430 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. September 8. 
. not bring down our profession by overstocking it, nor 
belong to an institution that says, we must, in this 
respect, run counter to the wishes of employers, to give 
I labour to the people among whom they live. 
“ YI. If one member knows anything to the discredit 
of another member, he must not hesitate to cornniu- 
| nicate the same to the committee, or any member 
j thereof. Now, as I said, we must thoroughly know 
all the antecedents of men to whom we would give a 
power like the Inquisition, on the one hand; and yet, we 
fear, not strong enough to protect us from such a thing 
as the law of libel, on the other. 
“ The other rules relate to the management, money to 
be paid, &c.; the latter seeming to be too low to defray 
expenses, unless the demand for places was very great. 
In a private note, the secretary speaks of the Society as 
a means of elevating the gardening profession; and, 
that ‘ we mean to have local visiting committees, and 
be, as it were, personally acquainted one with another.’ 
And how is this friendly visiting to be conducted ? on 
the water system, or the free-and-easy mode? Company, 
be it remarked, having proved the bane of many a good 
gardener. There is a good idea in the concern, but I 
cannot see how it is to be carried out; and I should 
like to see it ventilated before it receives an uncon¬ 
ditional approval in The Cottage Gardener.” 
The comments we made some, few weeks since, upon 
the erroneous ages asserted to be those of some of the 
chickens competing for prizes at our poultry exhibitions, 
has thrown a spark upon a train which we hope will 
lead to the utter explosion of a practice so inexcuseable, 
even if only the result of carelessness. It is inexcuse¬ 
able, because it leads to injustice. If birds really only 
four months old are equalled in size, as well as other 
points of merit, by other birds falsely stated to be four¬ 
teen -weeks (though, in reality, they are four-and-a-half 
months), the latter would receive the prize, though, if 
their true age had been acknowledged, that prize would 
have justly been awarded to their competitors. 
To aid our readers to some guide by which they may 
avoid being deceived by ages erroneously reduced, they 
may take as a rule, that a Slianghae Coclcerel or Pullet 
never weighs much more than one pound for every 
i month of age until they are about eight months old. 
; Confirmatory of our statement, is a letter just received 
i from a correspondent, whose address we have, but who 
adopts the masquerado one of “ Rosea.” He says:— 
“ I quite agreo with Capt. Snell, of Norwood, as to the 
j age of chickens, or the age represented by the owners.'-: 1 
On the 13th inst. (August), I saw a buff cockerel (which 
was purchased at Yarmouth) weighing over 7 lbs.; age 
guaranteed, fourteen weeks. I herewith send you the 
j weight of three birds, from Punchard eggs, hatched 
! _ * Some one has taken the trouble, from what motives we care not, to 
inform us that Capt. Snell is not entitled to such a military designation. 
I We happen to know the contrary, and that he is the author of a merit¬ 
orious work on the “Theory of Military Manoeuvres.”—Ep. C. G, 
the 11th of April last, and are considered to be fine 
birds. 
lbs. ozs. 
Cinnamon Pullet . 4 5 
Partridge do. 4 4 
Park Cinnamon Cockerel, weighed the 
20th of June, age 10 weeks . 
0 
0 
27th 
.11 
>» ••••••• 
0 
13 
4tli of July 
12 
f f ••••••• 
q 
Q 
O 
lltli 
13 
yy . 
o 
8 
18th 
14 
»> . 
. 4 
2 
25th ,, 
15 
jt ••••••• 
. 4 
7 
1st of August 
16 
yy .. 
. 4 
13 
8tli „ 
17 
yy ••••••• 
. 5 
0 
loth ,, 
18 
yy ••••••• 
. 5 
2 
22nd (this day) 
19 
. 5 
7 
“ This may be a guide to amateurs who are about 
purchasing stock. It will show them that birds at ten, 
eleven, or twelve weeks old, are not likely to weigh 
seven or eight pounds each.” 
To check the insertion of an erroneous age, every 
loop-hole for the admission of plausible excuse should 
be taken away, and to this end, the following letter from 
a gentleman at Malvern contains some very useful 
suggestions:— 
“I am glad to see that attention has been called to 
the fact, that the ages of chickens exhibited at the 
different shows have not been stated, in all cases, 
correctly. 
“I, in common with Capt. Snell’s friend, have felt 
that—‘ if the owner were to swear they are not older, I 
could not believe him.’ But I think the public are not 
altogether to blame in the matter, and that the neg¬ 
ligence of the committees and secretaries of the dif¬ 
ferent shows is the main cause of the grievance. For 
instance—I will fly at high game, and take the late Me¬ 
tropolitan Show, in Baker-street (and I think the Bir¬ 
mingham one might also be included)—in no one of 
their advertisements, lists of prizes, certificates of entry, 
or under the head of regulations, as far a3 I have been 
able to see, was the day stated up to which the ages of 
chickens were to be reckoned; consequently, one may 
have entered his birds a month before the closing day, 
and given the ages they were on that day. Another, 
more experienced, may have reckoned the age his would 
be on the first day of the show, and stated that. In 
the absence of any positive instructions, dishonesty 
cannot be attributed in all cases. 
“ I do not know whether they have taken means to 
have the ages of chickens stated more correctly at the 
Surrey Gardens Show, but they have in this town, and 
I think their certificate of entry meets the case as far as 
possible. (I will enclose you one.) It appears to me 
that the exhibitor’s honour is the only security you can 
have. Another step in the right direction has been 
made by the Malvern Committee—the giving of T10, in 
different prizes, to the cottagers, whose rents are under 
T10 a-year, for the best pens of Fowls, Chickens, Geese, 
and Ducks.” 
