322 
THE COTTAGE 
GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, August 18, 1857. 
people say that they have given up keeping fowls in disgust 
at their disappointments and losses. Now, if you will grant 
me a space in your excellent paper, as you have oft.qn kindly 
done before, I will endeavour to show bow poultry may be 
pleasantly, easily, and profitably kept. Let us take the case 
of a person who has never kept fowls before, and wishes to 
do so chiefly to insure himself a supply of new-laid eggs in 
the ensuing winter. I take it for granted that he is a 
Londoner, and has but little space. Well, half a dozen fowls 
will amply supply him if he attends to the following advice, 
which is founded on experience :— 
In the first place he must have a fowl-house. Now, any shed 
can be very easily converted into a capital fowl-house, so long 
as it is dry and warm. If there is no such shed a little wooden 
house can be erected for about ten shillings or less. Then I 
suppose that he has a little yard which will answer as the 
fowls’ run. Now, having got his house, he must get his 
fowls. Let him buy, then, four young Cochin pullets, 
hatched about March of the year in which he buys them 
(let him buy them in September), and let him buy a coloured 
Dorking pullet and Spanish pullet of the same age, while 
the cock, a two-year-old bird, should be either Cochin or 
Spanish. The Cochins will lay most profusely, beginning 
about November, and keeping on through the winter. The 
Dorkings will hatch and rear the broods, and the Spanish 
will lay few, but large eggs. I should recommend a Spanish 
cock to be kept with these fowls if the neighbours do not wish 
to be awakened at the first peep of light by the tremendous 
crow of the Cochin; but still, if a Cochin is preferred, every 
one to his fancy. The fowl-house must be kept very clean 
and sweet, and comfortable straw nests made inside, and the 
perches should be eighteen inches from the floor. They (the 
perches) may be flat pieces of plank two inches wide, or 
rough branches. Sometimes straw is bound round them; 
mais cela n’importe. Let me again say that cleanliness is 
the great thing in fowl-keeping—it is the 'magnum bomim. 
Now, as to food, fowls seem to reverse the sentiment, 
“ We must eat to live, and not live to eat,” for they are always 
asking for food. Barley, oats, and barleymeal are the three 
chief ingredients in fowls’ food. A quart and a half of 
barley is an ample feed per diem for seven fowls. In the 
winter give a quart of barleymeal in the evening, mixed 
with hot water and well peppered, and in the morning a pint 
of barley ; but abstain from greaves, hempseed, or peas, as 
you would from poison. Treat your fowls thus, letting 
them have green food, and you will succeed in poultry¬ 
keeping.—A Wiltshire Poultry-keeper. 
RETENTION OF VITALITY BY AN 
UNHATCHED CHICK. 
I am about to relate a fact, which, as it occurred among 
my own poultry, I can vouch for its veracity. There was an 
egg laid between two and three weeks ago which has served 
the purpose of nest egg, and was sat upon for about 
eight days at the first part of that time. Since then it 
has been sat upon alternately by two hens going into the 
nest to lay. Last Tuesday evening I happened to take the 
egg and break it, and a half-formed chicken fell to the 
ground. After the space of about two minutes, to my great 
surprise, the chicken, which I supposed to be stone dead, 
moved, contracted its limbs, and gave a convulsive start. 
After that I distinctly saw it move twice, and then expire. 
I cannot in any way account for its having retained life so 
long, as it has often been many hours in the nest without 
any hen upon it. Among your numerous correspondents 
have any of them ever come across a similar case ?—J. T. 
Duncan, Fareham, Hants. 
POULTRY AT THE YORKSHIRE AGRICUL¬ 
TURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW. 
t This Show was held at York on the 5th and 6th instant. 
The show of poultry was large and good, and almost every 
pen afforded proof ot the rapid strides that have been made 
ot late years in the improvement of the denizens of the 
poultry-yard. It will be seen from the following prize-list 
that many of our best exhibitors competed. The Judges 
were the Hon. and Rev. S. W. Lawley, of Escrick, and the 
Rev. R. Pulleine, of Kirby Wisk. 
Spanish. —First, Mrs. J. C. Hall, Surrey House, Sheffield. Second, 
W. Brown, Howden, Selby. Chickens. —Prize, J. Dixon, North Park, 
Bradford. 
Dorkings. —First, S. Burn, East Terrace, Whitby. Second, G. 
Hustler, Appleton, Tadcaster. Chickens. —Prize, H. W. B. Berwick, 
Helmsley, York. 
Cochin-Chinas (Black or White).—First, J. Alcock, Hull. Second, 
W. Dawson, Hopton Mirfield. 
Cochin-Chinas (not Black or White).—First, T. H. Barker, Hoving- 
ham, Malton. Second, J. Braddock, York. Chickens (of any colour).— 
Prize, T. H. Barker, Hovingham, Malton. 
Game. —First, J. Robshaw, Whixley, Knaresborougli. Second, G. 
Hutchinson, Prospect House, York. Chickens. — First, J. Smith, 
Guiseley, Leeds. Second, C. White, Ruswarp, Whitby. 
Hamburghs (Golden-spangled).—First, J. C. Raw, Ainderby Vicar¬ 
age, Northallerton. Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Chickens. — Prize, 
Georgiana Mollitt, Bolton Percy, Tadcaster. 
Hamburghs (Golden-pencilled).—First, J. Crabtree, Branch Shipley. 
Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Chickens. —Prize, Jane Hollings, Horton, 
Bradford. 
Hamburghs (Silver-spangled).—First, Messrs. Bird and Beldon, 
Eccleshill Moor, Bradford- (No second prize awarded.) Chickens .— 
Prize, Mrs. H. Sharp, Bradford. 
Hamburghs (Silver-pencilled).—First, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, 
T. Poulter, Hopperton, Knaresborough. Chickens. — Prize, Mrs. H. 
Sharp, Bradford. 
Polands (any variety, with or without ruffs).—First, J. Dixon, 
Bradford. Second, Holloway and Winter, Hull. Chickens. —Prize, J. 
Dixon, Bradford. 
Any distinct breed not previously mentioned.— Prize, J. 
Dixon, Bradford. Chickens. —Prize, W. Dawson, Hopton Mirfield. 
Bantams (Black or White).—First, W. Dawson, Hopton Mirfield. 
Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. 
Bantams (not Black or White).—First and Second, J. Dixon, Brad¬ 
ford. 
Single Cocks. — Spanish Cock. —Prize, J. Dixon, Bradford. Dor¬ 
king Cock. —Prize, W. Burn, Whitby. Cochin-China Cock. — Prize, 
J. lluggleby, York. Game Cock. —Prize, Mrs. H. Sharp, Bradford. 
Gold-spangled Hamburgh Cock. — Prize, W. G. Perfect, Townhead, 
Skipton. Golden-pencilled Hamburgh Cock. —Prize, W. Horner, New- 
some Bar, Thirsk. Silver-spangled Hamburgh Cock. —Prize, Bird and 
Beldon, Eccleshill Moor, Bradford. Silver-pencilled Hamburgh Cock, 
— Prize, J. Dixon, Bradford. 
Geese. —Prize, B. H. .Brooksbank, Tickhill, Rotherham. 
Ducks (Aylesbury).—First and Second, Mary Taylor, Sewerby Cot¬ 
tage, Bridlington. 
Ducks (any other breed). — First, B. H. Brooksbank, Tickhill, 
Rotherham. Second, T. H. Barker, Hovingham, Malton. 
Turkeys. —Prize, E. Appleyard, Weston Lordship, Selby. 
Prolific Aylesbury Ducks. —On the 28tli of April last 
year (see The Cottage Gardener, Vol. XVI., page 108), I 
wrote to inform you that two ducks of the White Aylesbury 
breed had then laid 139 eggs: before they left off they 
laid 256 eggs. This year they begun to lay on the 13th of 
February, and have, to the present date, July 30th, laid 
236 eggs, and have not finished yet, although they are be¬ 
ginning to moult.—J. Wicketts, at Miss Dorvilles, High- 
croft, Great Malvern. 
LONDON MARKETS. —August 17 th. 
OOVENT GARDEIL 
An excellent supply of both Fruit and Vegetables, fully equal to suit 
the terms of all classes of buyers, which have been numerous during this 
real summer weather. Importations comprise Greengages, Orleans and 
Precoce de Tours Plums, Endive, Artichokes, and Tomatoes; and several 
cargoes of West India Pines, sometimes 40,000 a day, have changed 
hands at the brokers during the past fortnight, the season for which, 
however, will soon be over. 
POULTRY. 
The continued hot weather renders quotations difficult. The last 
week has inaugurated the Grouse season. We have been unable to 
form any opinion from the supply hitherto received ; but our impression 
is unaltered that it will not be found a good season in Scotland. The 
first few birds that arrive make large prices. These generally go to the 
Yorkshire moors, and to those sportsmen who will take the trouble to 
send off their birds on the afternoon of the 12th. Any average is 
difficult during the first few days. 
Large fowls 5s. Od. to 6s. Od. each. 
Smaller do. 3s. 6d. to 4s. Od. ,, 
Chickens.. 2s. 3d. to 3s. Od. ,, 
Geese .... 6s. Od. to 6s. 6d. ,, 
Ducks- 3s. Od. to 3s. 3d. ,, 
Grouse_3s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. each 
Pigeons . 7d. to 8d. ,, 
Rabbits .. Is. 4d. to Is. 5d. ,, 
Wild ditto ...... 8d. to 9d. ,, 
Leverets.... 3s. Od. to 3s. 6d. ,, 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the Proprietor* 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—August 18, 1857. 
