108 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 17, 1857. 
1 
sounding prizes, are determined to do us all the injury they 
possibly can; but I trust the amateurs throughout the 
country will be influenced by higher feelings than mere 
pounds, shillings, and pence, and that they will consider the 
honour of gaining a prize at Nottingham, however small, 
equal to that of either the Crystal Palace or Liverpool. 
Your Liverpool correspondent of last week states that the 
“ Liverpool Committee have been occasionally censured when 
really no cause existed;” but I must confess, when so 
glaring an injustice to a neighbour Exhibition is committed, 
it does give some countenance to these complaints. In any 
case I cannot forbear remarking that the step they have 
taken towards us merits the strongest reprehension. Our 
Show has been advertised since the close of the late 
Exhibition, so that they cannot say they were not aware of 
it. We carefully avoided, in fixing our days of exhibition, 
not to come in contact with any; and, presuming that the 
Liverpool would hold its next meeting upon the same days 
as it did last year, no other time being notified by them 
until within these last few days, we thought surely we should 
not he made again the victims of such disreputable pro¬ 
ceedings. The Liverpool held its last Show, as also previous 
ones, upon the 28th, 29th, and 30th of January. The 
Crystal Palace announced its Show at an early period of 
this year for the 9th, 11th, 12th, and 13th of January, and 
to avoid collision with either of these we fixed the 20th, 
21st, and 22nd of January for our own. What, then, could 
have induced the Liverpool men to alter their period of 
exhibition, and fix upon the very days we hold ours ? It is 
not only calculated to injure both of us, hut the cause for 
which we have to sacrifice so much time and money. How¬ 
ever, it is gratifying to us to know that we in neither instance 
were the offenders, and I hope the press will notice it, and 
endeavour by their influence to prevent a repetition of 
such imprudent, and, I may add, shameful conduct.— John 
Etherington, jun. 
[If, as our correspondent says, the Liverpool Show has 
always been held on the 28th, 29th, and 30th of January, 
why did the Nottingham Central fix on the 20th, 21st, and 
22nd? This was not judicious, for parties intending to 
exhibit birds at Liverpool would not send them to Notting¬ 
ham. It is too severe a trial for birds to be penned again 
in a week, the chief part of that week also to be spent in 
travelling home and out again. Between the last day of the 
Crystal Palace Show, 13th of January, and the first day of 
the Liverpool Show, 28th of the same month, there will he 
time for the birds to recruit; hut the Nottingham Central 
Committee have chosen to have a Show between, and we j 
fear that the consequence will he that, whilst they damage 
the other two Shows a little, they will find that those two i 
Shows will damage the Nottingham much more. We think 
that the latter had better he postponed until the middle of 
February.— Ed.] 
A PROTEST. 
Some two or three years ago a quaint and truthful article 
appeared in one of your numbers (mislaid somehow), headed 
“ Ambition’s Ladder.” It really was a most correct picture 
of a somewhat extensive class, and doubtless written by an 
observant man, and many other contributions hearing the 
like signature have afforded me no little pleasure. “ W. H.” 
must confess that the proportions of his quiet amusement 
have become quite as large as those of the equine species, 
and not much less seductive and expensive. The money 
to be spent in being able to compete with the biy wigs is 
now, if at all entered into, a most expensive matter ; and, if 
report speaks true, the getters up of these big prizes and 
entries will be the ones to blame for any failure in a most 
delightful recreation, pushed on as it has been to almost a 
gambling eminence. . Surely it is not the gentleman that 
covets the cup or high prize, and surely the cottager and 
moderate man ought to esteem a fair prize of £2 or T3. 
The former personage ought not to be encouraged by the 
allurements of exclusive entries and large prizes to gamble 
out of the market the latter, they being the real and ob¬ 
servant breeders with hut a few exceptions. It is now 
become an unblushing feature in many Poultry Shows to 1 
deal with the contributors as a set of nincompoops by not 
only refusing to apportion and pay the prizes, hut really 
passing birds of extraordinary merit without notice in order 
to cover the iniquity of the claptrap. Depend upon it this 
stupid and fatal imitation of the late commercial swindles 
will rot out the poultry reunions. They are getting into 
faulty channels, and unless brought hack again to a healthy 
standard they must crumble. Remember it is the million 
that pay, and the million will not risk high entries, loss of 
position, and competition, unless something like good faith 
be observed.—A. B. 
NATIONAL COLUMBARIAN CLUB. 
The second Meeting and Show of the season of the above 
Club took place on Tuesday, the 27th ultimo, at Anderton's 
Hotel. There was a very good attendance of the members. 
Mr. Harrison Weir ably filled the chair, and several gentle¬ 
men were proposed and seconded for election as members, 
and will be balloted for at the next Meeting, which will be 
held on the 24th instant. The grand Show was fixed for 
the 2Gth of January, 1858, and will be held during the after¬ 
noon of that day at Anderton’s Hotel. The show of birds 
was exceedingly good, and consisted of some very fine 
Carriers, Almonds, Barbs, Owls, &c. It is hoped that the 
next Meeting will be larger, and that there will be a still 
better show of birds. Visitors are admitted to all the Meet¬ 
ings, but must be introduced by a member.—W. W. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Dubbing the Game Cock (A Constant Reader ).—The original in¬ 
tention in dubbing Game cocks was to leave nothing for the antagonist 
to lay hold of. The gills being cut all round will lead to the ear-lobe, 
and this will come off with them, but it requires discretion, and care 
must be taken to cut off only the outer and pendent part, as otherwise a 
wound may be formed that will not heal without detriment, as there 
will be no edges to bring together. 
Face of the Spanish Cock.— “1. Ought the white on a Spanish 
cock’s face to have a swollen, pudding-like, or wrinkled appearance, or is 
it better to be smooth, solid looking, and raised, but not enough to 
blind the bird ? 2. Do you consider the white"when swollen so much 
as to blind the bird a proof of high breeding ? 3. Would you consider 
a breed having pudding faces the first season and becoming quite blind 
the second, with great white puddings hanging over the eyes, superior 
to a strain with smooth, raised, compact faces, and never getting blind, 
and the white keeping free of a pink tinge?”— R. C. R. 
[1. Many of our best old Spanish cocks have such faces as you men¬ 
tion. It is better if it be smooth, solid, and raised. 2. When swollen 
as much as you describe it is more frequently the effect of age than a 
proof of high breeding. 3. We should most certainly prefer a breed 
with smooth compact face ; first, because it is at best a negative merit 
that deprives a bird of his eyesight; next, because in these wrinkled faces 
the top of the wrinkle or roll is almost always tinged with a red or rose 
colour. Nothing can compensate for any red in the face of a Spanish 
fowl; but, if perfectly white and of ample size, a smooth face is pre¬ 
ferable to a wrinkled one. Age has, however, much to do with it.] 
Bradford Poultry Show ( J. Duckwing, &c.).-We have inserted 
a complaint about the award of the first prize for Bantams at this Show, 
and we can do no more. If neither the Judge nor the Committee choose 
to reply we cannot possibly give any explanation. 
Chinese Geese.— P. S. wishes to know where these can be obtained. 
Bill of Aylesbury Ducks (A Keeper ).—It should be a uniform 
flesh colour. Yellow or blotched bills are always condemned. 
Spanish Cockerel with Twisted Bill (L.).— We know no 
method of cure. Trim that part of the beak which deviates from the 
proper line. This will not make it straight, but it will lessen the 
appearance of deformity. You must be careful not to cut to the quick 
or to cause bleeding. A crooked beak will interfere with his success at 
exhibitions. 
LONDON MARKETS. —November 16th. 
Still a good supply 
bability of 
sets in. 
Large fowls 4s. 6d. to 5s. Od.each. 
Smaller do. 3s. 0d. to 3s. 6d. ,, 
Chickens.. Is. pd. to 2s. 3d. ,, 
Geese .... Gs. Od. to 7s. Od. ,, 
Ducks .... 2s. 6d. to 3s. Od. ,, 
Hares.2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. ,, 
Turkeys. 
There seems little pro- 
unless dry, cold weather 
Grouse .... 2s. Od. to 2s. 3d. each* 
Pigeons.lOd. to lid. ,, 
Rabbits .. Is. 4d. to 4s. 5d. ,, 
Wild ditto.lOd. to lid. ,, 
Pheasants .. 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. ,, 
Partridges .. Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. ,, 
.6s. to 10s. 
POULTRY. 
and a wretched trade, 
any improvement in the latter 
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.—November 1/, 1857. 
