354 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, September 1, 1857. 
tails that I am doubtful if I ought not to have classed them 
with those Pigeons, as I am much inclined to consider one 
as a sub-variety of the other; but, being in want of proof, I 
preferred classing them among Pigeons of peculiar plumage. 
— B. P. Brent. 
MERTHYR TYDFIL POULTRY SHOW. 
We have often thought that in writing the Queen’s speech 
the ministers must find the opening sentence of “ My Lords 
and Gentlemen ” the easiest part to compose. We waited 
some minutes after the above heading, and no bright idea 
struck us. Then we said to ourselves, “ It is a Fruit and 
Flower Show as well; we will say something of them ; ” but 
that was out of our depth. “ Then begin about the natural 
connection of these things.” No, hang it, somebody wrote 
about that last week. “ Do the classical—have a little sort 
of invocation.” Who was the god or goddess of poultry ? 
No one; and yet the ancients were lavish of deification. 
They had gods for everything, but they had no Poultry 
Shows. The gods themselves were, however, a little in the 
fancy. If history is to be believed Jove has his eagle, Juno 
her peacock, Minerva her owl, and iEsculapius a barn-door 
cock. 
What a beautiful ride it is from Gloucester to Merthyr 
Tydfil! The splendid scenery, the curious sight of furnaces 
belching forth their roaring flames, and emitting their clouds 
of smoke in the midst of a landscape more lovely than the 
mind could conceive—the novelty of a mining district to 
one accustomed to our agricultural country—all made us 
enjoy our trip. In one thing we were disappointed. Although, 
as in Ingoldsby’s words, we saw numbers of damsels whose 
“ Eyes were as bright as their milking-cans,” 
we saw not one whose hat 
ts Was a beaver, and made like a man’s.” 
To show the world we have an eye for something more 
than mere cocks and hens, and to convince our lady readers 
that we could, if necessary, do a little in the “ fashion ” 
reporting way, we' will say, while speaking of the prevailing 
head-dresses, that hats are not worn. The bonnets are 
small; but, instead of being stuck on the back of the head, 
they are jammed down on the top, the front forming a small 
peak to keep the sun from the eyes. 
Within these few years a great population has sprung up 
here—nearly 100,000 souls. It is natural to have pets, and 
having them the transition to a show is easy, because the 
innate feeling of emulation causes every man to wish to have 
the best, and the point can only be decided by open compe¬ 
tition. A few gentlemen formed a Committee, and hence 
the Show which we will now steadily proceed to report. 
“ All men,” says an old writer, “ are alike ; bat they differ 
in height, in strength, in the colour of their hair.” So we 
say all Poultry Shows are alike, only they differ in the quality 
of the birds shown. One thing may, however, be noted, 
that the question is now so well understood that the most 
popular breeds invariably present the best entries. Here, 
at a small Show of 140 pens, there were Spanish and Dor¬ 
kings that would not disgrace any exhibition. Our venerable 
mother of shows, Birmingham, has set the order of pre¬ 
cedence, and therefore Spanish came first. Mr. Crawshay’s 
birds were excellent. In the Coloured Dorkings there were 
marvellous birds, and a pen made from the first two might 
confidently take its chance of success anywhere. No marvel; 
the first prize pen had already graduated at Birmingham 
and the Crystal Palace. The white Cochin-Chinas were 
good, but sufficient care had not been taken to discard green 
legs. The Buffs were a creditable display, but not equal to 
others recently shown. One pen of Grouse reminded us of the 
Rev. G. F. Hodson’s. Golden-spangled Hamburghs were very 
good—the Golden-pencilled not equal to them. There must 
have been a strange infatuation about the Silver-pencilled — 
every pen but one was topknotted. Good news for the Dub¬ 
lin school! The Black and Silver Polands were good. The 
latter seemed akin to Mr. Coleridge’s birds, and we believe 
this country is not unknown to him. The Silver-pencilled 
were very good, and if they are well lotted they will appear 
again in the prize-lists. There were some very good Game 
fowls. A cock in the first prize pen, the property of Mr. 
Crawshay, will, if well shown, be hard to beat in the single 
cock classes wherever he may be shown. We were rejoiced 
to see some of the old English Booted Bantams. We have 
not for a long time seen such good birds, square, short¬ 
legged, speckled, and booted to the toe. 
The Committee made a mistake in putting Gold Pheasants 
into the prize-list, being misled by those who will call Spangled 
Hamburghs Pheasant fowls. Their appeal was, however, 
answered, and a very fine pen of real Golden Pheasants, 
belonging to Mr. Crawshay, demanded and took a prize. 
The Turkeys were excellent. The Judge stated that he 
passed over excellent Ducks with regret, but if they are 
entered as Aylesburys they must have pale bills. 
It was matter of regret to see the classes for workmen 
not filled up. They thought some superhuman exertion 
was required to take a prize. When they saw the simple 
nature of the affair they promised for the next Show. Let us 
hope they will keep their word. Mr. Baily was the Judge. 
The Committee was all that could be desired, and Mr. 
Harris, as Secretary, deserves the thanks of all concerned. 
VITALITY OF AN UNHATCHED CHICKEN. 
Seeing in your number for August 18th an account of the 
vitality of an unhatched chick, I can relate a circumstance 
of a somewhat similar nature that occurred four years ago. 
An egg being left in the nest for some young pullets to lay to, 
in the course of time was hatched, and, having no particular 
mother, I brought the chick out and reared it by the fire. 
It was hatched in February in very cold weather, but with 
care and attention it reared well. It is now alive, and has 
produced many broods of chickens, and laid hundreds of 
eggs. It is a great pet and favourite.— John Hartley, 
Great Crosby, Liverpool. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Bantams (J . C. IT.).—The birds in question are in all probability 
Laced Bantams bred out, that is, they have, for lack of fresh blood, lost 
their lacing, and are going back to the birds from which Sebright Ban¬ 
tams were originally made. They may be, and doubtless are, pleasing 
and profitable birds; but they will never be valuable either to sell, 
exchange, or treat as a new variety. 
Characteristics of Powter Pigeons and East Indian Ducks. 
—“ What constitutes good East Indian Ducks ? Should their legs be 
black or bronze, and their weight or size be taken into consideration ? 
What is the price of a good pair of Powter Pigeons, what length should 
they measure, and how should they be marked ? Could you not get up 
a ‘ Manual for the Many ’ on Pigeons ? ”— South Leicestershire. 
[The properties of good East Indian Ducks are perfectly black plu¬ 
mage showing great metallic lustre. They should be as small as possible. 
If the legs are quite black so much the better. We have never seen 
any. The bill of the Ducks should be black ; that of the Drake has a 
greenish tinge. The properties of Powter Pigeons were described in 
No. 435 of The Cottage Gardener, January 27th, 1857. Seven 
inches may be considered a good fair length of leg. The price can 
hardly be fixed with any degree of precision, as so much depends on the 
pocket of the amateur, the necessity of the seller, the state of the fancy, 
or the goodness of the bird. From one guinea each and upwards may 
give some idea.] 
Yorkshire Poultry Show. —“ We find in the report of the York¬ 
shire Show that Mrs. Sharp took the prize for the single Game cock. 
This is a mistake, as we took the prize, but the mistake arose from the 
birds having been put in the wrong pens; that is, when the birds were 
judged one bird was in Mrs. Sharp’s pen, and her bird in ours. This 
arose from the Yorkshire Society having a method of receiving the birds 
without numbers. Of course the mistake was rectified as soon as found 
out. The cock that took the prize was a Duckwing, and the remainder 
were Reds.”— Bird and Beldon. 
Five-clawed Cochin-China {Amateur). —If the best pen of Cochin- 
China fowls in the world had one five-clawed bird in it it would be dis¬ 
qualified. 
LONDON MARKETS.— August 31st. 
POULTRY. 
There is but a moderate supply 
decidedly scarce. 
Large fowls 6s. Od. to 6s. 6d. each. 
Smaller do. 3s. fid. to 4s. Od. ,, 
Chickens.. 2s. Od. to 2s. 6d. ,, 
Geese .... 6s. Od. to 6s. 6d. ,, 
Ducks.... 3s. Od. to 3s. 6d. ,, 
of poultry at market. Grouse are 
Grouse .... 4s. Od. to 4s. 6d. each. 
Pigeons . 8d. to 9d. ,, 
Rabbits .. Is. 4d. to Is. 5d. ,, 
Wild ditto. 8d. to 9d. ,, 
Leve(||ts.... 3s. Od. to 4s. Od. ,, 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the P/oprietors 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—September 1, 1857. 
