THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 18, 1859. 
45 
mended, Mr. Percivall. Balds or Beards. —Prize, Mr. Esquilant. Highly 
Commended, Master llake; Mr. Oite*. Owls (Silver or Blue).—Prize, T’. 
Esquilant. Highly Commended, Mr. Morris. Commended, G. C. Adkins. 
I Owls (any other colour).—Prize, Master Rake. Barbs (any colour).— 
First, .1. Percivall. Second, Master Rake. Fantails (White).— Prize, 
JI. Child. (A good class.; Fantails (any colour)—Prize, W. Cannan. 
\Nuns (any colour).—First, Mr. Edge. Second. Mr. Child. Trumpeters.— 
Prize, G. C. Adkins. Commended, Mr. Mewburn ; Mr. Oates. Turbits.— 
j First, G. Goore. Second, Mr. Morris. Commended, Mr. Hewett; XV. 
| Cannan. Jacobins. —First withheld. Second, H. Child. (A very bad 
| class.) Runts. —First, H. Child. Second, W. Cannan. Commended, 
| Master Rake. Any new or deserving variety. —Prize, II. Child. Prize, J. 
Bailey, jun. 
NOTES ON THE CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY 
SHOW. 
I am not surprised that “Neres” should affect to ridicule my 
statement, that, at that Show, pen 22 contained two cocks, in¬ 
stead of a cock and pullet. I am well aware that, when through 
sickness or some other cause, the development of the comb and 
gills is retarded in young fowls it is frequently difficult to de¬ 
termine the sex. At the same time I may state that I examined 
the chicken in question very minutely, and I am quite con¬ 
fident—from the form of the tail-coverts, which were decidedly 
side-sickle feathers, and the pointed form of the saddle feathers, 
to say nothing of the hackle—that it was not a pullet, but a back¬ 
ward cockerel, in which, from some cause, the comb and gills had 
been retarded in growth. 
I well know a precocious cockerel could not easily be made to 
pass muster for a pullet; but I am surprised that “Xeres” 
should not be more conversant with the plumage of fowls, since j 
he states he has been for years a large breeder of Spanish. As, 
however, I trust his mistake is one of judgment, and not in¬ 
tentional, I shall leave it to the bird itself to convince him, which 
it will most uumistakcably do in a few mouths.—B. P. Brent. 
POULTRY SHOW AT THE OUGHTIBRIDGE 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S MEETING—OCTOBER 10'TH. 
We are glad to see at the various Agricultural Societies’ 
meetings now being held throughout the country, the deeply- 
increasing interest that the farmers are taking in the breeding of 
poultry—an interest that will in the end prove to them that a 
little extra attention paid to the feathered tribes will always yield 
a good profit. We do not despair yet of the Royal Agricultural j 
Society restoring the various classes of poultry to its prize lists. | 
The Exhibition at Oughtibridge was a very good one, both 
as regards the number of pens and the quality of many of the 
birds shown. The pens extended in a single tier along the left- 
hand side of the field, and were thronged throughout the day by 
a numerous and fashionable list of visitors. 
In adult Spanish, Mrs. J. C. Hall, of Surrey House, Sheffield, 
had a very easy victory with two pens of her best birds. Seven 
pens of Spanish chickens were entered, many of the youngsters 
possessing considerable merit. Mrs. Hall was again victorious 
with a beautiful pen; and, if we are not very much mistaken, 
should her cock, a very early-hatched bird, go on, we shall hear 
of him again at the great winter exhibitions. The Dorking 
classes contained a few nice birds ; hut we do not consider them 
very well adapted to this district. The Cochins call for no par¬ 
ticular remark, only one exhibitor having entered. The Game 
classes were excellent throughout. The Single Cocks exhibited 
by Mr. George Helliwell, of Walkley, the civil and attentive 
feeder, and Superintendent of the Sheffield Show, were, in the 
opinion of Mr. Challoner, quite equal to any birds he had ever 
seen. The classes for Polands and Jlamhurghs did not strike us 
as very first-rate ; but in the classes for Redcaps (chickens), some 
very good birds were sent. The first-prize Bantams were good. 
Ducks, Geese, and Turkeys , looked very plump and good, and 
seemed to remind us, by their forward preparation, of the im¬ 
portant part they will have to play in the rapidly approaching 
festive season, when friend meets friend around the social board, 
and the mystic mistletoe and the holly mingle their branches on 
the wall. 
Mr. T. Challoner, of Worksop, and Mr. Swift, of Southwell, 
officiated as Judges. 
Spanish. —First and Second, Mrs. J. C. Hall, Surrey House, Sheffield. 
Highly Commended, XV. Silvester, 16, New Market Hall, Sheffield. 
Chickens. —First, Mrs. J. C. Hall, Sheffield. Second, XV. Harvey, Shef¬ 
field. Highly Commended, Mrs. J. C. Hall, Sheffield. 
Dorkings. —First, J. Bedford, Oughtibridge. Second, J. Dransfield, 
Penistone. Highly Commended, J. Dransfield, Penistone. Chickens .— 
First, J. Bedford, Oughtibridge. Second, T. Chambers, Walkley. 
Pokands (any colour).—First, W. I. Ronksley, Fir View. Second, W. 
Harvey, Sheffield. Highly Commended, J. Heeley, Hepworth. 
Cochins (any colour).—Prize, XV. Harvey, Sheffield. Highly Com¬ 
mended, VV. Harvey, Sheffield. Chickens.— Prize, W. Harvey, Sheffield. 
Highley Commended, W. Harvey, Sheffield. 
Game (any colour).—First and Second, G. Helliwell, Walkley. Chickens 
(any colour).—First, W. Bedford, Penistone. Second, G. Helliwell, 
Walkley. 
Game Cock (any colour).—First, G. Helliwell, Walkley. Second, J. 
Heeley, Hepworth. 
Game Cock Sweepstake (any colour).—First, G. Helliwell, Walkley. 
Second, W. Harvey Sheffield. 
Hamburghs (Golden-pencilled or Spangled).—Prize, C. Hayes, jun., 
Freedom Hill, Walkley. Chickens. —First, II. Liies, Stocksbridge. Second, 
W. Harvey, Sheffield. Highly Commended, T. Birch, Sheffield; J. Allen, 
Oughtibridge; H. Liles, Stocksbridge. 
Hamburghs (Silver-pencilled or Spangled).—First, C. Hayes, jun., 
Freedom Hill, Walkley. Second, XV. Taylor, Hampton X r iew, Walkley. 
Chiekens.— First, XV. Harvev, Sheffield. Second, C. Hayes, Freedom Hill, 
XValkley. 
Redcaps. —Prize, B. Oates, Owlerton. Chickens. —First, M. Ilobson, 
Lee Bank, Loxley. Second, J. XYoolien, Heeley. 
Bantams (any colour).—First, G. Helliwell, XValkley. Second, XX'. 
Harvey, Sheffield. 
Geese. —First, Mrs. Crawshaw, Cournes. Second, J. Siddons, White 
Lee. 
Ducks.— First, 3. Hawley, Sheffield. Second, XXL Bedford, Penistone. 
Highly Commended, A. Beckett, Sheffield ; C. Hayes, jun., Freedom Hill, 
Walkley. 
Turkeys.— Prize, Mrs. Crawshaw, Coumes. Bo tilts .—First and Second, 
G. Dickinson, Dyson Holmes .—(From a Correspondent.) 
WESTON-SUPER-MARE POULTRY SHOW. 
This Exhibition was held on the 5th inst, and was, un¬ 
doubtedly, the best that has taken place in connection with this 
Society ; in fact, it is but very rarely indeed so uniformly good a 
collection of poultry is got together by any Committee. There 
was but one indifferent pen throughout the whole. The arrange¬ 
ments were complete and could not be improved, eliciting the 
general approval of those amateurs who visited the Exhibition. 
Very luckily the weather was also favourable, a bright autumnal 
Aiy inducing out-door exercise, consequently the attendance 
was most satisfactory. The competition was confined to birds 
hatched during the present year, and, with a solitary exception, 
this rule was carefully respected by the competitors. The poultry 
as a whole were exhibited in first-rate condition, and most of the 
classes were well filled ; but it is somewhat remarkable there was 
not a single entry of Golden-spangled Hamburghs, or Golden- 
spangled Polands. 
The Spanish were the first class on the prize list, and in this 
variety J. R. Rodbard, Esq., took both premiums with specimens 
of very high character. In Grey Dorkings the Exhibition was 
the best we have yet seen this season. They had throughout 
been evidently very carefully matched, therefore the competition 
was a most unusually close one. They stood, as a class, a perfect 
triumph of poultry breeding. The White Dorkings were as fully 
worthy of our highest approval. The improvements attained by 
careful management seem more striking in this variety than in 
most others of our domestic poultry, and this breed is becoming 
daily more generally sought after by agriculturists. A few years 
back "White Dorkings were commonly reputed as difficult to raise, 
being tender to rear as chickens, and a long time before attaining 
sufficient maturity for the table. This, however, proved un¬ 
doubtedly to bo a misconception altogether; for White Dorkings, 
if enjoying a good run, are very excellent layers, commencing 
i early in the season. The chickens grow quickly, and, with 
moderate attention, are always in good condition for the table. 
The quality of the flesh is likewise excellent, and the general ap¬ 
pearance of the birds when plucked is delicate and prepossessing. 
With such truly superior qualities it is hardly to be wondered that 
they have many admirers. The purity of plumage of a goodly 
number of these useful birds, when collected near a homestead, 
few persons could appreciate who have not seen them thus 
situated. Their general appearance will always add much to 
their popularity, and we anticipate the coming winter Shows will 
abound with excellent specimens. The attention paid to this 
valuable breed during the last few years has also wonderfully 
increased the size of the specimens exhibited, and there appears 
every probability of even further improvement. Most of our 
Shows of late have retrograded as to Polands; hut the Show 
at Weston-super-Mare was undoubtedly a very first-class one for 
