14 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 6, 1858. 
I must not be included. I have bought fowls from several of 
the first poultry fanciers in England, and have not been dis¬ 
appointed. I have purchased only two sittings of eggs, the 
first from a Hade coat , when I was not only most successful 
in the result, but was treated with the greatest liberality. My 
second remains to be proved; but, as it is in no way connected 
with the ecclesiastical profession, that, at all events, will be 
exempt from censure, should it prove a failure. I will give 
“ R. G.” this piece of advice. Having tried coats in general, 
and black coats in particular, let him now try the 'petticoats; 
and, as their predominant colour is scarlet, lie will be as far 
removed as possible from the obnoxious hue. I quite agree 
with him, that there is considerable imposition about poultry, 
and that very many persons tell deliberate falsehoods on the 
subject: still, his assertion is too sweeping. I advertise 
neither eggs nor fowls, but I have sold numbers of both, and 
have never heard of any complaint. My conscience also tells 
me, that 1 have not wilfully deceived any one, but have told 
the truth frequently to my own disadvantage. I trust and 
believe, that there are numbers who act in the same manner, 
though “ R. G.” has not had the good fortune to meet with 
them. They are not confined to either sex, but I will guarantee 
that, should he feel disposed to make the experiment, he will 
meet with honesty (though no one can promise perfect success 
—that depending somewhat on the management of the fowls 
and eggs, when they have readied their destination) from the 
writer, who is proud to sign herself— The Champion op the 
Poultry World, and a Scarlet Petticoat. 
BLACK POLAND FOWLS. 
I am a breeder and exhibitor of White-crested Black Poland 
fowls, and as such I claim your indulgence to insert these few 
remarks on the manner in which Poland fowls are generally 
classed at several of our exhibitions, with the view of impres¬ 
sing on the minds of the Committees of Poultry Shows the 
propriety of awarding prizes for separate classes of Poland 
fowls, thus giving honour to whom honour is due. I consider 
the classing of White-crested Black Polands with any other 
variety of Polands is not giving the breeder of either class a 
fair chance. Why not offer separate prizes for each variety, 
giving the preference to White-crested Black Polands, from 
the superiority they bear, both for plumage and produce of 
eggs, over any other kind of Poland ? 
i have learnt the opinions of other breeders on this subject, 
who are of the same opinion as myself, that the White- 
crested Black Polands are deserving a distinct and separate 
class from any other variety ; and if Committees were to adopt 
this principle, their entries would exceed three times the 
number now made. Eor instance, if I see White-crested 
Black Polands classed with any other variety, I don’t care to 
send a pen of birds; whereas, if they had been classed sepa¬ 
rately, I should send three pens, perhaps four. The same 
feeling exists with other breeders, friends of mine. 
I sent two pens of White-crested Black Polands to the 
Preston Show, taking the second prize, and being highly 
commended with the other pen; the first prize being given to 
Black Polands, and the third prize to White Polands. 
If Committees were but to give it a thought, they would 
perceive what slight encouragement it is for breeders at a 
distance, sending their birds to a Show from 200 to 300 miles 
| off, to compete for a piece of plate, or a prize in money 
! —barely suflicient to pay for the entries and the expense of 
i carriage—against five or six other sorts of Polands, as is fre¬ 
quently the case, when Gold and Silver are mixed ud with 
Buff, Black, and White. 
In making this suggestion, I wish it to be understood, that 
i it is not for the sake of obtaining either of the above-named 
prizes, but solely, as I stated in the first instance, that honour 
might be awarded where honour is due.— Geo. Ray. 
CURE OF GAPES. 
The most interesting season, for breeders of poultry, has 
arrived. Last spring you gave directions for the cure of “ The 
Gapes,” by means of the fumes of turpentine. Many of my 
chickens, and some liens, were much affected by this disease ; I 
tried your plan, with very indifferent success; when I fancied 
them cured, they pined and died; only one was permanently 
restored. I was advised to try a pill of tobacco, by two persons 
who had had great experience in rearing both Turkeys and 
Dorking fowls. I tried the remedy, and found it answer 
admirably in every case; nor had I to repeat the dose. The 
tobacco I used was “ Bristol Bird’s-eye,” and the pill the size 
of a large pea.'—Quis. 
PIGEONS. 
TOYS. 
Variety 17.—THE HELMET ( Columba Galeata). 
Mr. Moore, in his “ Columbarium,” 1735, in describing 
this variety of Toy Pigeon, says,—“ This Pigeon is much 
about the size of a Nun, or somewhat bigger. The head, tail, 
and flight feathers of the wings, are always of one colour, as 
black, red, or yellow; and I have been informed there are 
some blue, and all the rest of the body white, so that the 
chief difference between them and the Nun is, that they have 
no hood on the hinder part of the head, and are gravel eyed.” 
He further remarks,—“ They are called Helmets from their 
heads being covered with a plumage which is distinct in 
colour from the body, and appears somewhat like a helmet to 
cover the head.” 
I have never seen any of these Helmet Pigeons, as described 
above, with dark flights, and believe the variety to be extinct, 
at least in this country. 
The few Helmet Toys that are now met with in England, 
are, I believe, descended from the German Helmet Tumblers 
(Kappen Tummler ), but bred coarser, and with less care; the 
upper mandible is dark, the lower light, the top of the head, 
in a line from the corners of the mouth across the eyes, is 
coloured, giving the bird the appearance of wearing a cap or 
helmet; the tail is also coloured, the rest of the body being 
white, except in those that are feathered footed, in which the 
feathers on the feet, from the heels or hocks, down the toes, 
are coloured like the head and tail; the irides are often black, 
though very frequently broken or half coloured. I do not, 
however, regret the scarcity of this variety, and I consider 
the fancier would be better repaid for his trouble in breeding 
the German Helmet Tumbler to a higher standard, than per¬ 
petuating a Toy of the same colour or marking. Those 
Helmets I have seen have been either red or yellow headed, 
but in Germany the Helmeted Tumblers are also bred with 
black and blue markings. 
I have, also, seen a sub-variety, or perhaps, a cross-bred, in 
colour blue, the top of the head and tail being a deep red¬ 
dish strawberry, something approaching plum colour in shade. 
And these last were also flying Pigeons of some note. — 
B. P. Brent. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Hen Breathing with Difficulty ( TV. Wilson ).—Your Spanish 
hen is probably over-fed, and consequently too fat. Try soft food, not 
very nourishing, and plenty of green food. We cannot be certain of 
the cause from the mere announcement of the fact that the hen breathes 
with difficulty. 
Hens Dying on their Nest (An Enquirer ).—The fact of four 
dying in succession on their nests, convinces us that they are either 
poisoned, or are too fat, and consequently egg-bound, and die of in¬ 
flammation of the egg-duct. The latter, we believe, will be found to be 
the case. Why did you not have the hens opened. We extract the 
following from our “ Poultry Book for the Many : Inflamed Egg- 
organs.— Symptoms, going to the nest without laying; laying shell-less 
eggs; dropping eggs from perch or elsewhere. Cause, over-feeding. 
Remedy, low diet of mashed Potatoes and boiled Rice for a week, or 
longer; giving a desert spoonful of castor oil, and a pill containing one 
grain of calomel, and one-twelfth of a grain of tartar emetic every 
second day for a week.” 
LONDON MARKETS.— Apeil 5th. 
POULTRY. 
Although the supply is still rather below than above the average, 
the falling off in demand, owing to the Easter Holidays, has caused 
week’s prices to maintain themselves with difficulty. 
yet 
last 
Each. 
Large Fowls ... 6s. 0 d. to Gs. Gd. 
Small ditto. 4 6 „ 5 6 
Chickens.. 3 6 „ 4 0 
Goslings. 7 0 ,,7 6 
Ducklings . 3 6 ,, 4 0 
Guinea Fowls 
Turkeys. 0 
Pigeons . 0 
Rabbits . 1 
Wild ditto. 0 
Each. 
3s. 0 d. to 3s. 
0 
8 
4 
9 
0 
0 
1 
0 
3 d. 
0 
9 
5 
10 
