62 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 26, 1858. 
peted on equal terms with those above, and that is what I call 
handicapping.” 
“ Well, Fred., I must say it is mortifying. But stay a bit; T see 
one of the Judges coming this way; let us have his opinion.” 
Harry.—“ Good morning Mr.-, here is a friend of mine 
feels much disappointed ; his birds have been thrust into a dark 
under-pen, and you have not noticed them.” 
Judge.—“I am sorry for it, if they are birds of any merit; 
and I am afraid he is not the only person in the room who is 
disappointed. But you must not blame me, I cannot do im¬ 
possibilities. I have a certain number of hours in which to go 
through the different classes, and if I were to take out of their ; 
pens all those in the lower tier, and to compare them with those ; 
above, my work would never be finished. Mr.-, who has 
just left me, purchased, at my recommendation, the first-prize pen 1 
at the-Show. The birds there were shown in a single | 
tier of pens. He now (the first time he has exhibited them), j 
finds himself beaten by a pen that was only commended at the 
same Show at which he bought his, and which he could have 
purchased at half the price he gave for his. But here it is ; his j 
birds are in a lower pen, and the prize birds above. I acknowledge 
I feel myself in a very awkward position, but it cannot be helped, 
unless you exhibitors protest against such a system.” 
Harry.—“ I beg your pardon Mr.-, I think there is another 
mode which will be more effectual. Exhibitors are so numerous 
that there would be some difficulty in obtaining a combined effort; 
but you gentlemen, who act as Judges, have only to say, we will 
refuse to award the prizes unless the birds in the same class are 
placed in the same tier of pens.” 
Judge.—“ I am obliged to you for the hint, and I must try 
what can be done in the matter, as it is extremely disagreeable to 
us, to award prizes under the system as adopted here, and, I must 
say, unjust towards exhibitors.” 
The Judge then bade us good morning, and, at the solicitation 
of my friend, I resolved to give my birds another chance, by 
entering them for the great Birmingham St. Leger.— Frederick 
the First. 
The Dorkings were, as a whole, a good collection. The highest 
prize was obtained by the Knowsley birds : they were unexception¬ 
able. 
The Game classes mustered very strongly, the Black-breasted 
class being the most meritorious. 
Among the Cochins exhibited, were some excellent Silver, Cin¬ 
namon, Grouse, and White birds ; but, singular enough, the 
Buffs were not so good a class as heretofore. 
Of Brahma Pootras only two pens were entered, but they 
were decidedly the two best pens in the whole collection. 
The Hamburghi were the pride of the Show. There was not an 
inferior pen shown. The Pencilled were, however, the favourites ; 
and Mr. Archer, of Malvern, swept away all the premiums for 
Silver-pencilled. 
The Polands afforded but little competition, but those shown 
w ere superior. 
The Sebright Bantams betrayed the same falling off, as to ex¬ 
cellence, so universally deplored at most of our late meetings. 
The Geese, Turkeys , and Ducks , were, throughout all the 
classes, decidedly first-rate. 
It is worthy of especial remark, that not one single entry was 
returned for either the Spanish or the Dorking Single Cock class. 
The Sweepstakes for the Game Cock class were good, and 
seemed to visitors the most interesting in the room. The single 
Hamburgh Cock class contained superior specimens of all four 
varieties. 
The Pigeons, throughout, far surpassed anything ever before 
seen in this district. Every prize was well contested. 
Great praise is due to Mr. Margetts, for the energy he evinced 
in carrying out every arrangement, without any assistance from 
others, and at his own cost and personal responsibility', “ rather 
than Crewe should not maintain an annual poultry show;” and 
visitors will, with pleasure, recall to mind, the attention and 
civility of that gentleman, when labouring under so many dis¬ 
advantages. 
The Judge for poultry was Mr. Edward Hewitt, of Spark 
Brook, Birmingham ; aud for Pigeons, Mr. Cotton, of Crewe. 
POULTRY SALES. 
Mr. Stevens commenced his regular sales of Poultry and 
Pigeons on Tuesday, October 5. As a w'hole, the fowls were 
rather poor, the best' being a few fair Cochins from the Rev. G. 
Gilbert, and some good Brahmas from F. Manning, Esq., several 
of the latter producing over £1 Is. each. The great attraction of 
the sale was the Pigeons. Mr. Haynes’ youug Carriers excited 
brisk competition, and ten of the birds produced more than £1 
each. Mr. Bult’s Powters were also sold at from 11s. to £3 
each, the Blue-pied birds being remarkably fine, 
THE CREWE POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
This Exhibition of poultry was not held this year, as it has 
been on the two previous occasions, in the Cheese Market, but in the 
Corn Exchange, Crewe, and we candidly avow our honest opinion, 
that nothing approaching to improvement wa3 consequent on 
this alteration. The birds were exhibited in two tiers of pens, and, 
from the fact of the building being exclusively lighted from the 
roof, those whose position was unfortunately to be in the under 
row possessed few advantages. The arrangement, too, would 
have been manifestly more equalised, had each variety of fowls 
been exhibited on the same level; but, such not being the case, 
an upper pen was a decided advantage to competitors. There is 
another matter that especially arrested the attention of any 
practised amateur in poultry matters. Even at first sight, the dif¬ 
ferences of position would have been less obvious, had the lower 
row been raised even a little from the ground, instead of being 
actually resting on the plain floor. The pens used were very good 
(those made by Turner, of Sheffield), and the poultry, as well as 
the Pigeons, were, almost without any exception, very superior. 
It was remarked by the visitors generally, that, although the 
numbers of pens shown had decreased considerably, the quality 
of the specimens manifested undoubted improvement. The 
diminution as to the entries no doubt resulted from the present 
Show being limited exclusively to chickens. 
The Spanish were very superior, the young cockerel in the 
second prize pen being a bird of great promise, as wore the pullets 
in the same pen. They were, however, scarcely enough matured for 
present competition. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Breeding Spanish Fowls {A Novice, N-E.) —If your cocks and pullets 
arc equally good, we would advise you, seeing that the latter arc much 
scarcer than the former, to get an older cock, aud put to the pullets. We 
do not advise you, if you are trying for prize stock, to put a cockerel to 
pullets. The best food for all fowls is ground oats slaked with water. They 
should be fed three times a-day, each time as much as they will eat, but 
not a morsel left on the ground. It is much better for them to be hungry 
than to be overfed, as, in the former case, they prowl about, and find much 
natural food, which is very good for them. Some Spanish exhibitors give 
j them a few white peas daily, for a fortnight before showing them. Wash 
their faces with a sponge and cold water. 
Rouen Ducks and Geese for Exhibition (John Choycc ).—If your ducks 
| are good in bill and colour of legs, and shown in condition, weighing 8 lbs. 
j each, they are fit for Birmingham, or any Show in the world. Your geese, 
I at 15lbs., are not so good, in comparison, as your ducks; but you have 
plen*y of time to make them heavier before the’ Show. 
Poultry Fancier’s Directory [E. A, S.). —AVe know nothing about 
i its publication. 
I Chickens Moulting. — “ AVill chickens that were hatched last April 
moult this year ? ”—A Constant Reader. 
[It is a difficult question to answer, as moulting is capricious. Chickens 
of some breeds moult earlier than others, — Dorkings, for instance. 
Cochins hatched in April will not moult this year ; earlier birds will. In 
all chickens there is a process akin to moulting, when they change their 
early plumage for hard feathers ; but they do not become naked like adults. 
Feeding lias much to do with it. Birds that are highly and artificially 
fed moult earlier than those that have to work for their food.] 
Dealer in Birds (A Subscriber). —Apply to Mr. Andrews, Old Compton 
Street, Soho. 
Crewe Poultry Show. —In our prize list, instead of “ Mrs. Colemans,” 
it should have been “ Mrs. C. Ilowarth, of Colemans ; ” and, instead of 
“ Harwich,” read “ Horwich.”—“ We are informed that Mr. T. H. D. 
Bayly took the first prize for Game Bantams, and Air. Burgess the second,” 
LONDON MARKETS.— October 25th. 
POULTRY. 
The demand for poultry is still very small, and any improvement in 
prices is, consequently, only temporary. Trade has seldom been worse 
than it is at present. 
Each. 
Each. 
Large Fowls . 4s. Od. te 4s. Cut, 
Small ditto. 3 0 „ 3 6 
Chickens. 19 ,,2 3 
Geese . 6 0 „ 0 6 
Ducks . 2 3 ,,2 9 
Pheasants . 2 C ,, 3 0 
Hares. 2s. 3d. to 2s. 9d, 
Partridges. 0 4 „ 1 0 
Grouse. 2 0 ,, 2 0 
Pigeons . 0 7 „ 0 8 
Rabbits . 12 ,,13 
Wild ditto.. 0 8 ,,09 
