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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Apeil 6, 1858. 
We once knew a man, wlio was nicknamed “the Duke,” and, 
although as unlike in person, or mind, as could possibly be, yet 
he was at last thoroughly convinced he was the exact counter¬ 
part of the Duke of Wellington. He, from the time the con¬ 
viction took hold of him, was always playing a part, and 
studying to carry it to the life. Long before his death, 
however, he ceased to be an actor, and honestly believed it was 
his nature, and he was proud of it, to resemble the greatest 
man of the age. People tell us The Cottage Gaedenee is 
the greatest poultry authority, and we believe it. 
Many will recollect the late Sydney Smith’s description of a 
certain statesman. We cannot quote literally. He compared 
him to his cook making puff paste. She rolled it out, and then 
set to work cutting hearts, and squares, and crosses, and all 
sorts of zig-zags, but it never entered into her head, that she 
could do wrong. Just so with ourselves. We do not think 
we can, and the number of queries we receive, justify our 
belief. Some of our readers do not approve the curt answers 
in the “ Letter Box.” They want a longer notice, and more in¬ 
formation on the subjects to which they refer. Be it so. 
No. 1.—“ Be good enough to state the best vessel, or hopper, 
to contain food intended for fowls. Instead of two lines, in 
small print, at the end of the Chronicle , could you not, now 
there are no Shows, give us your opinion on the subject? ” 
Willingly and smilingly, for we cannot help it, it is so “ cur’us.” 
When you feed your horses by scattering their corn on the 
floor of the stable, then feed your fowls out of a hopper, 
trough, or any similar contrivance. 
Fowls are intended to pick up their food, grain by grain, 
and with it, small stones, and blades of grass. These help 
digestion ; but while in search of the grains of corn, they find 
much natural food, as insects, &c., among the herbage. A 
fowl is not intended to eat a mouthful at a time. All birds 
have crops. They are merely receptacles, and when over-filled, 
have no power of emptying themselves. Hence the frequent 
complaints of fowls dying crop-bound. If a bird feeds from 
a vessel filled with grain, the crop is unnaturally replete in a 
few minutes ; it is needless to say discomfort follows, and the 
only remedy at hand is to drink. A quantity of water is 
swallowed, and the mal-aite is increased thereby. There is a 
disinclination to exertion, the fowl squats about, and the seeds 
of disorder are sown. In many cases it dies ; in others, the 
crop is obliged to be opened; and those who have performed 
this operation, know how long the patient is in recovering. 
We have next to answer the query, “ Whether we think 
the writer may exhibit his fowls, bred from prize parents, 
with a good hope of success ?” 
To this we may say, much depends on the place where they 
are shown. There are certain things to be acquired only by 
experience, and the cheapest mart for that commodity is an 
Exhibition; but we recommend our correspondent to make 
his first attempt at some small local Show, early in the autumn; 
to attend it, to study the decisions, to observe the points in 
which he excels, or is deficient; and, with the knowledge thus 
gained, to venture on the great competitions of the winter. 
But there is another point. The prize birds he bought were 
i not the average of the yard, but the chosen ones. It follows, 
then, their produce will not all be as good as themselves ; and, 
therefore, only the pickings can hope for success. This is far 
more dependent on the selection of the birds composing the 
pen than people imagine ; and two very good, and one inferior 
bird, will never be a first-prize pen, unless the victory is so 
easy as to render it almost valueless. The art of matching and 
selecting birds can only be learned at a Show, and the atten¬ 
tion of the beginner should be especially directed to the pens 
belonging to those who have achieved reputation, and whose 
constant success is a proof that they understand the subject. 
It is very difficult to begin with success, but it is not im¬ 
possible ; and distinction is inevitable, if the pursuit be well 
and carefully followed. 
We have heard of some exhibitors, who are sated with suc¬ 
cess ; we wish they would send us a few papers, showing how 
this monotonous result was accomplished, that some of the 
many aspirants to the same distinction may learn therefrom. 
We once heard of an enthusiastic man, who took to fly-fishing 
late in life. He whipped the water unmercifully, but at 
the end of two seasons he had not hooked a salmon. His 
patience and perseverance deserved a better reward; but when 
roasted on the subject he only said, “ I should like to know 
how a man feels with a large fish at the end of his line.” 
Many exhibitors have the same feeling with regard to the 
pieces of plate at Poultry Shows. 
MR. WORRALL, DEFENSIVE AND 
OFFENSIVE. 
The letter of “ Peestonion,” in your number of March 
23rd, contains the following assertion, which, if unnoticed, 
would give your readers an erroneous impression. I, there¬ 
fore, crave your indulgence, in allowing me to reply as early 
as possible :— 
“ Now, at the time named, Mr. Worrall was himself made 
personally acquainted with the fact, that long before any 
application was made either to the Rev. Mr. Pulleine or Mr. 
Baily, the Preston Committee had, by a unanimous resolu¬ 
tion, solicited the services of Mr. Hewitt as one of the Judges, 
and had actually appointed that gentleman.” 
So far from this being the truth, I assure you, that when I 
arrived at Preston I did not know who had officiated as 
Judges, and inquired from Mr. Teebay, one of the Com¬ 
mittee, whom I met at their printer’s. I am, therefore, at a 
loss to know how your correspondent could make such a 
groundless assertion; especially as I was given to understand, 
when my influence was requested to induce both the Rev. R. 
Pulleine and Mr. Baily to officiate at Preston, that Mr. Hewitt 
would only be appointed as a last resource. 
The publication of “ Peestonion’s ” letter is quite at 
variance with your profession of impartiality, as you refused 
to publish an unsigned letter, reflecting upon the judging at 
Preston, but have no scruples in publishing personal abuse 
against an exhibitor. 
It is, at least, pleasant to know whether our correspondence 
is with a gentleman, or a ticket-of-leave man ; and I have no 
hesitation in telling “ Peestonion,” that, had he intended 
to sign his name to it, his letter would have been written in 
a very different tone. 
Mr. J. B. Chune ridicules my purchase of the Golden 
Mooney pullets, which I exhibited at Birmingham ; he is, per¬ 
haps, unaware that I was one of a great number of amateurs 
who noticed, in his Cup pen, an old Mooney hen exhibited 
with chickens of 1857 ; and that I have since ascertained that 
they were purchased from John Andrews, of Ashton-under- 
Lyne, with a perfect knowledge of the antiquity of one of 
them: this fact w r as communicated to me, at Preston, by 
Andrews himself.— Will. C. Woeeall. 
[We had “ Peestonion’s ” address before we published his 
letter. Cannot Mr. Worrall write without recrimination? It 
is no answer to a charge to reply—“ Oh! but you did worse! ” 
—Ed.] 
THE WORRALL CONTROVERSY. 
I hate read the communications, which have appeared in 
your valuable paper, from Mr. Worrall and Mr. Chune, 
respecting what Mr. Woi’rall wishes to term the “ Golden 
Mooney” question; but, from the tenor of this gentleman’s 
letters, I rather fancy it was but a cloak to have an attack 
once more upon his old opponents, Mr. Hewitt and Mr. 
Chune. I hope that in his capacity of Judge , over Mr. Wor- 
rall’s fowls, Mr. Hewitt will not deign to take any more 
notice of him ; but, with respect to Mr. Chune, I am glad 
that he can look down from his pinnacle of fame upon Mr. 
Worrall, and smilingly say, “ try and get up.” 
I can speak from personal knowledge of the birds shown 
by this gentleman at Preston, and I am sorry to differ from 
Mr. Worrall and his Liverpool friends, whom I overheard, 
as usual , condemn the Judge’s decision, with as great an 
assurance as though he was a judge of a Golden-spangled 
alias Golden Mooney. 
I should very much like this Mooney question to be dis¬ 
cussed by competent authorities , such as Mr. Baily, Mr. 
Hewitt, and other well-known judges, and to abide by their 
decision; but so long as they are silent as to the markings of 
Golden-spangled Hamburghs, I, as an exhibitor, will abide 
by their decisions, irrespective of what I am afraid will become 
a household word, “ discontented Mr. Worrall.” At the same 
| time I cannot but say, that Mr. Worrall possesses some birds 
