September 25. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
475 
merit; when the fermentation is over, add one quart of 
brandy, half-an-ounce of bruised cloves, and six ounces of red 
tartar, dissolved; put it into a cask, straining it through a 
coarse sieve as it is put in, then whip up the whites of four 
eggs with some of the liquor, and add it to it; bottle, when 
clear, in Champagne bottles, and tie down the cork. Do not 
use it for six months, and you need not be ashamed to place 
it before any friend. 
ever this is attended to, and fowls are judiciously ex¬ 
hibited, the pursuit will be more than self-supporting ; 
| and while we press the question on the attention of our 
readers, we ask them to keep us well informed as to 
results. We believe they will find a profit every way in 
acting on our suggestions. 
White Pi,um Wine. —Proceed as above, only using the 
White Egg-Plum and lump sugar, pale brandy, and cream 
of tartar; one-fifth the quantity of fine ripe Pears added to 
the Plums is an improvement.—G. W. 
Spite of all the preparation possible, there is a 
novelty in a new position, and its very strangeness is 
detrimental to comfort. It takes a week or two to be at 
home in a new house. Such has been our case ; but we 
are now at our ease, and look for our weekly task and 
pleasure, as we have done for the last eighteen months. 
It is with unmixed satisfaction we see the old names 
appearing in the new print; and we rejoice over differ¬ 
ing opinions and estimates, knowing that from them the 
truth will come. 
In a publication especially devoted to Poultry, every 
novelty and discovery should be noted and published. 
Want of leisure, or, it may be, of scientific knowledge, 
dray hinder an amateur from discovering the cause of 
some apparently inexplicable occurrence in Lis yard; 
but if the event be published, many will immediately 
take up the subject, and, in almost every case, a 
satisfactory solution will be arrived at. Amateurs, in 
the present day, comprise almost all classes, and among 
them eminent men in science and art; and, while 
poultry-keeping forms their relaxation, their very love 
of it will cause them to devote to it some of those ener¬ 
gies which elucidate and overcome difficulties of a far 
more important and serious nature. We rank Poultry 
shows with those for flowers and cattle. In both these, 
volumes of knowledge have been gained, not only as to 
shape and breed, but the fittest soil, and the most 
economical food. The publication of it has abridged, by 
years, the probationary time formerly necessary before 
anything like successful competition could be ventured 
upon. We wish to see the same done in our favourite 
pursuit; and we want to see all experiments published 
with their results. Where fowls have begun to lay 
early, we should like to know the soil and the food. 
AYliere they have been suffering from disease, we should 
like to know the treatment adopted and followed. 
But there is one subject we would urge on those of 
our readers who have taste and leisure for detail. The 
ECONOMICAL POULTRY-EEEDING. 
The present price of corn renders it more than usually 
imperative on poultry-keepers to practice the most econo¬ 
mical modes of feeding. 
It may he in the remembrance of some of my readers, 
that last season I directed their attention to the use 
of Mangold Wurtzel, cut and boiled until pulpy, and then 
thickened with Pollard or Middlings. I may add, that 
anather year's experience has so convinced me of the ad¬ 
vantage of this mode of feeding, that I am growing a con¬ 
siderable quantity of red Mangold Wurtzel solely for my 
fowls. My object in writing this note is to direct attention 
to even a cheaper food, namely, steamed Potatoes and Mid¬ 
dlings, or Pollard. 
In the district in which I am residing, and which is on 
the London clay formation, the Potatoes are very generally 
diseased, consequently, medium-sized ones, which are 
slightly specked, can be bought even as low as Is. per 
bushel. Unfortunately, I have no occasion to purchase, my 
own being but too much diseased. On being dug up they 
are sorted, the chats (small Potatoes), and speckled ones 
(excluding, of course, any absolutely rotten), are steamed 
until quite soft, they are then turned out into a tub, divided, 
by passing a large knife rapidly backwards and forwards 
through them, and, whilst still hot, mixed with about a 
quarter their bulk of Middlings. The whole forms a 
crumbly mass, which is much relished, and eaten with great 
avidity. Practically, I can speak strongly in favour of this 
food, and theoretically considered, it is no less desirable. 
Potatoes given alone would be most undesirable, for they 
consist almost exclusively of starch and water, and contain 
but a very small quantity of those substances out of which 
either flesh or eggs can be formed. Middlings, on the con¬ 
trary, are exceedingly rich in fat and in flesh and egg¬ 
forming ingredients. Each substance thus supplies that 
which is deficient in the other, and a good admixture is the 
result. Of course, the fowls have, in addition, a proportion 
of grain daily. 
Much of the superfluous garden produce that would 
otherwise be wasted is also used for the fowls. Thus, large 
French Beans have been steamed this season by the half 
bushel, and innumerable Cabbages boiled, both being cut 
up when soft, and mixed with Middlings. Fowls are ex¬ 
ceedingly fond of the white part of boiled Cabbages, and 
there is no doubt of its value in conjunction with other 
foods, as it is exceedingly rich in flesh-forming ingredients. 
I once, when writing to The Cottage Gardener, fell 
into the stupid error of quoting and endorsing the state¬ 
ment, that boiled cabbbage was worse than useless for 
fowls; a mistake evidently arising from the fact, that the 
green colouring matter of plants is not altered by the di¬ 
gestive process, and, passing unchanged through the body, 
gives rise to the idea that the whole vegetable is indigestible. 
—W. B. Tegetmeiee, Tottenham. 
BRIDLINGTON POULTRY SHOW. 
time of year is now coining on when eggs are scarce, 
and, consequently, valuable. There is, then, an important 
question which has not yet been carefully studied and 
answered. What breed of fowl will produce the great¬ 
est money value, or amount of food in the shape of eggs, 
at the Least cost? The production of food is among the 
most important part of poultry-keeping, and should 
enter ii^to the calculations of every amateur, Wh$r- 
Tiiis was held on the 7th of September. The following 
prizes were awarded :— 
Cochin-China. —Cock and two Hens.—First, J. H. Barker, Hoving- 
ham. Second, W, Dawson, Hopton, Cock.—W. W. Boulton, Beverley. 
Three Chicken.—J. H. Barker. 
Dorkings. —Cock and two Hens.—First, Rev. J. Hustler, Appleton. 
Second, J. Stevenson, jun., Hull Bridge. Cock.—-W, 3. Qwston, 
Bigby, near Brigg,. Three Chicken,—Rev. J. Hustler, 
Spanish.— Cock and two Hens.—First, T, T. Pearson, Bridlington 
Quay. Second, T. T. Pearson, Bridlington Quay, Cook.—T. T. Pearson, 
Bridlington Quay, Three Chicken.—T, T. Pearson, Bridlington Quay. 
