318 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 17, 1858. 
The Malays were a capital class. 
Mr. Coles and the lion. Miss Dillon took well-merited 
prizes hi the Various class, with Andalusians and Silky 
Fowls. 
Mr. H. D. Bayly showed an excellent pen of Gold-laced 
Bantams : Mr. Spary was second. The latter gentleman 
earned a second prize with a middling pen of Silvers. There 
were some very good White Bantams , and excellent Black. 
The latter were declared a really good class. The Game 
Bantams were, as usual, excellent. 
If our memory does not deceive us, the prizes for White 
Geese went to the same competitors as last year. Mr. Man- 
field’s first-prize pen weighed 39| lbs.; Mr. William’s, second, 
35 lbs. The Grey were more numerous—Mrs. Seamons, first, 
401 lbs. ; Mr. Rigby, second, 35f lbs. It was a good class. 
The Aylesbury Bucks were perfect—Mrs. Seamons, first, 
20i lbs.; Mr. Weston, second, ISilbs. The Rouens were a 
good class, and Mr. Fowler’s star paled before Mr. Keablc, 
who beat him. No birds have improved more than the Buenos 
Ayrean Ducks, and we think the time has arrived when they 
may ask a class for themselves. It was thanks to them, that 
the class for any other variety of Ducks was pronounced an 
“ unusually good one.” Mr. Churchill was first, the Hon. 
Miss Dillon second. Five other pens were distinguished by 
the Judges. 
Turkeys afforded an easy victory to Mr. Brand. 
We are glad to say, that everything connected with the 
Show was well managed. Indeed, Mr. Houghton’s ability 
in this department is so well known, that it is almost super¬ 
fluous to mention it. Those, however, who have to do with 
him, owe him a public acknowledgement of his zeal and 
urbanity. 
EARLY CHICKENS. 
It is pretty generally admitted, that the beginning of this 
present season was most unfavourable to the production of 
early chickens ; that the eggs incubated were more than com¬ 
monly unfertile; and that, even when chickens were produced, 
disease and consumption destroyed the larger proportion, 
| So general, indeed, were these complaints amongst most of 
our exhibitors, that the supposition has been that the severi¬ 
ties of the spring, and that alone, produced these series of 
| mishaps. To an extent, perchance, this may be correct; but, 
no doubt, a far more cogent reason maybe adduced by at¬ 
tributing it to the want of vigorous constitution in the parent 
fowls, than to an inopportune season alone. It is a failing of 
the present day to quite overtax the energies of fancy poultry 
j by over-exhibition. In not a few cases that could be referred 
to, pens of poultry have actually journeyed directly from 
| Exhibition to Exhibition for weeks together, and that with¬ 
out the relief a single hour’s run would afford them. Thus 
the birds, so singularly maltreated, have not only been de¬ 
prived of animal health and vigour, but afterwards complained 
of as “ never breeding,” and likewise “ losing ” their position 
i in the Show-room. This result is the only one that can ensue 
under such hardships; for it should be always remembered, 
that travelling to and fro invariably racks poultry to a greater 
degree than the confinement during competition. 
A circumstance connected with the poultry-yard of one of 
our principal exhibitors will prove how necessary occasional 
relief is to prize poultry, of whatever variety. The genleman 
alluded to had a cock and two hens, excellent specimens, but 
continually competing for public rewards. He said, “ they 
never bred, nor did he believe they ever would,—their sole 
utility was for a Show-pen.” The birds, barring a constant 
appearance of lassitude, looked well; they ate heartily ; the 
cock crowed as loudly as ever; was attentive to his hens ■ yet 
not one chicken could their owner ever procure. In this 
dilemma, and fearing they might get beat, he wisely deter¬ 
mined to rest them a little. They were turned out some four 
or live months ago. The two hens took to the hedgerows 
aiound a plantation, laid astray, and at this hour nineteen as 
lealthy, promising chickens as could be desired form the tw r o 
different broods,—one to either parent. It is a singular fact, 
' lat . stolen nests, as they are commonly called, very rarely 
contain a single addled egg ; and it is right to mention, that 
in the cases just referred to not one nesting-place could ever be 
tound, though sedulously looked for; the other hen had evi¬ 
dently produced her eleven chicks from the like number of 
eggs. Surely nothing could more distinctly prove to every 
owner the imperative need of a temporary relief from excite¬ 
ment, if they hope for success among their poultry. Yet how 
frequently is it withheld until a quite undermined constitution 
admits not of remedy, and losses are incurred that not only 
tell heavily against the profitable returns, but trios of excel¬ 
lent fowls are rendered comparatively useless from the positive 
loss of one or other of them. 
That poultry labouring under this misfortune of close con¬ 
finement should recover much more slowly, after the hard¬ 
ships of winter, than their fellows at liberty, few will dispute; 
and, consequently, from such parents early chickens are unat¬ 
tainable; though not unfrequently, about midsummer, chickens 
are procurable enough and to spare, but when quite too late 
for the amateur’s intended purposes. Hence it is we so fre¬ 
quently hear the loud complaint of the vexation and “ trouble 
of late chickens,” combined with the expressed determination 
ct never ” to fall into the same error again. Yet, to many parties, 
each consecutive year only reproduces the annoyance, which as 
certainly might be avoided, were the stock-birds more naturally 
treated, and the progeny as certainly invigorated, not only by 
early {C looking out for themselves,” but by having all the 
fine weather before them. Let, then, those parties, desirous 
of early, strong chickens, be careful how they treat their birds 
during midwinter.— Faieplay. 
FUTURE POULTRY SHOWS. 
On looking over some of the back numbers of The Cottage 
Gardener, and on coming to those for May, June, and 
July, 1857, and on looking down the list of Shows then 
to come off, I find a long list of them ; some of them -were to, 
and did take place during the months of June, July, August, 
September, and others later. Amongst them, I may mention, 
Gloucester, Dorchester, Leamington, &c. How is it, I want 
to know, there are so few in the list this year p Is it possible 
that the Shows are gone to the ground, or have not the days 
yet been fixed for holding them ? If the latter, no doubt we 
shall see them in the list of Shows to come again ; but if the 
former, I trust the respective Committees have not given up 
their Shows without first making sure that they have some l 
sufficient reason for doing so; and, if their reason was because ( 
it did not pay, let them well look into the matter and see that i 
the fault does not lie at their own door, which is not at all 
impossible, in more ways than one. Let them see that they did i 
not give too high prizes, and were, consequently, obliged to 
charge such high rates of entry that many exhibitors, who have 
not yet got to that pitch at which they can look down upon 
success as next to a certainty, did not chose to pay them, with 
the chance of getting nothing. Whereas, if the prizes had 
been rather more moderate, and the entrance fee 5 s. instead of 
10,s., they would gladly have supported them, by entering two 
or three pens. Now r , other Shows may be able to attribute 
their failure to another, although a somewhat similar cause. 
r Fiey may, for instance, make it a rule, that all persons ex¬ 
hibiting must be members, and pay a subscription of 105 ., or 
perhaps more, independent of the entrance fee. Now, many 
will not do this, although, perhaps, the entrance fee may be 
rather the less for it. This plan would, of course, be an ad¬ 
vantage to a person who exhibits largely; but to the humble 
exhibitor who wishes to enter one or two pens, it is, of course, 
a great disadvantage; and the consequence is, he keeps his 
birds at home, his money in his pocket, and the Show goes 
minus his support. But to come to the point, the success 
of all Poultry Shows, as well as other Societies, depends entirely 
upon the support they get; and, therefore, Committees and 
Secretaries should make such arrangements as are likely to 
meet with the approbation of poultry breeders, and offer such 
prizes as w T ill enable them safely to charge moderate rates of 
entry, and thus secure a fair number of them. As to the 
amount ot the prizes, they could not do better than follow the 
example ot the Crystal Palace Show Committee, and give three 
prizes in some of the principal classes,—say, first, £3 ; second, 
£2; third, £1; or even, first, £2; second, £1 10.?.; third, 
£1 ; and charge 5.?. entry, which no one could have the least 
cause to complain of, and they could make sure of being well 
supported. As has been often proved, Shows, where such prizes 
