THE 
COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 17. 1857. 
107 
approaching poultry shows. 
Man counts, compares, and progresses in all things in 
which he is interested. If you were ever waiting impatiently 
in an anteroom, especially at a dentist’s, when you had an 
appointment for the extraction of a painful double tooth, 
did you never detect yourself counting the patterns of the 
paper which decorated the walls ? When your tailor no longei 
succeeds in fitting you, although he uses the pattern he lias 
had to guide him for years; when you fancy that the type 
of the Times is smaller than it used to he, and that you need 
the assistance of a glass to read it; when the ascent of a 
hill becomes labour, and your hair becomes thin and grey, 
you compare yourself with what you were.. No one will 
deny the progress. With the human being it is downward 
so far as the body is concerned, but not always so with the 
mind. Although it may require the unabated fire and 
energy of youth to carry it out, yet often middle age wi 
devise a sounder and more practical scheme than hot youth 
would have done. . , . , 
The approach of our great winter shows has suggested 
these reflections to us. We some time since recorded our 
opinion of the Birmingham prize list, and the claims its 
Society has on every amateur and agriculturist of the 
United Kingdom. We trust within this month we shall 
have to record that they are not unmindful of them, but 
testify their acknowledgments by, a cordial support. 
We have to do now with the Liverpool prize-list, and to 
bring it before such of our readers as might not otherwise 
know its details and its merits. In doing so we shall rave 
to revert to the manly letter of Mr. Moss, which we had the 
pleasure of publishing last week; and at the outset we give 
our full adhesion to that part which states that the pnze-list 
has been drawn up with a view to encourage those classes 
principally that have hitherto afforded them the greatest 
support. Counting and comparison have enabled them to 
do this, and it is just. It is the disregard of these details 
that makes so many shows unsuccessful. Few places can 
depend on such national support as Birmingham, and wher e 
this is not the case then preference should be shown to 
those breeds which give the largest number of entries. 1 
three prizes amounting to T8 are year after year awarded 
to a class that produces but six entries at 10s. each it stands 
to reason that it involves an annual loss ot To. lhe 
principle appears to us so sound and so. fully m accordance 
with common sense that, being as it is now publicly an¬ 
nounced, no one can have a right to complain. It is one ot 
the indications of progress. In our short notice of last 
week we could not enter much into detail, but we have now 
to refer to a novelty—the first experiment of a separate class 
of Dorkings to be judged by colour. It lias long been a 
grievance with those who breed the beautiful birds known 
as Lord Hill’s, that for lack of size they could not hope to 
compete successfully with others of every shade and hue 
chosen only for bulk and weight. Many good breeders 
anxious to exhibit decline to do so from a sense of the utter 
hopelessness of the attempt, and it is to meet such-cases 
that the Liverpool Committee have formed a class tor Silver 
Should the class answer, and should it be continued, we 
dare predict one thing, namely, that when they come to be 
put side by side exhibitors will, while they adhere to the 
colour, try to make success sure by increasing the size ot 
their birds till they are in a position to cope with their rivals 
in open competition. It is the spur they wanted. They 
have hitherto sat down, believing the most they could obtain 
was a third prize or a high commendation, and, depending 
entirely on beauty of colour, they have sought nothing else 
Another instance of progress is the institution of single 
cock classes at our large shows. Liverpool offers To lor 
the best cock in six separate classes. Second puzes of T 
each are given in addition. In all ninety-three pngs are 
to be distributed among 400 pens. Every prize ol To and 
upwards will be given in plate of the full value , and the 
gentlemen forming the Committee hold themselves personally 
responsible for the amounts offered. May. they be able, say 
we P to count a large surplus compared with former years, 
and may we have occasion to congratulate them on their 
progress. 
PREPARING FOR COMPETITION. 
The continual queries we receive from all parts on every 
subject connected with poultry, and the use made of our 
columns by all those who are interested in the pursuit, not 
only afford us pleasure, but, seeing that our advice is sought, 
and, we believe, appreciated, we are induced on all occasions 
to proffer such counsels as we think may be useful to our 
readers. . „ . . 
Thus we give warning when the expiration of the tune tor 
making entries draws nigh ; we call attention to the novel¬ 
ties and arrangements of different prize-lists; and now, when 
our monster meeting draws nigh, we would offer some crumbs 
of advice. Before we do so it may not be uninteresting to 
inform our readers what are the entries of every soit loi 
Birmingham :—Beasts, 136; sheep, 53 pens; pigs, 1 (| ~ pens, 
roots, 129; poultry, 1299; pigeons, 194. _ 
An essential point in exhibiting poultry is to send a pen 
in which all the birds agree. Now, this is seldom the case 
unless they are accustomed to be together. It is not enough 
that they should have run in the same yard; they must be 
tried by being placed in confinement, and if it is discovered 
that the cock beats one of the hens she must be removed. 
If the hens quarrel together it will be found that one beats 
the other two: remove the pugnacious bird. .It is useless 
to remove the beaten one, as the mistress will attack t le 
other; but there may be exhibitors so situated that they 
have not a fourth bird to match. In that case they must 
accustom the birds by degrees, by putting them together 
every day, and by gradually increasing the period ot their 
confinement. They must watch them narrowly. It one is 
still quarrelsome buffet her well with an empty bag every 
time she attempts to beat her companions. Feed well tor 
the fortnight before the show, but endeavour to. make fiesh 
and hard condition rather than fat. Give bread steeped in 
gravy if you will. We do not believe it necessary, but avoid 
meat or Indian corn. Ground oats are the best food. A 
little whole barley for a change and for amusement, but let 
your principal food be bread and oatmeal. They must have 
grass, and should run on it, that they may find the natural 
food with which it teems. To such as keep their fowls m 
pens where there is no herbage we advise that they get some 
large sods of growing grass, sufficiently heavy to resist the 
tim of the fowl, and enable it to break off the blades. They 
will not only eat all the grass, but a considerable portion ot 
the fresh mould. The remainder they will scatter about 
the pen. Ultra notions of cleanliness should not cause this 
to be swept up. It is good and healthy for them and if it 
is not wet it will not injure their plumage. W asli the laces 
of your Spanish fowls and the legs of every breed before 
they go to the show. Lukewarm water and a sponge are 
the appliances necessary for the operation. If you keep 
Bolands mind that their drinking vessels are so contrived 
that the topknots shall not be wetted when the birds 
drink. Wet feathers are heavy, and, by dint ot dragging 
down several times per day, the shape, of the topknot 
is at last spoiled. Send fowls to the show m round baskets, 
and canvass is a better top than wickerwork. Let them 
have none but soft food before they start. 1 ut plenty of 
clean straw in the bottom of the basket. Give yourself ample 
time to catch your fowls. When it is done in a hurry a tail 
is very often damaged, if it is not pulled out, and a prize is 
lost in consequence. If you win rejoice as much as you 
please; if you lose judge your own birds dispassionately, 
and make up your mind to deserve success another time. 
THE NOTTINGHAM CENTRAL AND LIVER¬ 
POOL POULTRY SHOWS. 
I have an indistinct recollection that an appeal was made 
through The Cottage Gardener to the Secretaries of Poultry 
Exhibitions to fix the period of their shows so as not to 
come into collision with one another; but how has tlia 
appeal been responded to in the case of Liverpool? By 
setting at naught your advice, and violating the most ordinary 
rules of prudence. In common with yourself we regret to 
see that the Liverpool Show is fixed for . the same days as 
the Nottingham. Here is a second edition ot the.Crystal 
Palace, and it seems as if both, resting upon their high- 
