29 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 11, 1359. 
We have raised altogether five broods this season. Of the first, 
a brood of nine Dorkings, hatched early, we lost all but t wo. Of 
the second, a brood of ten Silver-spangles, nine grew up healthy 
and strong. Of the third and fourth, being the nineteen 
Spanish which I have mentioned, we have reared sixteen ; and of 
the fifth, a brood of seven Dorkings, we have raised five. 
Our situation is on a clay soil, and, although our yard is 
thoroughly drained and well gravelled, we have not succeeded 
with either Dorkings or Spanish before the present year, and we 
are obliged to attribute to the accident of our having discovered 
tlie salutary influence of the stable much of our success during 
the present season.—Rus IN Urbe, North Wain .v. 
DUCK WING GAME FOWLS. 
“Which do I pref-A-r Sir? Why there can’t be no mistake 
about it - them beautiful bright Copper-backed ’uns to be 
sure--they’re like the setting sun in a July evening! No, 
no, Sir, I nEver could stand them white-backed ’uns, there’s 
no-E-thing fancy-like in ’em, and their bins are jlst like tame 
doWs, with their white bids, and pale brlsts -pretey enough 
to be sure, but not Warmint-looking enough for game blood. 
Tell me of a Hin like that A -re (pointing to one before him) with 
a good brick brlst, and a fiery red eye that look as if she’d Ate 
livo b-A-rds, they’re the gAls for pluck, and to breed you some 
trimmers. Lor Sir I could stand for Iver to look at ’em, they 
are so trim and shapely ! Why there ’aint one among ’em that 
don’t look more like a pullet than a ITin ! Well, Sir, I thank you 
for the sight of ’em, and I shall think oN ’em for many a long 
day to come. They S-u-rtainly are a lot of beauties ! ” 
Such was the colloquy, or rather the soliloquy (for once on 
scent of Game there was no holding him, much less a chance of 
question and answer) of “ an old hand,” who chanced about a 
year a iT o, when in the yard, to cast his eye upon our Duck wings, 
and whom I asked, on finding him knowing, which he preferred— 
the Silver or the Copper-backed chickens. Now, although no 
Cocker, I must admit that the old man struck a responsive chord 
when he praised the “ warmint-look,” and graceful bearing of 
my birds; for though, like most others seeking an ideal beauty 
amongst cocks and liens. I began my own search with attention 
to feather, and with which object I successively studied the 
characteristics of the major part of the different breeds of poultry, 
and then the varieties of the Game breed in particular. I found 
at last to my great surprise, that symmetrical elegance and high 
animal courage (vulgariter pluck), were the points that approved 
themselves to my taste far beyond mere feather. But this ad¬ 
mitted, a somewhat extended acquaintance with the Game fowl 
would lead me to decide with equal confidence, that in the Copper- 
saddled Duckwing, beyond any other variety, will you find the 
best combination of the three great essentials to Game-fowl per¬ 
fection,—viz., symmetrical elegance, high animal courage, and 
undoubted beauty of feather. 
The above very pertinent remarks of the old woodman were 
recalled to my recollection on reading in your impression of the 
20 th ult., the queries of “ One Wavering Between two 
Opinions and with the sympathy of one who has been sorely 
puzzled in such matters in times gone by, I have strung them 
together for your correspondent’s perusal, trusting that they will 
tend to impart the stability of choice that he seems to seek. — 
C. G. Read, Stradbroke, Suffolk. 
WOODSTOCK POULTRY SHOW. 
September 27th. 
As a first Show it was a very creditable one, but open to im¬ 
provement, which will doubtless be effected on a future occasion, 
especially if the promoters of it will take for their guide the 
rules and principles which regulate the great Shows at Bir¬ 
mingham and other places. For want of these, some of the 
classes were so confused, that the Judge, Mr. J. Iv. Fowler, of 
the Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury, whose knowledge and experience 
of the feathered tribe have gained him a world-wide reputation, 
was oblige to re-arrange them before be could make his awards. 
In addition to this, some of the best specimens were exhibited in 
pens so small that they could not be seen to advantage, and 
were obliged to be turned out of their pens before their merits 
could be seen and appreciated. 
The most attractive feature in the Show was a series of four 
pens, consisting of three Sebright Bantams, three Black Ban¬ 
tams, three White Bantams, and three Silky Fowls, exhibited by 
the Hon. Miss Dillon, as extra productions. These were very 
highly commended, and a prize was awarded to the Silky Fowls, 
which the Judge pronounced to be the finest specimens he had 
ever witnessed in his long and extensive career. The other pens 
deserving of special notice were the Turkeys exhibited by the 
Duke of Marlborough, and Mr. T. Hedges, of Wolvereot. The 
Coloured Dorking fowls sent by Colonel North, M.P. The 
Rouen Ducks by his steward, Mr. James Innis. The Silver- 
pencilled fowls by Mr. J ohn Hutt, of Watereaton. The White 
Geese by Lord Dillon and Mr. Mark Horn, of Summer Town. 
The Silver-spangled fowls by Mr. B. Coles, oi'Ste pie Aston, and 
Mr. Sheriff Stevens, of Oxford. The Grey Geese by Mr. Joseph 
Druce, of Ensham. And the Aylesbury Pucks by the Duke of 
Marlborough, and Mr. Sheriff Stevens. 
The Rev. G. W. St. John, Rector of 'Woodstock, exhibited 
Fenn's Woodstock Alliance Hive, on the depriving system, with¬ 
out destroying the bees, and admirably adapted for cottagers, 
besides being within their means .—(Oxford Journal ..) 
PRIZE LIST OF THE BIRMINGHAM POULTRY 
SHOW. 
I have just received the prize-list for the next Birmingham 
Poultry, &c., Exhibition, and I must confess that I am some¬ 
what disappointed, as I observe additions, in the shape of prizes, 
for bens and pullets in several classes, whilst my old favourites, 
the Cochin-Chinas, are not amongst the number. I have loug 
considered that they were not quite dealt with as they deserve at 
this important Show; more especially in the single cock class, 
where there are only two prizes, amounting to £3 ,for all colours ; 
whilst the Hamburghs have four distinct classes, with eight 
prizes, amounting to £12 ; and the Spanish three prizes, amount¬ 
ing to £ 6 . 
The total amount of prizes offered for one variety of Spanish 
and three varieties of Cochins is the same,—viz., £41. 
The number of pens exhibited in these two classes at the last 
Exhibition was as follows :— 
Cock and liens. 
Single Cocks. 
Pens of Hens 
and Pullets. 
Spanish. 50 ... 36 ... 32 
Cochins. 100 ... 19 No prize offered. 
I really cannot see that these numbers justify the present prize 
list; and even Polands, I observe, have £48 allotted to them, and 
last year there were only sixty-five pens shown of all varieties. 
As it is now, I fear, too late to make any alteration for the 
forthcoming Show, I trust the Committee will not overlook the 
matter another year. 
I am surprised to find that they still continue that absurd rule 
which limits each subscriber to four pens. Why not allow each 
exhibitor to enter honestly as many pens as he may wish, and 
not drive him to the subterfuge, which the Committee wink at, 
of entering birds in the names of different members of his family ? 
I would also recommend hamper labels, similar to those sent 
from the Crystal Palace, with one eye-hole, which are far less 
troublesome than those with four holes, usually sent from Bir¬ 
mingham.— Alpha. 
P.S.—Since writing the above, I have had the curiosity to look 
over all the catalogues I have (viz., thirteen) of Shows held since 
the last one at Birmingham, to see the relative numbers of 
Spanish and Cochins at other places, and the result of my in¬ 
vestigation is —Spanish, 235 pens; Cochins, 402 pens. 1 must 
confess that it is far more satisfactory to me than I had antici¬ 
pated, as the cry of ‘‘ Cochins are going down,” which has been 
reiterated over and over again, is without foundation. 
COLOUR OF GAME COCKS. 
Like your correspondent “ One Wavering between Two 
Opinions,” I was rather surprised at your reply to “ W. C. W.” 
that the Duckwinged cock with red back or saddle was a pure 
Duckwing. Now, to be pure, it is necessary that it should be 
free from mixture. But “ the copper-backed or saddle ” you 
now mention, or Red Duckwing, may be produced ad libitum 
from a red cock and grey hen; consequently, is not a pure or 
distinct colour, but a mixture. It is equally a pure-bred Game 
cock, but not a pure colour. I would advise “ One Wavering” 
