454 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Makch 18. 
only cursorily allude to another important disadvantage of 
I concurrent meetings ; viz., the increased difficulty of ob- 
; taining etiicient judges. To some of the less experienced 
i of onr readers tliis may, at first, appear far more easy of 
1 attainment than it has very frequently proved to he; and we 
could (were it advisable so to do) refer to many committees, 
! who, at “ the last push,” have most anxiously appealed to 
; us (after many fruitless applications) to advise them in tlieir 
dilemma. Of course, a different arrangement would have ob¬ 
viated their unexpected and troublesome difficulty altogether. 
We have already entered far more into detail tlian we at 
first intended, and will, therefore, summarily conclude with 
i our convictions as to poultry shows in general. If prevented 
(by pre-management) from interfering with each other, no 
doubt a successful issue is open to all who attempt them ; 
but if interests clash by holding them simidtaneoiisly, it is 
equally certain the weakest must prove failures from want 
of patronage. 
MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL PRIZE LIST. 
A FEW weeks since, we incidentally called the attention of 
our readers to the fact, that a far greater amount of prizes 
for poultry would be offered at our various exhibitions, during 
the prcseitt year, than took place in 1855; and that pi’eniiums 
oi I'll ate would be more particularly increased, both as regards 
numbers and intrinsic value. Although to ourselves it is 
well known that not a few similar instances are in store (which 
it would at present be quite premature to particularize), we 
I cannot but direct the notice of amateurs possessing fii'st-rate 
I poultry to the liberal prize list of the United Agricultural 
I Societies of IManchester and Liverpool, which has been just 
issued. This meeting possesses many extraordinary advan¬ 
tages, among whicli, not the least (to those who disapprove of 
over-worhiiHi their poultry), is the vei’y limited time the fowls 
are exhibited, viz.,for ont.y a singlf. d-vy, being Thursday, the 
7 th of August next. Independent of our sovereign premiums 
to the best pen in each class, we have the following prizes 
in silver cups ; they are offered for general competition, open 
to the whole kingdom. Each pen must contain a male bird 
and two females. 
Eor the best x^en of Spanish fowls .a 10 guinea cup. 
For the best pen of Grey Dorkings.a 10 „ 
Eor the best pen of Cochins (any colour) a (i „ 
For the best pen of Game (any colour) ..a ti „ 
For the best pen of Pencilled Hamburghs a 0 „ 
For the best pen of Si^angled Hamburghs a C „ 
For the best jjen of Black Polands, with 
white crests.a C „ 
For the best pen of Polands (any other 
colour).a 0 „ 
For the l)est pen of Bantams (any variety) a (5 „ 
For the best pen of Turkeys.a 0 „ 
For the best pen of Geese.a G „ 
For the best pen of Piouen Ducks .a 0 „ 
For the best xien of Aylesbury Ducks ... .a 0 ,, 
It will be seen, that thirteen silver cups will be appro- 
I priated to successful exhibitors, in total value amounting to 
i ninety pounds, six shillings. It will take place at Wigan, 
Lancashire, and prize lists, certificates of entry, or any 
other information, may be had by applying to John H. Peck, 
Fsq., or John S. Marshall, Esq., the Honorary Secretaries, 
botli at Wigan. 
We are informed, by parties the most capable of forming 
correct conclusions, that this meeting promises already to 
be one of tlie most important exhibitions of poultry yet held 
in Lancashire, and we readily admit that so liberal an amount 
of premiums well merits public competition and increased 
support. 
SELL ONLY FOR CASH. 
Would you be so kind as to permit me, through the pages 
of The Cottage Gaudener, to impress strongly on tlie 
minds of all poultry amateurs the necessity of increased 
; vigilance to prevent them becoming the prey of parties wlio 
1 (for several springs in succession) have, with extraordinary 
j success, olffained valuable pens of exhibition-bii’ds without 
j paying for them. IManchester has chiefly hitherto been the 
scene of their oiierations ; but the same parties are now 
carrying on the like fraudulent practices in the Midland • 
Counties. I am acquainted with several amateurs, whose i 
cupidity—for any price is agreed to—has, witliin the last ! 
few weeks, got the better of their discretion. To various 
applicants fowls have been forwarded, and acknowledged as 
“ safely arrived; ” but to all after aj)plications, a vacant house j 
and unknown change of residence is the only really. It may ; 
be easily obviated, by vever forwarding fowls until the agreed ' 
sum is first remitted ( to he returned if the fowls should he I 
disapproved), where tlie presumed purchaser is unknown. ; 
Nor can the arrangement x^rojiosed be offensive in any way i 
where no subterfuge is contemplated. — Edward Hewitt. \ 
THE SILVER POLAND CLASS AT THE j 
LIVERPOOL SHOW. | 
I STATE, and reiieat, that the bird exhibited at Liverpool 
was a biixl having a black beard disfigured by a white jiatch 
at the lower right side, a black neck, a black breast, on the 
sides from about the pinion downwards a narrow streak of 
sxiangled feathers, such as is frequently seen in black¬ 
breasted Grey Dorkings. That is my assertion. “ Censor ’’ 
says, XI. 4(12, “ The bird in exueslion was very far removed 
from a black-breasted one; to call it such is a sad exaggera¬ 
tion. I admit it teas darker than it should have heen as a pjer- 
fed Exhibition Bird.” Why, then, award it the cuxi? So, | 
then, according to “ Censor,” it axip^'fu'^^ the devil is not really 
as black as I have painted him. Now, in addition to being 
a devoted amateur of poultry, I am also a xiainter, and have 
made x>ortraits, life size, of many of the varieties, which, 
according to Pollonius, “are considered veiy good paintings,” 
and this gives me a little the vantage ground, as, in conse¬ 
quence, I could not be exxiected to mistake distinct, accurate 
markinys for hlack. I must thank “ Censor ” for informing me 
there are other points than the breast markings of a Silver 
Hamburgh cock (imxu’operly called Poland), and hope when 
next he tries his hand, he will tell us something not generally 
known. Hear “ Censor" again, “ Vith the ownershixi of the 
successful birds the Judges had naturally nothing to do.” 
So say I. Mr. Hewitt, one Judge, as is well known, lives 
many a mile from the fortunate owner, Mr. Baker, who is a 
dealer; and as Mr. Bailey, the other Judge, is a dealer also, 
and it is well known two of a trade never agree, there was 
no likelihood that either could have known the owner; 
therefore, in this, we both agree. “ The Judges had 
naturally nothing to do with the ownership,” nor did I say 
they had. My reason for mentioning Mr. Baker’s name, 
who has, I am w'ell aivare, beautiful birds, w'as, that there 
was a rule against dealers competing, and, therefore, no 
dealer could legally gain a prize, and on tliat ground I ap¬ 
pealed to a member of the Committee, and called his at¬ 
tention to the fact, and that the bird was a black-breasted 
one, and also that there was none other in the show like him. 
I shall not follow “ Censor" in his flutterings farther than to 
say, that when a barrister feels he has a bad case, he tries to 
break down the credibility of the opposite witness. I called 
on the only Dublin gentleman I saw at the sliow, who had 
examined the bird in question, and asked his opinion, he 
said at once, “ Unquestionably, it was a black-breasted bird.” 
—R. Williams. 
[We have omitted in the above what we considered was 
calculated to annoy, and Jiere the disxmte may well end. 
There is a difference of oxnnion, and both the xiarties ai’e j 
entitled to maintain their own. ‘‘ Censor," is sustained in i 
his oxiinion by the Judges.—E d. C. G.] | 
PRIZE LIST OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
The Exhibition of this Society, which ought to be the ' 
best in England for Poultry, as it is for other subjects of the 
farmer's occupation, is fixed for the week commencing on 
the 14tli of July. For Dorkiuys, Spanish, and Game, the 
four prizes for each range between five and one sovereigns. 
For Cocks of the same, two sovereigns. For Cochin-Chinas, | 
