386 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 18. 
f 
the second prize in the older class, were far above an 
average degree of merit. They deserved, indeed, a better 
male companion. 
With the Slianghae chickens, the judges must have care¬ 
fully investigated the relative excellence of the competing 
pens, for seldom have we seen a better collection. Here, 
also, the first prize again fell to Mr. Channing ; whilst equal 
second prizes were awarded to 11. Daw, Esq., and 11. T. 
Head, Esq., both from the neighbourhood of Exeter. The 
more genial weather of the last ten days has done much 
for the growth of all chickens, and Slianghaes, especially, 
have not been backward in profiting by this change from 
the previous unusual cold and wet of the present summer. 
Among the dark Slianghaesj were some good birds, but 
the class was below the mark of their lighter relatives. The 
old error of placing cinnamon cocks with partridge-coloured 
hens was repeated in more than one instance. 
Mr. Treby had some good “black red” Game chickens, 
and pen 81, belonging to Mr. E. Burton, of Truro, con¬ 
tained a very promising young lot of Silver-spangled Ham¬ 
burgh chickens. 
Mr, E. Vivian, of Torquay, had some good Black Polands, 
but the season of the year was so against their appearance, 
that the hens’ topknots were sadly denuded, and it would 
have been impossible to pronounce an opinion on their 
merits as they were then subjected to inspection. The 
others in this class were below par. 
The Silver Polamls were rather spotted than spangled, 
and in one pen the comb was infinitely too large and coarse. 
Bantams , at least in the laced varieties, exceeded the 
proper standard of weight, and great merit must exist to 
counterbalance any excess above seventeen ounces for the 
male, and fourteen ounces for the female bird. With such 
energetic poultry fanciers as the inhabitants of Plymouth 
have now shown themselves, these, and other similar, failings 
will, doubtless, be rectified before another season brings 
them again into competition. 
In Aylesbury Ducks, Mr. William Brown, of Shute, 
Devonshire, had some very good specimens, and those be¬ 
longing to E. Vivian, Esq., were most deservedly com¬ 
mended. The admirers of these birds should carefully 
bear in mind, that a clean flesh-coloured bill is an essential 
characteristic of this variety, and its absence will always 
suggest either some departure from the pure breed, or the 
selection of parents that have transmitted this defect to 
their progeny. A perfectly clean-billed Aylesbury, having 
access to water flowing from peat or moss, usually manifests 
its discolouring influence at an early period, but occasionally 
it is also the result of age. Nevertheless, an Aylesbury 
duck, to stand “A 1,” must have a spotless bill, under any 
circumstances. 
However favourable our opinion of the Aylesbury duck, 
we Would gladly persuade our Plymouth friends to make 
trial of the Bouen, and Buenos Ayres varieties, both of 
which are excellent in their way, the former, especially, in 
regard of weight, the latter with respect to flavour. 
Among “extra stock,” we noticed a pen entered as 
“ Brulcma Poutra ” chickens; one only of its occupants, 
however, had the distinctive feather-markings of that race— 
the silvery ground and dark pencillings on the hackle, 
breast, and wings ; the other two had a yellow tinge, unlike 
the usual character of those birds. Pen 114, contained 
“ Turkey fowls," why, or wherefore, so called, we know not, 
for so far as resemblance to the former bird might be sup¬ 
posed to confer the designation, they certainly had no claim 
whatever to it. More extraordinary products of the poultry- 
yard, it must be confessed, we never witnessed. Let us 
picture to ourselves one of Mr. Eairlie’s Dumpies, with a 
very full lark crest, and a comb either rose, cupped, or 
single, for all those forms were here present, and the occu¬ 
pants of this pen are there faithfully pourtrayed. Extreme 
singularity, we presume, is the sole foundation for their 
claims to notice, and, if what we hear be true, that they 
are sometimes seen with heavily-feathered legs, they must, 
in this respect, leave all competitors far behind. 
We regretted the smooth legs of Miss Dyott’s Black 
Slianghae; for her birds, the cock in particular, have much 
to recommend them; rarely, indeed, have we seen a male 
bird of this colour so free from a stained hackle, and his 
figure also was in good form. 
The Pigeons were very good, and shewn, moreover, in good 
order. The Black Carriers of Mr. Square, were objects of 
general admiration; and White Fantails, Pouters, Jacobines, 
Trumpeters, and Almond Tumblers, had admirable repre¬ 
sentatives of their respective families. 
We may certainly congratulate the officers of the “ South 
Devon and East Cornwall Poultry Association,” on the result 
of their first exhibition ; although, as ever happens in these 
first essays, there were some points in which exhibitors fell 
short of what was required of them ; but even these mishaps t 
serve a good purpose, and point out errors that might not 
otherwise have been so soon detected. Another year, birds 
will be better matched, and the recurrence of faulty 
specimens will not mar the appearance of companions of 
higher caste. Condition, too, will be more studied, and 
much is implied in this term; for, if it be supposed that 
mere weight, increased by high feeding, is here alluded to, 
nothing can be further from our intention, for birds so 
fatted, ought, in our opinion, to suffer immediate banishment, 
and even the extreme sentence of the law—a fate which 
their owners would thus seem to have especially in view for 
them. Though growth and feather are all concerned with 
this word “ condition,” as applied to the poultry-yard, and 
though the interval may be great between its particular 
application to a fowl, or a horse, there is yet much in 
common, which will, day by day, become more apparent to 
those who really study poultry as a subject deserving of 
their serious attention. 
Judges of poultry must pronounce their sentence, on such 
occasions, according to the state in which the various classes 
are ranged before them. Now triumphs are too often 
anticipated, because a pen has proved successful some short 
time previously, or because assurances of their excellence 
have been too readily received ; but how unwise to reckon on 
such an argument. Possibly the birds may have passed 
into the hands of another owner, whose system of manage¬ 
ment is far behind that under which former victories were 
achieved : then, again, although in this interim equal atten¬ 
tion has been paid to their wants, still, their form and 
feathers may have suffered some retrograde movement, 
either disease may have been at work, or a severe moult 
may have reduced them to a tattered state, unfitting them 
for competition ; or again, as sometimes happens, feathers 
and markings have been permanently injured. Hence dis¬ 
appointment, although they stand alone without competition 
in their class. 
August is by no means a season for poultry to appear to 
advantage; we. would suggest, therefore, to the Committee of 
the Society, whose recent meeting wo have now recorded, 
liowfar their arrangements may another year permit the selec¬ 
tion of a more appropriate month for their annual meeting. 
Whatever may bo decided on in this respect, the public are 
greatly indebted to Messrs. Hunt and Hancock, the secre¬ 
taries, as well as to those gentlemen of the Committee by 
whose continued exertions the late exhibition at the Green 
Bank has been carried out. In their scheme for 1S54 they 
have our hearty wishes for success. 
Judges, it will be allowed, occupy no enviable post; and 
when it is asserted that their standard has been too high, 
and that some classes have been harshly passed by without 
mention, it should also be remembered, how unwise a step 
it has ever proved to stamp with the verdict of approval 
such birds as cannot be held forth as models for general 
imitation. Thus, where any one material deficiency exists, we 
shall still think that the honours of the prize-list are unwisely 
bestowed. In following out such a course, errors and defects 
are certainly noticed, but at the sanfie time remedied, and 
the lessons thus gained are the surest foundation for 
ultimate success.—W. 
Judges. —The Itev. IV. W. Wingfield, Rector of Gulval, 
and Editor of “The Poultry Book.” James Furneaux, 
Esq., Swilly, near Plymouth. 
Class II.—DORKING CHICKEN. (For the best Cockerel and two 
Pallets.) 
First prize, Miss Caroline Newman, Mamhead Park. Starcross, Devon. 
(White.) Age, two months and twenty-two days. Second prize, Mr. 
D. Hoskins, Bristol and Exeter Railway Station, Exeter, Devon. Ape, 
seven months. 
Class V.—COCHIN-CHINA.—BUFF OR CINNAMON. (For the 
best Cock and two Hens of any age,) 
First prize, Mr. W. L. Channing, Heavitrec, near Exeter. Age, cock 
