40 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, April 21, 185/. 
MELROSE POULTRY SHOW. 
I have attended many Poultry Shows in England, but 
hitherto having seen nothing of the way in which such mat¬ 
ters are conducted in Scotland, and hearing that a little 
go” was to come off at far-famed Melrose, 1 sent thither a 
pen or two of pets, and, following in their wake, arrived at 
this favoured-by-nature spot at eleven o Rock on a fine, 
fresh spring morning, just a “ wee drappy ” /ailing- simply a 
Scotch mist. Oh, how I wished, as I wended my wry along 
the already flowing banks of “ silvery Tweed,” that some of 
my old opponents, some of the good fanciers of London and 
Birmingham, could with me have enjoyed that morning the 
more than double pleasure of seeing good birds, of breathing 
the purest air that blows under heaven, and feasting one’s 
eyes on a landscape unequalled in the south of Scotland ! 
I may be wrong, but I have an idea that the generality of 
poultry (amateur) breeder’s must be, to a ceitain extent, 
“canny’’men like myself, with a keen perception of, and 
an innate love for, all that is beautiful in nature, whether 
sent to us in the form of hill and dale, of lovely woman, or 
of Dorking cock. 
But I am going a little too fast ahead, and must now 
proceed to give a short account of the Show. 
Considering that it is the third annual Exhibition at 
Melrose, I must say that I think our neighbours make but 
si ow progress in the improvement of their poultry. There 
were, nevertheless, some good Dorkings, Geese, and Ayles¬ 
bury Ducks, and one pen (such a quaint pen, Mr. Editor! 
I should like to know something about them) of blue Ducks! 
They averaged, I should say,from six to seven pounds each, 
and had they been quite blue, with no white feathers, would 
have been remarkably pretty birds. The prize-list, as you 
will see, is rather a peculiar one, prizes being offered for 
coloured aiid speckled Dorkings, whilst Hamburghs, Po¬ 
lands, and Game had to figure in the “promiscuous ” class. 
But it would be “ looking a gift horse in the mouth ’’ to find 
fault with the arrangements of the Secretary, since no entry 
money whatever was charged for pens exhibited; and as 
there were plenty of Dorkings, but one ,,pen of indifferent 
Hamburghs, one pen of Game Malay, and no Polish, it 
would appear that the Secretary knew pretty well the breeds 
that prevailed in the district. The awards tvere as follow :— 
Turkey, 1st, Mr. George Baillie; 2nd, General Duncan. 
Geese, 1st, Mr. G. Baillie; 2nd, Mr. Erskine. Coloured 
Dorkings, 1st and 2nd, Mr. G. Baillie. Speckled Dorkings, 
prize, Mr. G. Baillie. Cochins, prize, General Duncan. 
Spanish, 1st, Mr. G. Baillie ; 2nd, General Duncan. Ban¬ 
tams (Silver-laced), 1st and 2nd, Mr. G. Baillie. Any 
distinct Breed, prize, Mrs. Rutherford (cross). Aylesbury 
Ducks, 1st, Mrs. Rutherford; 2nd, Mr. Smith. Ducks of 
any other Breed, prize, Hon. Walter Scott (East Indian).— 
Gallus. 
[This ought to be called “ The Scotch Exhibition for the 
Especial Benefit of Mr. G. Baillie and General Duncan.”] 
POLANDS AND BANTAMS. 
I was much pleased with the remarks on Polands by “ A 
Wiltshire Poultry-keeper” in your No. 445. The points 
wore exceedingly well described in my opinion. I am glad 
to see there is some one who stands up for Polands, as I 
consider they have been despised very much lately. There 
is orfly one thing in which I disagree with him, vie., he says, 
“ There is no lovelier breed than the Polands, nor any more 
profitable.” Now, Sir, I consider the Hamburghs more 
profitable. 
I also read with great interest “A Wiltshire Poultry- 
keeper’s” remarks on Bantams in The Cottage Gardener 
of the 10th, only he there says that a yard nine feet square 
will afford ample space for the exercise of twelve Bantams. 
But, Sir, I say it will not, for Bantams, although such small 
creatures, like a good grass run; at least, I have always 
found my Bantams thrive better where they have had a good 
grass run than anywhere else.—-A Dorsetshire Poultry- 
keeper. 
should scratch up your crops, and if their owner is wise and just he will 
aid you, fry wire fencing or other means, to prevent such injury. It he 
will not do so let your solicitor give him notice that it the poultry 
a^ain come upon your premises you will sue him for the trespass in the 
County Oourt. The amount of damages is immaterial*. 
Fitting up a Poultry House (A Manchester Subscriber).— It 
would occupy a whole page to answer your queries. Buy “ The Poultry 
Book for the Many,” which will be published on the 30th. Its price 
will be only sixpence, and it will give you plans and all the information 
^PointjTin Dorkings (A New Subscriber).—Five claws, uniformity 
of colour, similarity of comb, white legs, are the chief points. Y ou will 
find full particulars in the manual referred to in the previous answer. 
Your chickens have the gapes. The gaping is really an elfort to get rid 
of parasitical worms in their windpipes. Inhaling the vapour of tur¬ 
pentine is the best remedy, with high feeding. 
Dorkings Laying Twice a Day. — Delayed Hatching. —‘ I have 
two old Dorking hens mated with a cockerel. I find that both the hens 
lay in the night, and drop their eggs from the perries. Very frequently 
the eggs are either soft or the shell very thin ; hut, besides laying at 
night., "they both lay regularly every day. Is it usual for Dorking hens 
to lay twiee a day? I have just got a brood of Silver-spangled Ham¬ 
burgh chickens; they did not hatch till the 23rd day. Will you kindly 
inform me if this is generally the case with Hamburgh eggs?”—H. C. J. 
[For Dorkings to lay twice in the twenty-four hours is very unusual. 
Their egg system is over-excited, and we recommond you to feed them 
less, and upon less nutritious diet, giving them also plenty of green 
food. The Hamburgh eggs, probably, were stale. Delayed hatching 
usually arises from weakness in the chicken.] 
Do Ducks Require their Own Eggs?—“Is it true that ducks 
can recognise their own eggs, and will not sit op those laid by others ? ” 
-h.wT 
[Ducks cannot recognise their own eggs. Ducks are bad mothers ; 
they are continually dragging their progeny in the mire ifftd the water. 
If you mean the duck to sit let her be put in an old pigsty, where 
she can be confined with her young for the first fortnight. After that 
she may lead them where she will.] 
Quantity of Food needed by Fowls.— “ Nelly would feel grateful 
for being informed what quantity of corn she should give her fowls 
daily. Number, eighteen fowls, with pullets and three ducks. Asthey do 
not lay well she thinks she does not give them sufficient, hut is afraid of 
over-feeding them.” 
[It is impossible to fix any quantity of food for fow^s and ducks, as 
they eat more when brought into a yard in low condition than they do 
after they have been fed for a time. An allowance fyr fowls has long 
been discontinued,, as it leads only to waste. Feed them just so long as 
they are anxious for food, and no longer. You ij&ed not be afraid of 
under-feeding them. Give them meal instead of whole corn, and feed 
theru moderately three times per day. They will soon lay well. No 
fovvls are well fed if they have food always within reach or lying about.] 
Dubbing Game Cocks.—Marking Chickens.— Hatching Game 
Chickens. —“ At what age should the Game cock be trimmed ? Which 
rS 1 the best instrument to use for the purpose ? How should the different 
broods be marked, so that you can select them without difficulty after 
they are all turned tbgether? Is February early enough to hatch Game 
chicks for the summer show, say in August ? ”—B. 
[Different breeders have different times an,d methods for dubbing their 
Game chickens. We believe about sixteen weeks to be the best time. 
Some use scissors, some a knife or razor. We prefer the last; and the 
operation should be done at one cut. The gills must be cut with scissors, 
and care must be taken not to cut the bird’s throat as well. Chicken's 
may be marked in the web of the foot, or the web of the wing, or the 
beak, or the eyelid. The web of the wing is the easiest way, and it is by 
perforating the web with a hot iron. Differenftnumbers of holes may 
mark different broods. February Game chickens are early enough to 
show in August.] 
German Feather-footed Tumblers. —In reply to “ T. L.,” about 
twelve years since I brought over from Germany three pairs of white 
German Feather-footed Tumblers, and one pair of yellow Turned-crowned 
ditto. I afterwards parted with them to a dealer in Canterbury, who 
has since left, and I do not know where any of the breed can now be 
obtained.—B. P. Brent. 
Errata .—Flying Tumblers, page 451, line 25, for “ a Grey Mottle ” 
read a Gay Mottle; line 46, for “ a white patch under the back” read 
under the beak. Short-faced Tumblers, page 13, line 7 from bottom, for 
“ cuffing ” read art ting. 
Duration of Geese ((?.).—The older, in moderation, the better 
they wnl breed. They will be as prolific when fifteen or twenty years old 
as they are now. Instances are recorded of Geese living to he more than 
eighty years of age, and then dying by violence. Other questions will 
be answered next week. 
LONDON MARKETS.— April 20th. 
POULTRY. 
The market is still scantily supplied with yotlng poultry, 
however, but little trade. 
Large fowls.. 6s. Od. to 7s. Od. each. 
Smaller do. 5s. to 5s. 6d. ,, 
Chickens. 4s. to 4s. 6d. ,, 
Green Geese.. 6s. to 7s. 6d. ,, 
Ducklings.. 4s. Od. to 4s. 6d. ,, 
Plovers’ Eggs in bulk. 
There is, 
Guinea Fowls 3s. Od. to 3s. 6<L each) 
Pigeons. 8d. to 9d. ,, 
Rabbits.... Is. 4d. to Is. 6d. ,, 
Wild ditto. Od. t^j Od. ,, 
Leverets.... 3s. 6d. to 4S. 6d. ,, 
.... Is. gd. to 2s. per dozen. 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the Proprietors 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row', in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—April 21, 1857. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Poultry 1 respassing (E. C.). You have no legal right to destroy 
your neighbour’s fowls when trespassing. It is very vexatious that they 
