58 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 24. 
only attended and supported by almost every family of 
distinction in the surrounding neighbourhood, but the 
receipts from sales very far exceeded the anticipations of 
the most sanguine ; indeed, out of four hundred pens, a very 
considerable portion changed ownership at prices evidently 
intended by the exhibitors to prove prohibitory. No doubt 
exists, however, that the severity of the past winter damped, 
during its continuance, the ardour of many poultry amateurs, 
and the present genial spring weather has again tended to 
the sale of “ brood stock ” for the coming season. The 
building is peculiarly well suited for the purposes of a 
poultry exhibition, the light being alike in all parts, and the 
ventilation all that could be wished for. From the fact, that 
a poultry show held about the middle of the month of April 
must necessarily interfere with the laying hens, we, ourselves, 
had anticipated that but few really first-rate stock would 
have competed; it must, however,be candidly acknowledged 
such was not the case at Newcastle, for the bulk of the 
specimens were such as would have added credit to almost 
any exhibition, and for general condition and plumage have 
certainly never been excelled. Another feature that no 
doubt added considerably to the well-being of this show, was 
the well-known partiality of the committee themselves to 
the objects entrusted to their supervision; and, certainly, our 
meed of praise is willingly tendered for the care, cleanliness, 
and order that universally prevailed throughout the whole 
show; and no doubt, when we inform our readers that up to 
a late hour on the evening previous to the day of opening 
the Corn Exchange had been occupied for its accustomed 
purposes, the difficulties that had to be surmounted will be 
readily appreciated by every one, and the energy displayed 
as fully acknowledged. Three very handsome, weighty, and 
really useful Silver Cups were also presented (properly en¬ 
graved at the expence of the Society) to the successful 
competitors in Black Spanish, Grey Dorkings, and Cochins, 
the latter altogether irrespective of colour. These prizes 
excited much emulation, and a good display was the natural 
consequence. 
The Cochins bore strong evidence of careful breeding, and 
the conformation of many of the successful birds fully proved 
that their owners were quite alive to its importance, and that 
colour alone should ever be held subservient to this far more 
weighty feature; nevertheless, few pens of this variety 
changed hands, the bulk of sales being effected in the Grey 
Dorkings, and some of the really fancy birds. The sales 
here, as we have before stated, were very numerous, and 
the prices obtained highly satisfactory ; the agriculturists in 
the neighbourhood evidently appreciating the many excel¬ 
lencies of the Dorldng fowl for general purposes, where it 
can be readily allowed a sufficient and suitable range, for 
otherwise disappointment will invariably ensue. The atten¬ 
tion that had been devoted to them was strongly developed 
in the contrast (by weight) of many birds here exhibited 
with those shown in bygone days, not a few weighing from 
nine to ten pounds each fowl, and the matching for colour, 
in some of the pens, was unusually successful; indeed, 
throughout the kingdom, the improvements in general 
character of the Dorking classes, during the last few years, 
must be generally acknowledged to be steady and progressive, 
and is, perhaps, one of the strongest arguments that could 
be adduced of the really useful influence L of the poultry 
movement. 
The Spanish fowls were certainly not so good as we have 
frequently witnessed at other exhibitions, many of the speci¬ 
mens showing evident symptoms of frost-bitten combs and 
wattles; neither was their general condition such as we 
could have desired, more especially at the opening of the 
breeding season. It would be well if those whose attention 
rests more especially on this valuable breed of fowls would 
devote a little extra care, during severe seasons, in their 
protection from the weather; no fowls show want of condi¬ 
tion more positively than they do, nor does it in any variety 
tend so much to the disappointment of the expectations 
of their respective owners. 
It will, perhaps, not be deemed here altogether irrelevant 
to state to our numerous poultry friends, that, during severe 
weather, the combs of the cocks, in particular, are very 
highly susceptible of becoming “ frost-bitten ” from being 
wet with rain and then suddenly exposed to the unusual 
severity of the atmosphere; in some instances, also, the 
Spanish fowls become ulcerated in the combs, simply from 
being released out of the highly artificial temperature of 
their owner’s roosting-liouse into the pinching influences of 
a winter morning ; such sudden changes, therefore, cannot 
be too anxiously avoided, and still more so when intended 
for exhibition, where success naturally is altogether de¬ 
pendant on outward appearances and general constitution. 
Its ill effects in the production of depression in the comb is 
also as fully ascertained, and it is well known that the highly 
bred Black Spanish are by nature but ill-suited to struggle 
with the trials of such a truly Canadian winter as the past 
one. We, therefore, liQpe the great importance of the subject 1 
to Spanish exhibitors will be considered a sufficient apology 
for the present digression, whilst, perchance, in some cases, 
it may tend to prevent similar mishaps to others. Only one 
prize was awarded in the Brahma class, though nine pens 
competed; these were a tolerably regular pen of dark birds, 
and were pea-combed. In Malays , not one single entry for 
the prizes offered took place, undoubtedly attesting them to 
be no particular favourites in the northern counties. In the 
Game, on the contrary, the classes were well represented, 
the premier award being secured by a very beautiful pen of 
Black-breasted Reds; the second to a very passable pen of 
Duckwings. 
We now have to report on the Hamburghs, a variety on 
which so much counter-statement has of late years been 
advanced. The Pencilled varieties deserve no especial 
comment, many of the pens containing good fowls, but not 
j such as to merit particular notice. Newcastle, and the 
: whole of the surrounding neighbourhood have, however, 
been long celebrated for their Spangled Hamburghs; and 
here they were strong both in numbers, and also, in many 
instances, in excellence, but the introduction of “ hen-tailed ” 
cocks destroyed the hopes of several competitors; the 
winners were all of them fowls in which the ample tails (so 
strongly denotative of character in a Hamburgh fowl,) was 
| fully developed; and we were not a little interested by the 
admission of an exhibitor, whose continued successes have 
frequently been noticed in the columns of this periodical, 
“ that, although unsuccessful, he was quite satisfied; that he j 
j never would again keep a ‘ hen-tailed ’ male bird, nor would 
! lie have done so had lie obtained the Society’s premiums; 
for, during the last two years, he had tested several, and 
that whilst they were almost entirely unproductive, he never 
had obtained (from the few raised) a single good feathered 
pullet from any of them.” 
Among the Polish were a cock and two hens, winners of 
the first prize, that have been very rarely excelled. These 
were shown in most creditable condition, and perfectly 
honestly— not any of the anterior feathers of the crests 
having been removed, as is but too frequently the case in 
the class for Black Polands; and we trust that the attention 
of poultry judges generally will be on the alert, where 
l feathers have been thus displaced, and “ trimmino ” will, 
! during the coming season, be equally repudiated by them in 
this class as in any other variety. In the Extra Class, a 
pen of White Polands took the first prize, and a trio of Black 
I Hamburghs the second; a pen of Black Cochins were also 
here shown, and were deservedly “ commended.” The 
Golden and Silver-laced Bantams were very inferior; and I 
exhibited as the former variety, were a pen the “ first-cross ” [ 
between a Silver Sebright and a Silver Hamburgh; they 
were very beautifully-plumaged birds, remarkably clean, 
possessing all the characteristics of the “ lien-tailed ” Ham¬ 
burghs (except a trifling deficiency in size), and, by careful j 
crossing, could, no doubt, be made a permanently beautiful 
and useful variety. Of course, they were unsuccessful in the J 
class in which they had been here entered, and could not 
hope to be otherwise, with all the attention that could in 
future years be paid in breeding them, unless as extra stock; 
as the “cross” would be fully recognisable for several 
generations yet to come to any parties of experience in such 
matters. In Geese , the breeding season being arrived, the 
competition was confined to Ganders only; the first prize 
being taken by a really good Embden. The second, by one 
of the Toulouse variety. Of Bucks, the Aylesburys were 
very good indeed; the Eouens indifferent. In the class for 
“ any other variety of Ducks," a very beautiful pair of 
domesticated Shell Ducks were exhibited, in the most 
unsullied plumage and vigorous health, the brilliant colours 
