140 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, November 25, 185G. 
! or groove in tlie centre. If the head is rounded in form it 
i is termed barrel-headed, which is, likewise, a great fault. 
I The general form of the Carrier is also a point of great im¬ 
portance. The neck should he long, thin, and without bend ; 
the shoulders wide; the wings strong; and the pinions long, 
which add greatly to symmetry of the body; the back should 
be rather hollow, for if it rises, it is termed hog-backed, 
which detracts from its beauty; the legs, too, are rather 
large and stout. 
The English Carrier is, as I have before mentioned, the 
offspring of birds brought originally from Persia, Turkey, 
Arabia, and Egypt, which varied considerably; and, by 
careful breeding and attention to generally-accepted rules, 
it has been brought to a high standard, though 1 fear the 
birds of the present day are much smaller and more de¬ 
generate than they were some twenty years back, though, 
perhaps, they answer quite as well to the points of the fancy; 
yet they are not such noble and magnificent birds as their 
ancestors. Their genuine plumage is raven black, and the 
feathers set remarkably close to the body. These Blacks 
occasionally throw a Dun, which Duns are thought generally 
to have the best heads. Others, as Whites, Blues, and 
Pieds, are sometimes to be met with, but are rarely so 
good, the White having almost always the great blemish of 
hull or black eyes. 
Their great value consists in their sagacity, the attach¬ 
ment they bear to their home, and their capabilities of dis¬ 
covering it and returning to it from long distances, they 
being in possession of some sense or faculty of which we 
are ignorant, by which they are directed and impelled in 
a homeward course; and man, taking advantage of this 
property inherited by all Pigeons, but in a far higher 
degree by some kinds than others, has made use of them as 
carriers of intelligence from place to place; but it requires 
the Pigeons to be trained while young, and afterwards kept 
in exercise, or they become fat and idle, or their homing 
faculty becomes weakened from want of use. They are shy, 
rather unfriendly birds, and excellent breeders and nurses 
if kept in a natural state; but, if allowed to become too fat, 
they are less careful of their offspring.—B. P. Brent. 
Liverpool Poultry Show. —We have authority to state, 
there will be the usual Exhibition of Poultry in the early 
part of 1857 at Liverpool, and, in accordance with the spirit 
of the times in these matters, there will be numerous cups 
or pieces of plate offered for competition. From the liberal 
conduct on all occasions of the gentlemen who undertake the 
onerous duties of the committee, and the deserved popularity 
of this Show, our readers will thank us for giving the earliest 
information. 
THE HOUSEHOLD. 
Pickled Lemons. —Take a dozen bright-looking, juicy 
lemons, after grating the brown specks off from the outside, 
cut them down the middle from the top to the bottom, 
and across, fill them up with salt, and lay them in a dish to 
dry either in the sun or before the fire; then boil some 
vinegar with garlic, shallots, horse-radish, and pale tur¬ 
meric, and pour this liquor on the lemons so as to cover 
them well. When the vinegar has penetrated the lemons 
so as to make them tender, which will be in two or three 
months, they will be fit for use. 
Regent Pudding. —Five eggs, well beaten, and one pint 
of cream mixed together, and strained into a basin that has 
been well buttered; tie a cloth over the edge of it, and boil 
slowly for half an hour ; then turn it into a deep dish with 
sauce as follows :—Two glasses of white wine, the juice and 
rind of a lemon, cut very thin like threads, a quarter of a 
pound of lump sugar; boil this to a syrup, and pour it round 
the pudding, not over it, as it will discolour it, and may 
break it. 
Mince Meat. —Take one pound and a half of beef after 
it is boiled very tender, pick all the skin from it, and chop 
it very fine ; three pounds of suet, three pounds of currants, 
two pounds of raisins, and three pounds of apples, chopped 
very line; one pound of moist sugar; the juice of three 
lemons, aud the peel of two grated; cinnamon, cloves, nut¬ 
meg, and mace, to taste; one pint of white wine, half a 
pint of port, and half a pint of brandy. It must be kept in 
a dry place. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Crystal Palace Poultry Show.— “ Pray remonstrate with the 
Directors of the Crystal Palace for fixing their Poultry Show on the 
same day as the Colchester, and also for having it on a Saturday, and for 
four days after. This necessitates the birds being from home on [a 
Sunday, and is too long to be remunerative. It ought to be on the 
Wednesday in the next week, and close on the Friday ; it would then 
auswer well. If it be postponed for a week, say till the following 
Saturday, it will clash with the Preston Meeting, which will be quite a 
first-rate affair. A line or hint from your pen, and a few more such re¬ 
marks from other exhibitors, would, perhaps, have the effect of altering 
this.— John K. Fowler, Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury.” 
[We have corresponded with the authorities upon the subject of their 
Show clashing with others, but there are reasons for not altering their 
days of meeting. Saturday is the aristocratic day, and those who pay 
half-a-crown are considered entitled to the first sight. We have done 
battle without effect against Shows of many days. If exhibitors submit 
to send their birds, we are powerless to prevent it. If there is any 
place where the birds will be little inconvenienced by long confinement 
it is the Crystal Palace.] 
Golden-spangled Hamburgiis for Exhibition.— “ A lady, who 
intends to exhibit a pen of ‘ Golden-spangled Hamburgh chickens of 
1856 ’ at the next Poultry Show at Birmingham, has requested me to 
decide upon the merits of two Hamburgh cockerels. They are of the 
same hatch, and of first-rate (Yorkshire) strain; but No. 1 is much 
smaller than the other, and his comb is not so well developed at present. 
In other respects he is a handsome bird, and has perfectly white ear¬ 
lobes. No. 2 is a remarkably handsome bird, and his comb is beauti¬ 
fully pike-shaped, but his ear-lobes are only partially white. As they 
are rather whiter than they were a month ago, possibly they may be 
perfectly white when full-grown. In the meantime, will this imperfection 
deprive him of all chance of a prize at the Poultry Show ? and do you 
recommend the lady to send No. 1 in his stead ?— An Old Subscriber.” 
[No point is more imperative than the white ear-lobe in a Pencilled 
Hamburgh fowl. The fact of your first cock being too small to have a 
well-developed comb would seem to say he was too small to hope for 
success in the teeth of such competition as there will be at Birmingham. 
On the other hand, the second bird would not stand well unless he has 
a white ear-lobe. One may grow, and the other may whiten in the 
course of the next fortnight. It is difficult to advise you; but, seeing 
the importance of the ear-lobe, we should go for the first if his other 
points are good. You will do well to recollect all does not depend on 
the cock ; the pullets should also be perfect.] 
Indian Corn for Fowls. —“ We have many fowls, chiefly Dorkings, 
and have had very bad success with sitting this last summer. Our food 
consisted chiefly of Indian corn. Do you think that the food has any¬ 
thing to do with the unprolificness of the poultry?—A Subscriber.” 
[Indian corn is bad food for poultry. It is not injurious if mixed with 
oatmeal or barleymeal, but by itself it is the worst food you can give. 
You will never do any good with your fowls on it. Substitute barley- 
meal or oatmeal, and you will find a speedy improvement.] 
Howtowdy. —“One of your correspondents desires to know what a 
Howtowdy is. The following explanation is from Jamieson’s Scottish 
Dictionary Howtowdy.— A young hen. One that has never laid. 
This is evidently from the French Hestaudeau, Hustaudeau, Hutaudeau. 
A great cock chick, and sometimes any big or well-grown pullet.’ 
[Jamieson.] I do not find this in any modern French Dictionary, or in 
the Dictionnaire de I'Academie; but it is in the quarto edition of the 
Dictionnaire Francois, par Laveaux.— H. M., Herts.” 
LONDON MARKETS. —November 24th. 
CO VENT GARDEN. 
Supply moderate, and a fair amount of business doing for the season. 
The usual descriptions of Continental supplies have come to hand ; but 
the Dutch Hambro’ Grapes are not near so good, owing to the moist 
weather of the last few days. The shipments will probably conclude on 
Monday next. Hothouse Grapes are in excellent condition, both Muscat 
and Black Hambro’. Potato trade better, and prices slightly advanced. 
POULTRY. 
The only alteration we have to notice this week is the influx of large 
quantities of game, much more than there is any real demand for. 
LargeFowls 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. each 
Smaller do 3s. 6d. to 4s. Od. ,, 
Chickens.. 2s. Od. to 2s. 6d. ,, 
Grouse.... Is. gd. to 2s. Od. ,, 
Partridges.. 2s. Od. to 2s. 3d. ,, 
Pheasants .. 2s. fid. to 2s. gd. ,, 
Pigeons. 
Hares .... 2s. 6d. to 2s. gd. each 
Ducks.... 3s. Od. to Os. Od. ,, 
Geese.6s. 6d. to 8s. Od. ,, 
Rabbits.... Is. 4d. to Is. 5d. ,, 
Wild ditto. lOd. to Is. ,, 
Turkeys.. 7s. Od. to 10s. Od. ,, 
.8d. to gd. 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the Proprietors 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—November 25, 1856. 
