THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 1, 1861. 
199 
The well-known strains have been, as usual, in front of the 
classes; but there has been enough success achieved, and of a 
very high character, to encourage beginners. They must, how¬ 
ever, bear in mind there is no royal road, not even a golden one, 
to success. There is much to learn in everything ; were it not 
so, no one would prize success. 
With these remarks we close our season of 1860. We are 
thankful our report is a cheering and satisfactory one ; and we 
hope, should we be spared, that the record of 1861 may be as 
pleasing to all whom it may concern. 
ADVENTURES OF A SPANISH COCK. 
I am afraid that if the Spanish cock, whose adventures at Bir¬ 
mingham are narrated in the last Cottage Gardener, has not 
a yellow face through jealousy, his owner has. What right has 
this gentleman to insinuate that our Poultry Judges hurry over 
their duties in a slovenly manner, or that the clerical Judge 
“ takes his cue from any one? ” Did your correspondent make 
the same complaint when he carried off the first prize at Bir¬ 
mingham? It would have been fairer if your correspondent had 
given at least his initials; but as he proclaims the fact of his 
having sold a dozen black Spanish eggs last season for two 
guineas, from first-prize birds at Birmingham, I think we can 
pretty well guess who he is. If I am right in my conjecture, I 
can only say that I think this gentleman’s birds have been very 
much over-rated, and that they are not to be compared with the 
beautiful birds of Messrs. Rake, Rodbard, and Teebay. When, 
in his remarks on “trimming,” your correspondent plainly 
accuses such Judges as Messrs. Hewitt and Baily of saying one 
thing and meaning another, I do not think his criticism is worth 
much. I am not personally acquainted with either of our four 
eminent Poultry Judges, but they are proverbial among ex¬ 
hibitors for giving a right judgment in poultry matters. Nor do 
I think, when they read the “ Adventures of a Young Spanish 
Cock,” they will have any reason to apply to themselves the 
maxim of Cicero— 
“ Delicto dolere, correctione gaudere, vos oportet.” 
—J. B. 
LORD TREDEGAR’S POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
We last week gave full particulars as to the prizes and com¬ 
mendations, and shall now proceed to make a few comments on 
some of the principal pens shown at this Meeting. Both classes 
for Spanish fowls were exceedingly good, the pair of hens in the 
adult first-prize pen particularly so. The competition in the 
chickens was undoubtedly excellent; Mr. Rodbard, even with 
his well-known birds, being very closely pushed by pens of 
Spanish chickens that, only some three or four years back, would 
have been deemed certain winners. The next variety were the 
Grey Dorkings, a very striking feature being the hens, almost 
without exception, in both classes, were perfect, the cocks being 
in no way their equal. Pen 23 contained, no doubt, a pair of 
hens fit to add material credit to any Show; but as in this case 
no cock at all was exhibited with them, they lost all oppor¬ 
tunities of distinction. The White Dorkings mustered only a 
single pen. In Game fowls, the best varieties of any were the 
Black-breasted Reds and the Piles : we noticed several pens of 
these beautiful birds that were evidently in just the condition to 
“hold their own” alike in the exhibition-room or the cock-pit. 
In Cochin-China fowls, the name of Mr. Henry Tomlinson, of 
Birmingham, and first prizes seem almost in connection at all 
our principal Shows for some years past at Monmouth; although 
that gentleman still maintained his position, it is some time since 
he met with so uncomfortably close rivals. Very few breeds of 
poultry have improved so generally of late as the Cochin. The 
Malays were very superior, they being the same fowls so com¬ 
monly prizetaking, not one new name even appearing among the 
competitors. The Hamburghs were quite equal to our expecta¬ 
tions ; all the classes would have done credit to any Exhibition, 
the Golden variety being, perhaps, the better of the two. The 
Polands, though very limited in the amount of entries, were 
shown by some of the most notorious exhibitors we have, and 
seemed to be the most interesting features to the visitors who 
constantly thronged the avenues from end to end. This draws 
to our mind a suggestion that another year, with so well-filled a 
Show and large a company, it would be prudent to leave a mid¬ 
way passage through the centre row, as we noticed not a few 
individuals of both sexes laughingly, though against inclination, 
were compelled to go with the stream the whole round before 
they coulcl reach the pen their tastes or interests made them 
anxious to inspect more particularly. As almost universally the 
case in Shows now-a-days, the Game Bantams were both 
numerous and of the highest order. Some of the Black-breasted 
Bed hens were the perfection of neatness, and “ gamey” as could 
be desired. 
The Rouen Ducks and Aylesburys showed strongly and well. 
The Geese and Turkeys were very first-rate. 
The fawn-coloured first-prize Turkeys belonging to Miss 
Louisa Crawshay were a magnificent pen; the same lady also 
taking first prize with a pen of Empden Geese, well worthy of 
especial mention. 
Although prizes were offered for “ any new variety” of Geese, 
Turkeys, or Ducks, none presented themselves, the three pens 
entered being of breeds long known to all poultry amateurs; 
consequently they were disqualified. 
The classes for cottagers were far beyond expectation, and 
not a few pens therein exhibited would have certainly sullied the 
lustre of the first-prize pens in the general classes, had they been 
entered for that purpose. 
It is due to the parties who superintend this popular Show to 
say, the arrangements, as contrasted with those of a few years 
back, are wonderfully improved ; the acting Committee can uow 
truly boast of having got together one of the best local Shows 
we have yet seen, and it is equally certain the attendance of 
visitors far outstripped pre-supposed calculations. Such a result 
is most grateful to those who, for the mere “ love of the thing,” 
toil through the heavy labours of a large Show; and, with the 
little hint we have dropped above, more easy locomotion will in 
future be attainable to visitors. 
HALIFAX FANG'Y PIGEON SHOW. 
This took place on the 21st instant, but we did not receive 
the prize list till late on the 22nd. That being the day we were 
compelled to go to press, to publish on Monday instead of on 
Christmas day, we could not include it in our last Number. 
It is one of the most important of our Pigeon Exhibitions, and 
this year embraced 504 entries of birds from the most distin¬ 
guished breeders over all England. 
The Judges were Harrison Weir, Esq., Lyndhurst Road, 
Peckham ; and P. II. Jones, Esq., High Street, Fulham. 
The following were their awards :— 
Carriers (Black Cocks).—First, P. Eden, Salford. Second, T. Colley, 
Sheffield. Highly Commended, M. Bake, Bristol; E. Ingham, Halifax. 
Commended, W. Tonge, Hull. 
Carriers (Black Hens).—First, W. Cannan, Bradford. Second, Messrs- 
L. and C-Layland, Warrington. Highly Commended, P. Eden, Salford- 
Commended, P. Eden, Salford ; R. J. Wood, Nottingham. 
Carriers (Dun Cocks).—First, P. Eden, Salford. Second, B. J. Wood * 
Nottingham. Highly Commended, G. Goore, Liverpool. Commended- 
Messrs. L. and C. Layland, Warrington; J. Bairstow, Halifax. (A good 
class.) 
Carriers (Dun Hens).—First, W. Cannan, Bradford. Second, P. Eden, 
Salford. Very Highly Commended, T. Colley, Sheffield. Highly Com¬ 
mended, T. Colley, Sheffield. 
Carriers (Blue, or any other colour, Cocks).—First, T. Colley, Sheffield. 
Second, F. C. Esquilant, London. Highly Commended, W. Smith, Halifax. 
Commended, T. Colley, Sheffield; J. Bairstow, Halifax. 
Carriers (Blue, or any other colour, Hens).—First and Second, T. Colley, 
Sheffield. Highly Commended, .T. Bairstow, Halifax (White). Coin- 
mended, J. Kershaw. Saddleworth; G. Goore, Liverpool (Silver) ; J. 
Bairstow (White). (A good class.) 
Powters (Blue or Silver Cocks).—First and Second, M. Sanderson, 
Edinburgh (Blue). Highly Commended, W. Smith, Halifax (Blue). Com¬ 
mended, J. Huie, Glasgow’(Silver). 
Powters (Blue or Silver Hens).—First, P. Eden, Salford. Second, W. 
Smith, Halifax (Blue). Highly Commended, G. J. Maclean, Edinburgh 
(Blue). Commended, J. Swift, Halifax. 
Powters (Black Cocks).—First, G. Ure, Dundee. Second, J. Brooke, 
Halifax. Highly Commended, H. Simpson, York; A. Cattley, York; 
J. Huie, Glasgow. (A good class.) 
Powters (Black Hens).-First, J. Huie, Glasgow. Second, A. Cattley, 
York. Commended, J. Huie, Glasgow. 
Powters (Red Cocks).—First, G. Ure, Dundee. Second, W. Smith. 
Highly Commended, P. Eden, Salford. Commended, G. J. Maclean, Edin¬ 
burgh ; J. Deakin, Sheffield. (A good class.) 
Powters (Bed Hens).— First, G. Ure, Dundee. Second, W. Smith. 
Halifax. 
Powters (Yellow Cocks).—First, S. Shaw, Stainland. Second, W. 
Cannan, Bradford. Highly Commended, P. Eden, Salford. 
Powters (Yellow Hens).—First and Second, P. Eden, Salford. Highly 
Commended, W. Cannan, Bradford. Commended, J. Swift, Halifax. (A 
very good class.) 
Powters( White Cocks).—First, P. Eden, Salford. Second, T. Toget- 
i meier, London. Commended, W. Smith, Halifax. (A good class.) 
I Powters (White Hens).—First, W. Cannan, Bradford. Second, 
