122 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, November 18, 1856. 
live on fowls for the next ten days ; and I will keep you on 
eggs for the same period after that, as you have made up 
your mind to abide by my counsel.” “ Upon my life you will 
be a conjurer if you can do that from my own yard.” 
I will not enter into particulars respecting the breed of 
birds in his keeping. Suffice it to say, two pens of his 
favourite sort were reserved, and,in the room of some fif¬ 
teen or sixteen scrubs, three Partridge Cochins were picked 
up in the street at 2s. Cd. each, being about five months old. 
They commenced laying immediately, and I could almost 
have fulfilled my promise as stated above ; but he so stoutly 
refused to have a fourth Cochin, which he termed a nasty 
galliyantiny brute, that the intentioned feat was frustrated. 
On the first warm, sunny day in March two got broody, and, 
having saved a few eggs from his pet kinds according to my 
advice, he set them both on seven eggs each; they hatched 
out all fourteen. These he allowed one hen to take, and 
the other, after a few days, laid again, being, as is usual, 
broody a few weeks after for the second time, and was kept 
sitting on an egg for three weeks, waiting for the third 
Cochin to become broody, which, after that period, she did, 
and they both were set on eleven eggs each, and they hatched 
very well. I forget the number; all the chickens were placed 
under No. 2. The other remaining hen, after a very few days, 
laid one egg, and then stopped; but, wishing to have no lazy 
hours, actually took the part of the first clutch of chickens, 
who were too severely chastised by the mother, and coaxed 
them away, leaving the former nurse not at all disconsolate, 
for she laid again ; but, getting broody very early after, her 
head was chopped off; and, as soon as all the chickens were 
fit to care for themselves, the other two Cochins were given 
away, being of no use. With the warm weather they were 
supplanted by my neighbour’s summer birds. This I find 
to be the way to look at the economy of fowl-keeping. You 
cannot well do without the Cochins for winter. I have 
never liked their lines of beauty and gracefulness; but I 
am not blind to their usefulness as winter layers. My friend 
cannot get over his dislike to these birds; but he finds they 
are the only birds to lay all the winter; and, by their willing¬ 
ness to sit almost at any time in the summer, he can get 
pullets laying late in the fall, besides the chance of having 
lots of early broods. This, then, is my experience, and if 
any one of your readers can bring to bear a better one, 
“ come, let us hear it.”—W. H., Exeter. 
DEFALCATIONS IN PAYING THE ANERLEY 
POULTRY SHOW PRIZES. 
Perhaps, if all the individuals who severally claim the 
one unpaid prize referred to by the Secretary to the Anerley 
Show would send you their names, it would at least be the 
means of enlightening the public. I can answer for it that 
I have not received my prize money, and I trust I am the 
only one.—C. E. Coleridge. 
[If any one will furnish us with the names and full 
directions of the members of the Anerley Committee, we 
will publish them, for the information of all exhibitors of 
poultry. —Ed. C. G.] 
PLATE PRIZES AT POULTRY SHOWS. 
Allow me to thank Mr. Hewitt, through your columns, 
for his judicious letter on the subject of Prize Cups at 
Poultry Shows. My wife is weary of Prize Cups, and begs 
for some variety in the prizes. A few Silver Salvers would 
be an acceptable addition to my sideboard. Could not the 
silversmiths of Birmingham be invited to send new or old 
pieces of plate, of the requisite value, to be exhibited in 
separate cases, and from which the successful competitors 
might select their prizes ? In Liverpool the prizes are in 
every respect worthy of the indefatigable committee who 
minister to the fancies of the poultry amateur; but, whilst 
we award all praise to the Birmingham Poultry Committee, ' 
we smile incredulously at the Silver Cups, and think that 
they fall very short of T10 10s. in value.— Callus. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
\ 
Markings of Grf.t Dorkings.— “ Will you be so kind as to give the 
proper markings of the Grey Dorkings, hen and cock ?— A Constant 
Reader.” 
[There are, properly speaking, no special markings for a Grey Dorking 
hen. She may be light slate colour all over, or grey body, silver hackle, 
and salmon breast, or grey with ash spots, or a delicately-pencilled ; 
French white. All are correct; but the birds in the pen must be alike in 
every particular. The cock to match such should have light hackle and 
saddle, dark breast and tail; but a spangled breast and a party-coloured 
tail are notin any way objectionable.] 
Spanish Chickens, which to Keep. —“ I have a lot of Spanish 
chickens hatched in April from eggs obtained from two of the most 
celebrated breeders in the country ; but, unfortunately, I am unable to 
tell which of the birds I ought to keep. By far the finest bird I have in 
every respect except face is in this condition—he has a white face all but 
the part over the eye ; there it is red, with the exception of a small portion 
between the red and the comb that is white. But there is one peculiarity 
about this bird I do not see in any of the others. The red over his eye 
is constantly changing in colour; sometimes it is very red, and then in a 
few minutes it will become so pale as to be hardly perceptible. Is that 
a good sign ? I have several cockerels white all round the eye, with the j 
exception of a few splashes of red between the eye and the comb ; but 
they are not such fine birds in other respects as the before-mentioned. 
I have also one that has never been red at all, but white all round ; but 
then he is the smallest of the lot, and now only weighs 5ibs., although 
he is six months and a half old. I have the Poultry Book and others, 
but I do not find in any one of them what a beginner most wants, and 
that is a description of the state the birds should be in at the age when . 
one ought to select what to keep and which to discard. What I most | 
wish to know is, how old a young cock may be before I give up all hope 
of his ever becoming perfectly white?— A Young Hand.” 
[We have much pleasure in answering your questions so far as we can; 
but many who have passed a lifetime among Spanish fowls are in the 
same difficulty as yourself. We always draft our Spanish chickens at 
six months; we are bound in candour to add that we are often mis¬ 
taken. By all means keep the young cock that has never had any red in 
his face. These precocious birds are always small ; but as he weighs 
now 5 lbs., he may yet addl^lbs., and 6J lbs. is large enough for any¬ 
thing. The proper time to judge Spanish chickens is when they are 
quietly feeding. There is then no excitement; but when they are 
snatched from a perch, or run down in a yard, their exertions make them 
‘‘red in the face.” Many a bird has made but. a few shillings, being con¬ 
demned in this way, and tier price has proved afterwards' 1 a shilling in the 
pound.” But a selection becomes necessary, because, as they grow up, they 
eat too much food, and occupy too much space. Among your cocks choose 
those that, show the greatest mixture of white with the red over the eye. I 
Prefer a number of white spots all over the red to a white streak between i 
two red ones over the eye. We risk tautology, because there is no hope I 
of a bird that is not entirely white below the eye at six months old. ! 
Choose your pullets with long, skinny, workhouse faces ; take those that 
are of a dirty white all over, and reject those that have an angry red j 
mark between the eye and the comb. Follow these rules ; you will not 
always be right, but you will not often be wrong.] 
CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW. 
We were very much pleased to see the announcement of 
this Exhibition ; for the Crystal Palace is the only place in 
all England that seems faultless for such a purpose. Every 
pen can have ail equal exposure to the light; the birds, as 
well as the spectators, will he in a well-ventilated yet shel¬ 
tered arena, and this so vast in size, that the crowing and 
other annoyances will be almost unobserved. The liberality 
of the prizes will secure abundance of exhibitors. IVe 
think it right to state that it has no connection ivith those 
who have so shamelessly failed, in fulfilling their promises 
in the neighbouring grounds at Anerley, and we hope it will 
be the first of a series of Metropolitan Poultry Shows 
equalling in excellence that at Birmingham. 
We regret that it is fixed for days clashing with the Not¬ 
tinghamshire Central and Essex Shows. If its days cannot 
he altered, the Committees of the two Exhibitions we have 
named will do well to consider if they had not better change 
their days of exhibition. (Essex has altered its days. See 
our List of Shows.) 
LONDON MARKETS.— November 17th. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
The present fine weather has enabled tbe growers generally to get 
better supplies to market, and, as the importations of foreign fruit have 
not been so abundant the last few clays, a trilling advance in first-rate ! 
articles has been supported. Pears consist of Olout Morceau, Nelis * 
d’Hiner, Crassane, Chauinontelle, and some Marie Louise may still be ' 
met with. The Potato markets are fairly supplied; but good, sound 
descriptions meet with a ready sale both here and at the water-side. 
POULTRY. 
There has been an ample supply during the past. week. The improve¬ 
ment in price is very trifling; but the brisk, cold weather has given 
cheerfulness to the market. 
Large Fowls 4s. 6d. to Js. (Id. each 
Smaller do 3s. fid. to 4s. Od, ,, 
Chickens.. 2s. Od. to 2s. 6d. ,, 
Grouse .... 2s. (id. to 2s. 3d. ,, 
Partridges.. 2s. Od. to 2s. 3d. ,, 
Pheasants .. 3s. Od. to 3s. 3d. ,, 
Pigeons. 
j Hares .... 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. each. 
I Ducks .... 2s. fill, to 3s. Od. ,, 
' Geese.6s. fid. to 7s. Od. ,, 
i Rabbits.... Is. 4d. to Is. 5d. ,, 
j Wild ditto.9c 1. to lOd. ,, 
Snipes.... Is. 3d. to Is, 6d. ,, 
.8d. to 9d. 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Knlendnr ; and Published for the Proprietors 
at 'Pun Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, in 
the Parish of Clnist Church, City of London.—November 18, 18n6 
