126 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 23, 1858. 
But vrliat is that class where each seems to scan the birds 
more closely than he has done before ?—Spangled Hamburghs ! 
How they handle every bird,—examine every feather. With 
what an air of contentment does that Judge pass that bird to 
his fellows! How different from the contempt with which he 
returned the other to his pen. They are very long over these 
classes; but they are done. 
They get quickly over the Polands. In many cases they take 
only one bird : they pass their hands along the back, and shake 
their heads. We suppose they are deformed. 
The day is getting on, and they have a mass of work before 
them. Still nothing is done in a hurry, and every class is 
handled and examined as at first. 
Look at that array of single cocks. How many birds are taken 
out! And now the Bantams. Every class seems to require more 
careful judging than its predecessor. And the Turkeys, and the 
Ducks, and the Geese; and so they go on, till, in the evening, four 
weary men, covered with dust and dirt, go into the office to give 
in their last awards. They throw themselves into chairs, and are 
heartily glad the day is over. 
But when the night comes their pillows are stuffed with 
cocks, and they do nothing but crow. Whether awake or asleep, 
all they hear is the crowing of cocks, from the smallest Bantam 
to the most stentorian Cochin-China. 
So far as those on the roof could tell, this is the way the Bir¬ 
mingham Show is judged ; and they agreed that, from the pains 
that were taken, even losers should be well satisfied. 
INFLUENCE OF THE MALE BIRD. 
Thebe is an answer to “Amateur” in your “Letter Box” of 
November 2nd, which is, I fear, calculated to mislead him. You 
say, speaking of the influence of the male bird,—“After a fort¬ 
night, probably, you would be sure to have your hen free from 
the strain j t ou wish to avoid.” 
My experience is, that it lasts much longer. I once lost a cock. 
The hens were confined in a pen, and I had every egg dated when 
it was laid, as I wished to try the experiment. One that was laid 
five weeks after the death of the cock produced a good, strong, 
healthy chicken. Not only was the hen in safe confinement, but 
there was no other cock in the yard. 
You are perfectly right about Turkeys, and many good breeders 
do not keep a cock at all. They either hire or borrow one for a 
day or two, or they send their hens to a yard where there is one. I 
will prove to you the system answers. I once had a solitary hen 
Turkey: she was sent to me at the beginning of March. She wa3 
much in my way, and, being tiresome to the hens and chickens, she 
was shut up in a loft used only for a little straw. She there laid a 
nest of eggs, and brought out eleven poults. Hens and Turkeys are 
anatomically alike in these organs. I, therefore, advise “Amateub” 
to separate las fowls in the early part of the next month.— Salop. 
[Wo are much obliged by this communication. Our own 
experience led to the conclusion which we stated, but we never 
tested the fact so closely as was done by “ Salop.”—Ed.] 
EXTRA BRIZE AT BIRMINGHAM FOR 
PARTRIDGE COCHIN-CHINA CHICKENS. 
I have no doubt yon are aware, that, through the exertions of 
Mr. Charles Felton, of Erdington, near Birmingham, a subscrip¬ 
tion was entered into, by sixteen of the principal breeders and 
admirers of Partridge Cocbin poultry, to give two extra prizes for 
chickens of this beautiful class at the next Birmingham Poultry 
Show, with the distinct understanding, that each party should 
exhibit birds that were not only bond Jicle his property, but 
actually his own breeding. Having always been of opinion, that 
the breeder was, in all cases, the proper party to receive the 
honours resulting from the production of any improvement, 
either in animals or poultry, and looking upon this as the first 
acknowledgment of the principle (at all events, as connected 
with poultry), I became a subscriber, and looked forward to the 
competition with considerable interest. During the past few days, 
I have heard a rumour that the “ own breeding” clause was not 
going to be strictly enforced ; and as this will, in my opinion, do 
away with very much of the actual benefit arising from the com¬ 
petition, I shall feel much obliged by your alluding to the cir¬ 
cumstance in your valuable paper next week, and urging, with 
your usual ability, the propriety of abiding strictly to the original 
engagement, and so increasing the number of breeders of one 
of the most useful and beautiful breeds of poultry.— Faie Plat. 
[We forwarded this communication to Mr. Hewitt, and this 
is his reply, so that there can be no misunderstanding of the 
conditions. Indeed, we have seen them in print:— 
“The facts as narrated by ‘Faie Plat’ are strictly correct. 
The matter w r as first mooted during my return journey by rail, 
from judging the Wellington Poultry Show, on February the 
16th, of this year. I was then requested to award the proposed 
additional sweepstake premiums at Birmingham coming De¬ 
cember meeting, if it should so happen that the allotment of the 
general prizes did not at once settle this question likewise, which 
I at once promised to do gratuitously, if this improbable 
contingency should occur ; improbable I say, as the competitors 
were decidedly the best known breeders of Grouse Cochins in 
the kingdom, and nothing save some ‘ new man ’ taking all the 
general premiums could render my interference requisite. It was 
at tliis time expressly stipulated, that such Grouse-coloured 
Cochin chickens ‘ must bo bred by the exhibitor,’ purchased 
fowls being inadmissible; and a printed circular afterwards dis¬ 
tributed is confirmatory of this condition as imperative in all cases. 
“ My opinion is, therefore, very decided—viz., that any sub¬ 
scriber exhibiting chickens for these particular prizes, not actually 
i bred by himself, is really practising wilful deception to obtain 
success ; and that not only ought he in common justice to forfeit 
j the premium, if thus attained (however deserving the poultry he 
exhibited might be), but should also receive the richly-merited 
disgrace fraudulent conduct ever entails when discovered.”— 
Edw. Hewitt.] 
POINTS OF EXCELLENCE REQUIRED IN 
THE CANARY A CENTURY' AGO. 
In looking over some old pictures, in a lumber-room, the other 
day, I found the portrait of a Canary bird, in oil colours ; and on 
the back of the frame is pasted a written description of the bird, 
a copy of which I now send you, as it probably may amuse some 
of your readers who take an interest in the Canary. The spell¬ 
ing, &c., is retained.— Cleeicus. 
“ Canaeie Bied 
Drawn after Nature from A Fine fancy Bird bred by Mr. White, 
of Hosier Lane. This Bird won the Prize at 4 different Shows 
in 1766. 
“ PEINCIPAL PEOPEETT3. 
1 Cap for Magnitude and Regularity. 
2 Colour for Richness of Yellow. 
3 Wings and Tail for Black home to the Quill. 
4 Spangle for Distinction the Golden Preferable. 
“ SECONDAET BEAUTIES. 
1 Pinnions for Magnitude. 
2 Swallow Throat for Largeness. 
3 Fair Breast regular. 
4 Leggs for Blackness. 
5 Hue for Blackness. 
“ NOTE. 
That A Bird with two Pinnions shall take Place of A Bird but 
with One Pinnion if Possest of the 5 Principal Properties as good.” 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Hares and Rabbits.— Snoiv Wenger will be obliged by being informed 
whether these animals will eat any of the following plants : — Scarlet 
Geraniums, Heliotropes, Calceolarias, Petunias, Feverfews, Anemones, 
and Ranunculuses. Mr. Rivers’ “ Orchard House ” is the best authority 
on the subject of which it treats. 
Spurred Dorking Pullet (A Subscriber ).—There is not the slightest 
doubt that a Dorking pullet is a perfect bird, although she has a spur on 
each leg. It is common to the breed; and many who are in the habit of 
eating the best fowls of this class can recollect good, young, succulent, 
tender pullets, that have appeared at table with spurs, that some would 
declare to be infallible signs of old age. There is too much importance 
attached to spurs, as marks of youth, or otherwise. They belong to breeds, 
and to feeding. We do not mean to say, a long, sharp, fixed spur should 
appear on a chicken of four or five months old; but we have often seen an 
undoubted chicken with a premature spur, and have heard people express 
opinions that he was in the wrong class as a chicken, when there was not the 
slightest doubt of his youth. Those who cannot judge of age by any other 
rule will be constantly wrong. High feeding makes spur just as much as 
it induces growth in other parts of the frame. 
