i 
28 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 11, 1859. 
Polands (of any colour).—First, G. Ray, Ivy Cottage. Minsteed, Lynd- 
hurst, Hants. Second, ,T. Hinton, Hinton, near Bath. Highly Com¬ 
mended, G. S. Fox, the Court, Wellington. Commended, G, Ray, Ivy 
Cottage, Minsteed, Lyndhurst, Hants. 
Ant other Variety. —First, J. J. Fox, Devizes (Malay). Second, 
J. Hinton. Hinton, near Bath (Brahma Pootra). Highly Commended, Miss 
L. Crawshay, Caversham Park, near Reading (Silky Negroes). 
Bantams (Gold-laced).—First and Second, Rev. G. F. Hodson, North 
Petherton, near Bridgwater. 
Bantams (Silver-laced).—First, II. D. Bayley, Ichwell House, near 
Biggleswade, Beds. Second, Rev. G. F. Hodson, North Petherton, near 
Bridgwater. Highly Commended, Rev. G. F. Cruwys, Cruwys Morchaid 
Court, near Tiverton. 
Bantams (Game).—First, H. D. Bayley, Ichwell House, near Biggles¬ 
wade, Beds Second, J. R. Rodhard, Aldwielv Court, near Bristol. Highly 
Commended, J. Rodbard, Aldwick Court, near Bristol; J. E. Mapple- 
beck, Highfield, Mosely Road, Birmingham. Commended, W. B. Teget- 
mier, Muswell Hill, London. 
Bantams (any other colour).—First, Rev. G. S. Cruwys, Cruwys Mor- 
chard Court, near Tiverton (Black Bantams). Second. No competition. 
Ducklings (Aylesbury).—First and Second, Mrs. Seamons. Highly 
Commended, Mrs. Fookes, Whitchurch, Blandford, Dorset. Commended, 
Miss Willeox, Nailsea Court, near Bristol. 
Ducklings (Rouen).—First and Second, W. E. Blackburrow, Banwell. 
Highly Commended, J. B,. Rodbard, Aldwick Court, near Bristol; Com¬ 
mended, T. Keable, Rowdefield Farm, Devizes; Mrs. Fookes, Whitchurch, 
Blandford, Dorset. 
Ducklings (any other variety).—First, J. II. D. Bayley, Ichwell House, 
near Biggleswade, Beds. Second, C. Edwards, Brockley Court, near 
Bristol (Wild Call Ducks). Highly Commended, C. Edwards, Brockley 
Court, near Bristol (Wild Ducks). 
Goslings. —First, Hon. G. Greville Howard, Charlton Malmesbury. 
Second, J. Hill, Brockley. 
Turkeys. —First, Rev. G. F. Hodson, North Petherton. Second, Miss 
L. Crawshay, Caversham Park, near Reading. Highly Commended, Miss 
J. Milward, Newton, St. Loe, near Bath. 
Judge.— Mr. Ed. Hewitt, Spark Brook Birmingham. 
PROMOTING THE WHITE FACE IN SPANISH 
FOWLS. 
Can you inform me of any method of bringing out the white 
in a Black Spanish fowl’s face ? Some of my friends recom¬ 
mend confinement in a dark room, and to feed with a good 
deal of meat, very highly seasoned with pepper. The meat 
seems reasonable enough, hut the confinement in a dark room 
would, iu my idea, only cause damage to the feathers; and the 
pepper, in such a large proportion, would, I should say, under¬ 
mine the constitution; and, if this method had to be pursued 
before every Show, would ultimately kill the fowl.—T. P. W. 
[Confinement in a darkish place is very good for Spanish 
fowls for a week before they go to an Exhibition ; but with first- 
rate birds it is not absolutely necessary. We are quite opposed 
to raw meat and pepper, and should think it highly injurious 
to the birds. White peas are often given, but we think it is 
only a fancy. Take them up from their run ten days before 
they go to a Show, and put them in a shed with a softened 
light. If they are in the dark, the cock’s comb often falls over ; 
and if they are put on boards they lose condition. If in their 
run their faces are white all over, their combs red, and their 
condition good, let well alone. The confinement will some¬ 
times improve the colour of a face ; but it will not turn a red 
one white. Feed on ground oats.] 
PHYSICKING FOWLS. 
What ought I to have given to a Black Hamburgh cockerel 
in order to effect a cure under the following circumstances?— 
I received the bird by rail from a distance, and on his arrival 
he did not appear to have suffered much from the journey, as 
he had a capital appetite and appeared lively. However, two 
days after his arrival he began to mope about, and appeared 
altogether out of sorts. 1 tried toast and ale, and tonics, but 
he continued to get worse until he died,—a week after being 
taken ill. He continued to eat well until the day hut one before 
his death, and when dead was found to have hardly any flesh on 
his bones. 
I shall also he obliged if you will inform me as to the points by 
which Black-red Game Bantams, both cock and hen, are judged 
at the principal Poultry Shows ? Also, what coloured legs are 
considered best; and the highest weight allowed for exhibition 
birds ?— Game Bantam. 
[In your treatment you omitted the most important part. 
Whenever a fowl is failing, the first step should be to administer 
a dose of castor oil—a table-spoonful. Having neglected this, 
your tonics only added to the disease, and the food failed to 
nourish or even to keep him alive. 
Black-red Game Bantams should he Game fowls in miniature, 
in colour, and carriage. The legs may he of any shade, provided 
all in the pen are alike. Yellow are the most showy; but we 
should say willow or blue are the most admired. Many amateurs 
like white legs It is essential that they be close and hard- 
feathered, andthat the hens have undoubtedly single and straight 
combs, well serrated. The smaller they are the better. It is a 
great point; but no weight has been fixed for them.] 
SADDLE OF DUCKWINGED GAME COCK. 
I am puzzled to know the meaning of Mr. Brent's remark in 
reviewing the Crystal Palace Poultry, respecting the prize 
Duckwinged Game Cock, which, he states, “ was a perfect 
model, hut of bad colour, the red on the back showing a cross 
with the Reds.” Is it. possible that he means the beautiful 
copper or maroon back is a defect, merely the result of a cross ? 
or is it some peculiar shade of red intermingled with the 
maroon that is offensive to him? I feel interested to know, 
being— The Purchaser of the Bird. 
[We consider the copper saddle quite correct. As we have 
before stated, those without that mark are a separate breed, and 
the two are as distinct as Gold and Silver Hamburghs.] 
REARING CHICKENS. 
In a former number you invited your readers to state their ex¬ 
perience iu rearing chickens this season; and as ours has in it a 
feature of some peculiarity, I venture to mention it. 
We have a convenient poultry-yard, dry, and w r ell gravelled, 
with a plot of grass in it. Also, a smaller enclosure of the same 
description, which we appropriate to sitting hens and chickens. 
In April last, having already two small broods, for want of 
room in our usual place, we sat two hens on Spanish eggs, in an 
empty stall in our stable. 
The stall was cold and damp, though its neighbour was 
tenanted by a pony, and we did not augur much success. At 
the same time means were used by placing boards and plenty of 
straw under the hens to keep them warm. 
In the beginning of May, the two sittings were hatched within a 
couple of days of each other, one hen producing ten and the other 
nine chickens. The difficulty was to know what was to be done 
with them. The stall seemed a very unsuitable place, and at 
last we contrived to move one brood to the chicken-yard. The 
other we were constrained to leave to its fate in the stall. The 
stable, however, having an entrance into the garden, the hen was 
in fine weather put out with her brood on the lawn in the day, 
and returned to the stall again in the evening. 
Eor some time both broods appeared to thrive, but in about ten 
days or a fortnight, the favoured one, as we thought, in the chicken- 
yard exhibited symptoms of sickness. We fed plentifully with 
bread and ale, and other nourishing diet, but in vain, and it ap¬ 
peared that we should, as we had done the year before, lose all 
our Spanish chickens. Two died and others were fast declining. 
At the same time, however, it struck us that there were no symp¬ 
toms of sickness or defection about the brood in the stable, all 
of which seemed in full health and vigour. We were led, in con¬ 
sequence, to try the experiment of removing the hen with the 
sickly brood to the stable. The effect was extraordinary. In a 
day or two the sickly chickens began to look better, gained 
strength from day to day, and in a week became as well and 
vigorous as the others. We lost no more, and with the exception 
of one chicken accidentally drowned, we have both broods now. 
Both the hens were placed out on the lawn in fine weather, and 
the chickens allowed to run in the garden, to which they con¬ 
tributed a pretty and most amusing object, and we only regretted 
when they got so large as to oblige us to dispense with them. 
At the time this experiment took place the weather was fine and 
warm, and the well-sheltered yard seemed infinitely the preferable 
place for successful rearing. We subsequently, however, tried 
the effect of the stable again upon a small brood of Dorkings, 
which were sickly, and with the same good result as before, and 
we have not lost a chicken which has had the benefit of what we 
now call our hospital. 
The question is, to what the effect which I have mentioned is 
attributable, whether to temperature, or atmosphere; and I 
believe it to be entirely due to the latter. The gases of the stable 
in my opinion constituted the restoration. I would recommend, 
, however, the experiment to such of your poultry-keeping readers 
j as may have the convenience of an empty stall in a stable, where 
I a horse or pony is kept. 
