THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January 27, 1857. 
tions is “ scarcely satisfactory, and contrary to the general 
usages of Poultry Societies,” is, as to the latter part of it, 
perfectly true ) but so far from its being “ scarcely satis¬ 
factory,” it is considered one of the greatest improvements 
yet made in the rules for sale offices of Poultry Shows. 
I am a member of this Association, and a large exhibitor 
at its Shows, and I am, consequently, much interested in its 
Welfare, and, knowing the great influence for evil which such 
observation may have on those interested in poultry, who 
Sread a periodical of so much weight on such matters as The 
Cottage Gardener is known to be, especially as it receives 
a sort of quasi authority from being under the hand of your 
reporter, I at once say that I believe the former part of 
the above statement to be “ simply untrue,” so far as ex¬ 
hibitors and fair purchasers are concerned; and if the 
Association lasts until this its very salutary rule is abolished, 
your reporter will certainly, should he be so inclined, and be 
able to do so, have an opportunity of making his notes on 
the Essex Association’s Meetings for many years to come. 
The present general usage of shows on this point is so 
notoriously bad as to make it almost unnecessary to remark 
upon it. It is well known to all Judges and exhibitors 
that at some shows pens have been claimed before the ad¬ 
mission of the public at all. Indeed, I have been informed 
of transactions even at Birmingham which were so dis¬ 
graceful, I might say, so infamous, to the parties concerned 
in them, and which could not have occurred had some such 
rule as that adopted by our Association been in force, that 
I am extremely surprised to find any one in the habit of 
attending Poultry Shows, and who really desires their 
prosperity, in any way seeking to throw cold water on an 
endeavour so laudable as tbat which seeks to prevent an 
evil from which Committees, non-members of Committees, 
exhibitors, and purchasers, have hitherto alike suffered; 
Committees, because they do not get, as they might, the in¬ 
creased per centage on the sale of the birds where there are 
several willing to purchase; exhibitors, because they do 
not obtain the real value of their birds, which is what they 
will fetch ; and purchasers, because it is well known that 
birds worth buying are often, when the public are admitted, 
found to be already sold. How this latter thing happens it 
is not for me to surmise ; it is sufficient for the purpose of 
showing the advantage of our rule that the fact itself can¬ 
not be denied, and I have no doubt whatever that exhibitors 
will, for the future, insist on some better regulation on this 
point than that now in general use, and your readers will, 
I am convinced, without a dissentient voice, join with me in 
adding—not before it is time.— Zenas. 
[We quite agree as to the desirableness of checking the 
unfair preference in effecting purchases, obtained, in many 
instances, at Poultry Shows. To prevent it requires great 
energy and firmness in Secretaries. The following is the 
rule of the Essex Association referred to by our corre¬ 
spondent :— 
“ 7. Exhibitors wishing to sell their birds must state in the 
Catalogue, separately , the price of the cock, the two hens, 
and the three birds together, including the price of basket or 
package. All Sales must be made through, or reported 
to, the Secretaries, and 10 per cent, will be deducted by 
them from the purchase money, to be added to the general 
funds of the Society. All birds may be claimed at the prices 
named in the Catalogue, at the Secretaries' Offices , im¬ 
mediately upon the opening of the Exhibition ; but no sale 
will be effected till twelve o’clock at noon on Thursday, 
January 8th, when, in the event of there being more than 
one claimant for any bird or birds, the Secretaries will dis¬ 
pose of such birds to that claimant who may offer the 
highest sum in advance of tho price named in the Catalogue, 
and such additional sum will be duly accounted for to the 
vendor. But all birds after the day and hour above- 
named will be at once sold to the first claimant at the price 
named in the Catalogue. Purchasers of parts of pens must 
provide baskets at their own cost. Immediately after the 
sale has been effected the birds will remain at the sole 
risk of the purchaser. At the close of each day’s Exhibition 
the Secretaiies will advise Exhibitors if any of their birds 
be sold, and a cheque will be sent to them for the amount 
of sales ^less 10 per cent.) on or before January Id.” 
; “ Zenas ” is a well-known, honourable exhibitor, and we 
| suggested to him that the above rule takes away from those 
297 i 
who can only visit the Show the first day the opportunity of j 
being purchasers, and he agrees with us in thinking that this 
ought to be altered. He suggests, and we think wisely, that 
sales might be permitted after a late hour on tho first day. 
Whoever has the care of the sale office must allow no 
influence to induce him to give a preference to any purchaser. [ 
It must be “ first come first served,” and then “ the first 
highest offer to bo accepted.”] 
PIGEONS. 
Class No. 2, Variety 4.— THE ENGLISH POWTER 
{Columba gutturosa Anglicana, Moore). 
This handsome variety of Pigeons, so especially a 
favourite with many fanciers, is believed to bo an English 
production, bred from a cross between the Dutch Powter 
and a Horseman or Carrier, and so bred over to the Powter 
till no visible trace of the Wattled Pigeon remains. Like 
the Carrier, they belong to what is called the high fancy, on 
account of the great pains and trouble which many are at 
to preserve the breed in all its beauty, and breed them to ! 
perfection. 
They are tall and stately, though rather slight-made birds; 
the beak is long, the head smooth, the crop large, round, 
and well blown out, the legs long, and covered with short 
feathers ; the wings and tail are also long, and the carriage 
very erect. Their genuine colour is blue pied; but pieds 
of all colours are frequent, and also quite wdiite birds. 
They are generally bad nurses; but, being of much value, 
the young are mostly raised under other Pigeons. 
Being strictly fancy Pigeons, like all other things of vertu, 
rules are laid down as regards their points and properties, 
of which I condense the following:— 
First, and of the greatest importance, is the crop, which 
must be large and round, reaching up to the beak, passing 
round the neck, and resting on the shoulders, so as to form 
the best globe or ball. 
The next property or properties are length of body and 
legs ; the greatest length of body from the tip of the beak 
to the end of the tail, and of the legs measured from the 
knee joint to the end of the toe-nail. 
