THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 30, 18,Mi. 239 
THE CHBOWIClC 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Crewe. February 3rd and 4th, 1857. Secs. S. Sheppard and D. 
Margelts, Esqs. Entries close January 15th. 
Crystal Palace. January 10th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. Grand Ex¬ 
hibition of Poultry, Pigeons, and Rabbits. Secretary to the Poultry 
Exhibition, William Houghton, Esq., Crystal Palace. Entries 
close December 13th. 
Essex. At Colchester, December 31st, 1856, and 1 st, 2nd, and 3rd of 
January, 185/. Secs., G. E. Attwood and W. A. Warwick. Entries 
close December 17 th. 
Kendal. At Kendal, February 6th and 7 th, 1857. Sec. Mr. T. 
Atkinson. 
Liverpool. January 28th, 29 th, and 30th, 185 7 . Secs. Gilbert W. 
Moss, Esq., and William C. Worrall, Esq., 6 , Lower Castle-street. 
Entries close on the 10th of January. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 13, 14, and 
15. Hon. Sec. Frank Bottom. Secretary to the Canary Department, 
Jno. Hetherington, jun., Sneinton. 
Preston and North Lancashire. January 21st and 22nd, 1857. 
Sec., Ralph Leigh, Esq., 125, Church Street, Preston. Entries close 
December 13th. 
South East Hants. At Fareham, January 26 th and 27 th, 1857. Sec. 
Mr. James James. Entries close January 14th. 
N.B.— Seer etariesvnll oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
POULTRY EXHIBITION RULES SHOULD BE 
ADHERED TO SCRUPULOUSLY. 
As an individual who really feels desirous to promote the 
j well-being of Poultry Exhibitions, perhaps you will excuse 
| my present intrusion on your well-filled columns, to point out 
a failing in the “ management ” of such meetings that, of 
| late, has been a very general one, and which my own 
| experience in these matters tells me is gradually extending 
itself, calling very loudly as it does for exposure, and 
consequent revision and improvement. 
I will at once refer to the really vital item to success, viz., 
the proper adjudication of the premiums generally. To 
carry this out truly and effectively two provisos are positively 
indispensable. They are an ample sufficiency of day-light, 
and, likewise, a sufficiency of time for this express purpose. 
If either or both of these conditions are unduly contracted, 
they must unavoidably and necessarily spread a very 
baneful influence on the whole proceeding. 
I will, therefore, enter more minutely into the subject. 
By general pre-arrangement there is almost universally, 
in the first instance, quite a sufficient time allotted for the 
proper fulfilment of this onerous duty; but, from after¬ 
misadventure of one kind or other, the time becomes 
eventually so seriously trespassed upon, that not un- 
, frequently considerably less than a couple of hours is all 
| that actually remains at the service of the Poultry Judges, 
j whilst very unfortunately at this time of the year, like other 
troubles, proves twin-born, for the adjudications are thus 
unwarrantably deferred until closely approaching nightfall. 
{ Consistently with the small remnant of time thus given, 
how can the decisions then be made with certitude or satis¬ 
faction ? I have so repeatedly been subjected to this grievous 
objection, that I will, without mentioning localities, at once 
give a couple of “illustrations.” 
Having consented to officiate at a Poultry Exhibition of 
very considerable importance, the time affixed by letter for 
my “ commencement ” of duty was 10 a.m. 
The result proved, however, that no opportunity for so 
doing, even in any single class, actually occurred until twenty- 
two minutes to three in the afternoon! ! ! At four o’clock the 
lower pens were so absolutely obscured, that the poultry had, 
as a last resource, to be taken out by hand, and thus adjudi¬ 
cated; nor was it possible to discern the occupation or 
I emptiness of such pens without testing them in the first 
instance by sundry preliminary pokings with a stick. 
In the other case 9 a.m. was the fixture; and, so far as I 
was personally concerned, my appointed attendance was 
scrupulously fulfilled. To my utter discomfiture and 
astonishment, at that hour not a single pen was, as to 
j erection, even commenced, and the following midnight was 
| long passed by before any of my labours were available; 
• and even then they were carried out in toto by two 
policemen’s lanterns. 
To the remonstrance of myself and my colleague, who 
“bolted and left me to it,” the reply of the committee was, 
“ they were quite unprepared for the management of a 
Poultry Exhibition; it was their first attempt, and they i 
would never try another.” They never did; and, with such 
absolutely egregious insufficiency, it is very well it has proved 
to be so. 
But permit me now very briefly to point out a cause or 
two invariably leading to these shortcomings. Frequently, 
in complete defiance of all printed regulations previously 
issued for the guidance of all parties, committees will “wait” 
for many hours after the appointed time for the anticipated 
arrival of pens of birds that, being, as it is technically termed, 
“ entered,” were naturally expected, although, as eventually 
proved, not forthcoming. Without the slightest qualifica¬ 
tion I assert, that this line of procedure is absolute unfair¬ 
ness to those owners of poultry who may have scrupulously 
obeyed the rules of the Society. The plea mostly urged for 
these delays is of this nature—“It will injure our 
Society to exclude them.” Again, even when the hour for 
awarding the prizes is thus abridged, say the committee, 
“ the fixed time for public admission cannot be postponed, 
for visitors must not be kept waiting, or our admission- 
monies will fall short.” 
I cannot forbear maintaining that the Poultry Judges 
have as undoubted a right to expect a proper arrangement 
for their duties as any one connected with the Society, 
whether visitors or committee, for on their final decisions 
how very much depends. But, to bring the matter into 
practical utility, it is always essential not only to point out 
a fault, but to suggest the remedy. I will attempt to do so. 
All these inconveniences combined can undoubtedly be 
easily avoided by strict adherence to the printed regulations, 
and simple punctuality alone. 1 submit, if proprietors of pens 
of poultry will dally on to the last moment, and then leave it 
to the option of committees to receive them after the time 
publicly announced, such “ whippers-in ’’ ought to find their 
birds excluded, at least from competiiion; and it is also as 
decidedly imperative that everything connected with the 
Show ought to be perfectly finished, and quite ready for the 
reception of all poultry arriving in due time. 
These are the trifles that, in the aggregate, constitute the 
difference between a well-conducted and a mismanaged 
Show of poultry. 
Under arrangements properly preconcerted and faithfully 
carried out, none of these errors can possibly accumulate, 
and the true interests of all parties will be proportionably 
benefited.— Edward Hewitt. 
PREVENTION OF FOWLS FLYING. 
In previous numbers of The Cottage Gardener I de¬ 
tailed two methods of preventing fowls flying, one being 
the cutting the vane or beard off from the ten primary quill 
feathers of one wing, leaving the shafts their full length; 
the other the employment of a light lath, which, tied across 
the back, prevents the raising of the wings necessary to 
flight. 
I also described the very efficacious method of preventing 
pigeons flying away by dipping a piece of soap in water, and 
passing it down the quills of one wing in the direction of 
their length. 
Mr. Jones informs me that he found this plan so effectual 
with regard to pigeons that he has adopted it with fowls, 
and that he prefers it to any other mode of preventing them 
trespassing beyond their allotted boundary, it being perfectly 
efficacious even when adopted with the lighter and more 
active varieties, as Bantams, <fcc. 
Thinking the hint may be useful I have forwarded it.— 
W. B. Tegetmeier. 
POULTRY EXHIBITION AT SOUTHWELL, 
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 
The fourth annual Meeting of this Society took place on 
Wednesday and Thursday, the 17th and 18th of December, 
and it gives us the greatest pleasure to state that, in point 
of perfection as to the poultry generally, the improvement 
over its predecessors was most manifest to every one. 
The efforts of the Managing Committee are worthy of our 
