February 3. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
sullyiii" their plumage, if by rmy chauce the fowls happen 
to rest up it, or (afier stepping among it), tread upon eacli 
each other. If tlius treated, no fear of poultry becoming 
“crop-hound” need ever he entertained, even during a 
somewhat prolonged contimonent; hut slmuld tlie interval 
exceed two or three days, a lilllc hard corn, after tlie first 
forty-eight hours, may he cautimisly and xpuriiifili/ permitted, 
as, if not given to excess, it may tend to invigorate. In 
excrssivrhj cold ircatitcr, should such liappen during the 
sliow, nothing will jirove a more useful stimulant than 
common bread steeped with ale that is not adulterated. If, 
therefore, exhibitors will, themselves, adopt the plan of 
giving oiihf soft food for, at least, six or eight hours previous 
to despatch, and committees adopt the plan we have sug¬ 
gested, likewise, the all-prevalent complaints of fowls 
returning with exhlhilion fever’’ will soon be altogether 
iliscontiniied. 
It is, also, decidedly preferable not to permit excessive 
feeding on haidey, wheat, or the like di i) corn, iminedi.ileli/ 
on the return of poultry, as the digestive functions are oft- 
times temporarily impaired from their late inactivity; and 
this more especially ap[)lies where the owner’s “wallc” is of 
limited dimensions, as, on the other hand, an extensive 
“grass run” necessitates a far less rigid attention, dean 
water is (piite indispensable during their incarceration. 
We must briefly allude to another ju-evalent evil at 
shows of poultry, viz .:—diaiojhta of cold air. Scarcely any¬ 
thing injures fowls more seriously than being subjected to 
its chilling inllucnces while compelled to remain inactive, 
' and, therefore, a little care is not ill-bestowed to prevent it 
I altogether. A digression condemnatory of oi*en wicker 
baskets for travelling seems here allowable, more especiidly 
as poultry sometimes remain for whole hours on a cold 
I windy platform awaiting the train ; the injm-y//ocs inflicted 
{ on unprotected fowls none hut the experienced can ap¬ 
preciate, more particularly wheie birds are so unfortunate 
' as to he placed on the tops of railway carriages. 
; The “handling,” or “i)enning,” and “ repacking ” the 
fowls is well worthy of every cai'e and attention. Many 
instances have taken place where want of tact, or downright 
carelessness, has ruined a valuable fowl for ever; nor does 
this apply c.vcinsively to the more tender varieties; for we 
well recollect being present when a careless, impatient 
subordinate siezed an .adult Dorking cock, that had just 
been purchased at a large sum (we were informed X'lO), 
and in the struggle that ensued, from holding the bird by 
one leg (!), the thigh w.as broken <lo!te to the body, in one- 
hundredth part of the time it has taken the reader to 
peruse our statement. It is, perhaps, as well liere to 
mention, all fowls should, invariably, he taken hold of 
rouml the body with both hands, the wings, being, of course, 
kept closed. Simple as those matters may appear at the | 
onset, it is these little items (well managed, or carelessly 
attended to.) that make good, or for ever mar, the credit of 
an exhibition. Exhibitors will narrowly canvass the state 
in which poultry is returned, and, where their condition is 
deteriorated, are not generally at all backward in dis¬ 
seminating ])articulars hut ill-calculated to improve the \ 
prospect of future years. If, on the contrary, all goes well, 
present success will constantly ensure future advancement. 
GREAT NORTHERN EXHIBITION OF 
DOMESTIC POULTRY. 
It is very rarely we have witnessed any Poultry Show [ 
carried out with the spirit and energy of the one held in 
the New M.arket Hall, at Doncaster, on the :2drd and 2Ith 
of Janu.iry. The building itself is well calculated for the 
; purposes to which it was tlms temporarily devoted, being 
: alike, lofty, spacious, and well ventilated. Of the committee 
we need say no more, than that with parties so deteimined 
I to fulfil their respective duties the success of the exhi- 
j hition was umpiestionable ; and thus, from year to year, its 
I progressive improvement has been the subject of general 
i congratulation. Each one of these gentlemen v, as “always | 
I to be found,” attending to the self-imposed duties of his 
i particular department, nothing whatever being left to sub- 
I ordinates without their constant and special supervision; 
309 ‘ 
therefore, the whole management offered a striking and 
pleasing contrast to the indifference and snpineness Ave 
sometimes meet Avith on like occasions. 'I'o this cause 
chielly do Ave .assign the fact of this their fourth annual 
meeting far surp.assing, in importance and excellence, unij 
of those that have preceded it; and Ave strongly recommend 
similar orticr and rei/nlarity as a most important feature, 
1 t hough by far too generally overlooked, wherever enterprises 
of a similar character are projected. 
One very obvious peculiarity of this meeting over those 
formerly held at Doncaster, Avas the universal superiority of 
the whole of the poultry exhibited. Instead of their being 
only a fcAV excellent specimens standing out in positive 
relief from their felloAvs, as heretofore, the subject of general 
remark among visitors Avas, that Avhole classes might be 
carefully inspected Avilhout liuding a single group that were 
not highly meriloiious. 
The Spanish, classes, speaking of them as a Avhole, were 
very good indeed, but Ave could not help noticing many 
that Avere exhibited very inferior in “condition,” though 
■ otherwise excellent. It is a great pity amateurs do not 
. carefully attend to this particular, as it Avould prevent end¬ 
less disappointment to themselves, and relieve them, like- 
Avise, of a variety of losses from imprisoning fowls Avhilst 
thus Aveakened in general constitution. We were informed, 
j by a most respectable byestander, that various pens of 
poultry competing at Doncaster had been previously sub¬ 
jected to the trying ordeal of incarceration at five dif¬ 
ferent shows, in only six or seven Aveeks ! Such hardships 
no /aids can possibly endure, without yreat injury to their yencral 
well-being, whether we consider their individnal success in prize 
taking, or the product ion of first-class chickens the ensuing 
breeding season. It is to the general debility tbus pu'oduced 
Ave can confidently ascribe the very commonly-deplored-mis- 
I haps of shelless eggs, or puny offspring 
The Grey J)orkinys Avere, as a class, good, but the prize 
• birds Avere not equal to those avo noAV-a days expect to meet 
Avith. The ll’kite Dorkings, on the contrary, Avere decidedly 
suiierioi-. 
: The first prize Cochin chickens (Duff or Cinnamon), were 
’ very greatly admired, and exhibited in general health and 
' feather that it Avas impossible to improve. The Dartridge- 
feathered Cochins Avere very indifferent ; and here a prize 
Av.as, consequently, Avithheld. The f'.lack. White, or Gray, 
Avere e(|ually distant fi’om perfection. 
Of ^^alays, only two pens conqietiMl; the prize, as will be 
seen, being awarded to fowls that had travelled for this 
occasion from the distant locality of Wellington, Somerset. 
We now make mention of the classes that Avere the glory 
of the Doncaster Exhibition—the Game. Every variety 
Avas Avell represented, and, from the extreme superiority of 
the Avhole, our remarks must be mostly general. This 
neighbourhood stands in high renown for its devotion to the 1 
cockpit, and wo, consequently, anticipated great rivalry ; nor I 
Avere we disappointed; hut among the local exhibitors not a 1 
few instances occurred of owners completely “throwing I 
away the piize,” by paying no attention Avbatever to the j 
matching the colour of the legs in the respective pens. | 
Although Ave have so frequently alluded to this neglect on • 
the part of amateurs, its constant recurrence compels us 
again to state, no hope can he held out of success Avhei'o 
G.ame fowls are thus carelessly selected. We Avere some- 
Avhat amused by tlie singular appearance of many of the 
hens, Avhich had been as carefully “ dublied ” ns tbeir male 
companions, and must add our own individual opinion, that 
hoAvever cnstoniary in Yorkshire for brood hens, the practice 
is very far from attractive for exhibition birds, and by no 
means calculated to improve their ultimate success Avhere i 
competition runs closely. We are informed, however, the 
.Tudges did not make any comment on this peculiarity ; nor 
did Ave, in hastily levieAving them, notice any pen thus 
mutilated that obtained honourable mention beyond high 
commendation. In the Black and Red Game (whether 
adults or chickens), the competition Avas very extensive, the 
two classes containing 181 most excellent pens. In the 
aged birds, our attention was instantly directed to the first- 
prize (single) cock at Birmingham, here mated to a pair of 
Avorthy female companions, and again successful in securing 
for its present owner the highest premium. In the second- 
prize adult pen, the male bird struck us as the most gor- 
