barley, 
which also forms the border of the space on the oppo¬ 
site side, appropriated to the customary inscription re¬ 
cording the name of the successful exhibitor, together 
with tlie class in which the honourable distinction at 
the bestowal of the judges has been gained. Mr. Ottley, 
the medallist of the Exhibition, offered a gold medal of 
the value of ten guineas, as an extra prize for the best 
pen of Polish fowl of any colour. The figures of the birds 
introduced upon the obverse are, of course, those of the 
breeds for which the premium is offered. The reverse 
contains a figure of Justice holding a sword and balance, 
together with a circular shield, on which her decision 
was recorded. Mr. Ottley likewise produced a silver 
medal, of the large dimensions of 2;} inches diameter, to 
he taken by such of the gainers of first prizes as may 
prefer it to the ,£3 money premium, which it equals in 
value. The subject of the obverse is a group of jmultry, 
consisting of Cochin, Dorking, Spanish, Hamburgh, 
Polish, and Game fowl; the reverse bearing a wreath of 
ears of wheat and barley intertwined. 
