154 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 8, 1858. 
Pea Fowls.— Silver Cup, J. Buckley, Penyfai-house, Llanelly. 
Second, Miss Louise Crawshay, Caversliafn Park, Reading, Berkshire 
(half Java). 
Extra Stock. —The Society’s Medal, C. R. Tittcrton (White Guinea 
Fowls). 
Pigeoxs, — Carriers. —Prize, G. C. Adkins. Highly Commended, S. 
Rummerhays, Fore Street, Taunton. Commended, F. G. Stevens, Pen- 
cross House, Hemyock, Wellington, Somerset. Barbs. —Prize, F. G. 
Stevens. Highly Commended, F. G. Stevens, and G. C. Adkins. Com¬ 
mended, F. G. Stevens. (An unusually good class.) Boaters. —Prize, 
G. C. Adkins. Very Highly Commended, F. G. Stevens. Bunts .— 
Prize, F. G. Stevens, lantails. —Prize, F. G. Stevens. Highly Com¬ 
mended, G. C. Adkins. Jacobins. —Prize, G. C. Adkins. Turbits .— 
Prize, G. C. Adkins. Nuns. —Prize, G. C. Adkins. Archangels. —Prize, 
F. G. Stevens. Trumpeters. —Prize, G. C. Adkins. Highly Commended, 
(two pens), F. G. Stevens. Almond Tumblers. —Prize, G. C. Adkins. 
Highly Commended, F. G. Stevens. Tumblers. —Prize, F. G. Stevns, 
(Black Mottled). Highly Commended (two pens), G. C. Adkins 
(Balds and Beards). Owls. —Prize, G. C. Adkins. Highly Commended 
G. C. Adkins, and F. G. Stevens. Dragons. —Prize, G. C. Adkins, 
Highly Commended, W. B. Hellard, Taunton. Any other Variety. — 
Prize,' W, B. Hellard (Meeves). Highly Commended, G. C. Adkins 
(Red Magpies); F. G. Stevens (Swallows). Commended, F. G. Stevens 
(Brunswicks). 
PREVENTING THE GAPES. 
I would give a word of advice to those that are afraid of 
gapes amongst chickens, or pheasants, relative to a protection 
attended with very little t.roubl#- and very little expense. 
Dissolve half a pound of sulphate of iron and one ounce of 
diluted sulphuric acid in half a pint of hot water. When 
thoroughly cold, add two gallons of spring water. Put the 
mixture into a two-gallon bottle, cork it, and let it stand 
seven days, when it is fit for use. The dose for chickens, from 
one week old, at the rate of a tea-spoonful to a pint of water 
every other day. If this be attended to there will be no loss 
by gapes. I have used it for years in a large breeding esta¬ 
blishment, where the gapes has been an entire stranger.— 
J. Douglas, 
[This is a highly tonic medicine, and, if effectual, strengthens 
the opinion we have always expressed, that the gapes arises 
from a relaxed and weak constitution in the fowl.—E d.] 
PROPOSED POULTRY EXHIBITION IN 
TORE. 
A Society has recently been organised in York for the im¬ 
provement of poultry, aud it is intended to hold its first annual 
Exhibition in July next, during the assizes. The Association 
has secured the patronage of Lady Middleton, the High Sheriff, 
Lord Eeversham, and other gentlemen connected with the 
city and county, and its Committee includes the names of 
several well-known poultry admirers, who, we doubt not, will 
do all they can to render the Exhibition as excellent and at¬ 
tractive as possible. An advertisement on the subject will be 
found in another column. 
AUSTRALIAN BRONZE-WINGED DOVE. 
This can be bred in confinement, for I have had several 
pairs under my care that have done so. They breed on 
the ground, and require feeding very high while they are 
breeding. The food given was hemp seed, wheat, and bread 
crumbled, which I found them very fond of while feeding 
their young. Also of lettuce leaves they would eat abundantly. 
They require watching when the young get about three weeks 
old, for they are then apt to neglect feeding them.—J. Douglas. 
PIGEONS. 
{Continued from page 110.) 
When the Pigeons cease breeding, in the autumn, they 
should be shut in, when convenient, at night; and, it having 
been decided, in accordance with the number of nests, how 
many are to be retained for the breeding season next year, 
these may be let out, and the remainder at once killed, or sent 
oil to London, or some other town or place, where they can 
be disposed ot: the greater the distance the better, as there 
will be less chance of their returning, which they certainly 
would do if they got their liberty in the neighbourhood. At 
tins general inspection, or pairing of the Pigeons, care must be 
taken to let out a proportional number of the sexes. It is 
much the best plan to al low a few hens in excess of cocks for 
each; every unmatched male is a disturber of the general 
peace, while hens, being the more delicate birds, are generally 
in the minority. A few odd hens will be found of no incon¬ 
venience, and, if other dovecots are in the neighbourhood, 
they will generally pick up and bring home some disconsolate 
bachelor, by which means an addition of fresh blood may be 
introduced to the community ; while the loss of the male bird 
is an actual benefit to the over-stocked, or unevenly-matched, 
inhabitants of the neighbourhood. 
It is also advisable, at such times, to save as many as possible 
of young and vigorous birds, and destroy the old and quarrel¬ 
some. 
By catching all the Pigeons, and putting them in baskets, 
or crates, they may be selected, and those intended to be kept, 
set at liberty, or returned to the dovecot. A person ac- 
cusotmed to Pigeons can tell almost to a certainty which are 
the cocks and which are the hens. The cock has a thicker 
neck, a stouter bill, and is fuller about the cheeks. The hen 
looks milder ; has a more timid expression of face ; is thinner 
about the neck, base of the beak, and cheeks. 
Suppose the dovecot contains 250 nests, and it is decided 
to retain 100 pairs. I think the best plan would be to let out 
ninety-five pairs, and ten extra hens ; or, in a neighbourhood 
where many stray Pigeons occur, then I would advise but 
ninety pahs, and twenty odd hens. 
» The age of the Pigeons is more difficult to determine than 
the sex. Young birds that have not yet moulted, may be 
known by their duller plumage, owing to the nest feathers of 
dark birds being edged with brown or kite. Their wing 
pinion feathers are also smaller, more pointed, and frequently 
brownish at the tip. Even if they have moulted, these, the 
secondary wing feathers, are usually retained till the next 
summer, and appear smaller, dingier, and of less substantial 
fabric to what they assume afterwards. 
Old age shows itself in the wrinkling of the nostril covers, 
the sunken eye, the rough and thickened appearance of the 
eyelids, and the rough feet. 
The immense difference in respect to productiveness in the 
overstocked and neglected dovecot, as compared with the same 
when the numbers are reduced in accordance with the accom¬ 
modation, and the old birds and superabundant males arc re¬ 
moved, can scarcely be credited by persons who have not 
witnessed the result. 
The pigeon-loft next claims our attention. This is the 
most usual kind of abode in which Pigeons are kept, and is 
well adapted for either country or town. The end of the roof 
of a barn, stable, granary, or dwelling-house, is equally avail¬ 
able for the purpose. The entrance for the Pigeons should be 
towards the south, south-west, or south-east; and, whether 
situated on the roof, or at the end of the building, must be well 
secured against the inroads of cats or rats. It should have 
some device by which the Pigeons can be shut in when 
necessary; for instance, when the entrance is through a number 
of pigeon-holes, then a wired, or latticed frame, should let down 
in front, on hinges, by a string and pulley. If it is through a 
window, or opening in the wall or roof, a small platform, or 
alighting board, should be placed outside, and a lattice-door 
may be made to pull up, and close the space, so as to 
secure all the Pigeons in the loft and yet admit light. The 
floor of the loft must be well secured, to prevent rats or 
mice getting in ; and a door, w r ell-fitted, for the same reason, 
is necessary, to enter the loft to inspect the birds or take the 
young ones. Nest places may be arranged all round, against 
the upright walls, by nailing up boards eight or nine inches 
wide, like shelves, fifteen inches above each other, and divid¬ 
ing these by partitions at every three feet, and nailing a board 
up in front at each end of these divisions, so as to form a 
recess at each end for the nests. A small slip of wood, 
running from back to front, completes the nests, which are 
thus divided into pairs ; or, failing the upright walls, boards 
may be nailed along the rafters, like shelves, one over the 
other. Small pieces of board should be nailed in behind, be¬ 
tween the rafters, and a long slip in front of the board. Thus 
converting the shelf into a sort of trough, which can be di¬ 
vided into nests by simply nailing an upright piece of board 
against each rafter. This makes an excellent pigeon-house 
for common Pigeons or Toys.— B. T. Brent. 
(To he continued.) 
