371 
TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY. GENTLEMAN, September 7,1858. 
plan could bo carried out for promoting purchase and sale 
among amateurs. The Londoner may, probably, with a 
knowing friend (if not capable himself), visit a London dealer 
and obtain his desires. But what are the multitude of 
countrymen to do, who have no dealer to go to, and, perhaps, 
know no amateur who has just what he wants ? 
Now, if you could devise and carry out some such idea as 
under, I think it would meet the case, and give a greater use¬ 
fulness and importance to your paper. Why could you not 
keep a sort of register, in one part of your paper, of the 
wants of different persons ? Thus, sellers might register what 
stock they had to dispose of, from time to time, and the 
lowest prices net. Buyers would read the register, and, if any¬ 
thing was entered in their line, they might, as they pleased, 
order direct of the seller, or, better still, order through you ; 
and in this last case the stock might be always sent to you in 
the first instance. One of the experienced gentlemen who 
write in your columns might then examine them, and, unless 
they came up to their idea of excellence at the price named, 
they might return them to the seller, and so save the buyer ; 
on the other hand, the buyer would have the satisfaction of 
knowing that he has some stock which has passed muster, 
after inspection of a judge, in either department. 
Of course, this would entail some trouble to you, but you 
would get a registration fee, and also for those birds or rabbits 
on which you passed judgment a further fee, as you might 
regulate. This, however, a buyer would, probably, be only 
too glad to pay for the value of the opinion. 
I merely give you, as above, some idea of the difficulties of 
a countryman, and also some ideas of my own, or a way to 
get over them. Crude as they are, you may, perhaps, take a 
hint from them, and do something to help us. Even if T was 
to go to London, I do not know any dealer or selling amateur ; 
even if I found one out, I do not know what price I ought 
to pay, or the comparative excellence of rabbits, &c. I must, 
therefore, be at his mercy, and not even know, after paying 
the amount, that I have a good thing after all.—M. S. Y. 
[No fee, however large, would induce us to undertake the 
suggested commissions. Tastes and judgments differ too 
widely for us to hope to give satisfaction ; and, if a failure, 
or death, occurred to the animal purchased, we should have 
little mercy shown us. As to keeping a registry of animals 
required, and animals to be disposed of, what guarantee would 
that be against the disappointments our correspondent refers 
to ? The only certain result would be the weakening of our 
exchequer, by depriving us of advertisements ; for all might 
justly claim the same insertion of their wants, either as buyers 
or sellers! 
No one need be at a loss to obtain rabbits or poultry 
such as he requires ; for if he writes to the advertisers in 
our columns, or to the prize-takers, or other exhibitors, 
of the kinds he needs, and requests them to inform 
him of the prices of any they may have to sell, explicitly 
stating his object, he would soon obtain a supply. Re¬ 
ferences would, of course, be required. Permission might, 
probably, be obtained to have specimens sent for inspection ; 
the sender being indemnified from all expenses and damages. 
At Mr. Stevens’s monthly sales, an opportunity occurs for 
buyers to use their own judgment; and there may be found 
in the course of the season all varieties of poultry, Rabbits, 
and Pigeons.] 
POULTRY AT THE CALDER YALE 
AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION’S SHOW. 
Tiie annual Exhibition of this Society took place on August 
28th, in the Piece Hall, Halifax, and passed off in a highly 
satisfactory manner. The attendance was large throughout 
the afternoon, and so numerous were the entries of the 
different animals for competition, that some little fear is 
entertained that, in a short time, should the same degree 
of progress be made, the Piece Hall will be too small for the 
purpose 
The entries in the different departments were as follows : — 
Bulls, 23; cows, 58; horses, 96 ; sheep, 21 ; pigs, 99 ; 
poultry, 242 ; pigeons, 81; rabbits, 5 ; vegetables, 33 ; and 
extra stock, 6. Total, 664. It will be interesting, as showing 
the pi’ogress of the Society, if we make a comparison of these 
numbers with those of the previous years, thus: — In 1848 
there were 263 entries ; in 1849, 311 f in 1850, 259 ; in 1851, 
344 ; in 1852, 353 j in 1853, 357 ; in 1854, 305 ; in 1855, 
351; in 1856, 458 ; in 1857,543; and in 1858, as above 
stated, 664. This may be taken as a certain proof that the 
Society is making safe progress. Not only in numbers, how¬ 
ever, but in every other respect, may the Exhibition of Satur¬ 
day be reported as superior to its predecessors. In horses, 
pigs, and poultry, it was greatly in advance of previous years, 
in quantity and in kind. In cattle it was in some respects, 
perhaps, inferior ; but such a designation must be taken with 
many qualifications. 
The poultry were very numerous, and the music they 
created was of the sort known generally as more noisy than 
sweet. Some of them came from great distances—Devizes, 
Ashton, Bedale, Birmingham, Aylesbury, Sheffield, Whitby, 
Kendal, Liverpool, Mansfield (Notts), Bolton, Ulverstone, 
and the neighbouring towns of Leeds, Huddersfield, Brad¬ 
ford, &c. We are sorry to have to say that a considerable 
majority of the premiums will go out of the immediate dis¬ 
trict. We think this need not be, and would advise local 
fanciers to strive harder for the laurels another year. The 
gentlemen who were most successful in Halifax were the Rev. 
F. Musson, Mr. A. G. Waithman, Mr. David Ashworth, and 
Mr. Dan Leemiug. The whole of this department was ex¬ 
cellent. 
There was a capital lot of Pigeons, which formed a very 
attractive portion of the Show. Carriers, Tumblers, Eantails, 
Jacobins, and the whole of the different tribes were repre¬ 
sented. There were two exhibitors from Birmingham in this 
department also, but Halifax held its own well. The Pigeons 
exhibited for the Secretary’s Cup, were, in the language of a 
Birmingham fancier, unrivalled, and each pair was deservedly 
entitled to a cup had they been rewarded according to their 
respective merits. The whole of the Pigeons exhibited by 
Messrs. Smith, Holdsworth, and Firth, of Halifax, may well 
defy any competitors, and they bid fair to bother the great 
breeders of other parts of the country at the approaching 
Fancy Pigeon Show, at Halifax, in December. Expense in 
procuring fine birds seems to be no object with them. Their 
Pigeon-houses, which we have had the pleasure of personally 
inspecting during the last few days, are really neat affairs, and 
well worthy their handsome inmates. Halifax Show, so long 
famous for its exhibition of short-horns, is now remarkable for 
its fancy Pigeons. 
We think the Show altogether was a most creditable one,— 
satisfactory to the exhibitors, the Committee of the Society, 
and the public. 
The following gentlemen officiated as Judges:— For Poultry, 
Mr. Alfred Goodman, Gledhow House, Leeds ; and Mr. John 
M. Thompson, Dewsbury.— For Pigeons and Babbits, Mr. 
Wm. Cannan, Bradford; and Mr. J. W. Thompson, South- 
owram, Halifax. 
The following is the Prize-list:— 
Special Premium. — The. Secretary’s Silver Cap, for the best three 
pairs of Pigeons, viz., Powters, Carriers, and Almond Tumblers .— 
Won by J. Firth, jun., Lily Lane, Halifax. 
POULTRY. 
IIamburghs (Golden-pencilled).—First, A. G. Waithman, Halifax. 
Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Nine entries. Chickens. —First, W. II. 
Fox, Mansion House, Horton. Second, J. II. Marsden, Saddlewortli. 
Ten entries. 
Hamburghs (Silver-pencilled).—First T. Keable, Rowdefield Farm, 
Devizes. Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Commended, W. Maude, 
Victoria Place, Bingley. Nine entries. Chickens. —First, J. Dixon, 
Bradford. Second, W. Maude, Bingley. Commended, W. Maude, 
Bingley. Eight entries. 
Hamburghs (Golden-spangled). — First, II. Carter, Upperthong. , 
Second, J. Andrews, Ashton-under-Lyne. Commended, W. R. Lane, 
Birmingham ; T. Barker, Leeds. Fourteen entries. Chickens. —First, 
W. R. Lane, Birmingham. Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Four entries, t 
Hamburghs (Silver-spangled). — First, J. Mitchell, Ilipperholme. 
Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. Eight entries. Chickens. —First, Bird 
and Beldon, Ecclesliill Moor. Second, Mrs. H. Sharpe, Bradford. 
Commended, S. Smith, Northowram. Eleven entries. 
Spanish. —First, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, T. Robinson, The 
Gill, Ulverstone. Commended, S. H. Hyde, Ashton-under-Lyne. J 
Seven entries. Chickens. —First, Mrs. A. Watkin, Walkley, Sheffield. , 
Second, S. H. Hyde, Ashton-under-Lyne. Commended, S. Robson, j 
Pocklington. Four entries. 
Dorkinos. —First, S. Burn, Whitby. Second, B. Wilkinson, Shelf. 
Commended, J. Price, Bedale; Rev. F. Musson, Halifax. Eight 
