320 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 21, 1860. 
full of clean, dry straw till they are perfectly dry. When they 
are washed, the feathers are more wetted internally than they 
would be by any natural wetting ; and, therefore, more liable to 
become dirty if they were suffered to do that which they 
certainly would if they could—viz., go from a water to a dust 
bath. Send them from home with their crops full of soft food— 
such as sopped bread or meal. Let their basket be high enough 
to allow them to stand up in it. Let it be of close wicker all 
round, but covered with canvas on the top. 
Now, there is a very proper distinction made between breeds 
which are judged to a feather, and those that are more esteemed 
for large size ; but it is a mistake to suppose that dwarfishness 
in one, or an ugly or a dirty plumage in the other, would be 
meritorious. 
In all competition, if you wish decisions to be appreciated and 
approved by the public, they must be pleasing to the eye. These 
decisions, though strictly just, are painful ones to Judges, when 
it is necessary that their knowledge and experience should be 
invoked and exercised to justify them. Though strictly correct, 
they are made difficult of explanation or approval by faults of 
colour, or by the non-observance of those rules of cleanliness 
which add so much to the appearance of fowls. It is an assistance 
to the Judges if the birds are selected and sent with the desire 
to lessen their task. Exhibitors may do much, and we leave the 
subject with them. 
SALE OF FOWLS AT EXHIBITIONS. 
The impartiality of your columns should secure you the 
respect and attention of amateurs, and all interested in the 
poultry question. 
Those who have had experience in these matters know as 
many sales are not to be expected at a chicken show as at a 
general winter exhibition, but seeing that most of them take 
place soon after the Show opens, and that often twenty or more 
claimants are asking for the attention of the solitary clerk in 
the office, it has occurred to me to ask you to suggest an increase 
in the staff, for that day only. An intelligent lad would answer 
the purpose; a3 all that is required of him is, that as fast as a 
pen is sold he shall note the same in a proper book, so that if 
reference be made to it it will be seen at once it is sold. This 
will prevent the sale of the same pen to two or three people, as 
was the case in February.— Probable Puechasee. 
PEICES OF POULTRY AT EXHIBITIONS— 
CRYSTAL PALACE CATALOGUE. 
The Crystal Palace Poultry Show is approaching; the recur¬ 
rence of this treat calls to mind one or two things, of which I 
fshould like to say a word. I wish to ask why people who have 
owls for sale will not act like sane people, and ask such juices 
as buyers are likely to give. The prices usually named are 
simply ridiculous. At the last Show I really wished to jmrehase, 
and looked over the catalogue and selected several pens I thought 
desirable; but on looking at the prices it became painfully evi- 
. dent that the owners of the fowls either were or ought to be 
inmates of Bedlam. Imagine one hundred guineas for a cock 
and two hens! Can anything be more absurd ? 
If the Directors of the Palace compel all the exhibitors to fix 
a price at which to sell, whether they wish to sell or not, then 
the absurdity rests with the Directors, and they should jiack off 
to Bedlam. Still some of the exhibitors must jrnck off too. 
Take an instance of absurdity run mad : the owner of the first- 
prize Game cock was content with five guineas; the second- 
prize bird was marked £20; the third fifteen guineas ; and one 
that did not take a jirize at all was modestly marked at £1000! 
Please, also, let me say, it would be a great convenience if the 
catalogues could be ready earlier. I could not get one at the 
last Show until I was on the point of leaving. Whv not have 
them at the news-shops some days before the Show ? —Emily. 
[The exorbitant prices you mention are intended to be pro¬ 
hibitory—the owners do not wish to sell the birds. We never 
could see any reason why “ Not for sale” should not be used on 
such occasions. It is quite certain that such prices have nothing 
to do with the real value of the birds. 
We quite agree with you that the catalogue department of tho 
Crystal Palace Poultry Show needs great alteration. Many 
intending purchasers leave without purchasing, because they can¬ 
not early in the day have catalogues stating owners and prices. 
It would not do to sell the catalogues before the day of exhibi¬ 
tion, because the Judges are not supposed to know, and ought 
not to know, to whom the pens belong until after they have 
awarded the jirizes. 
The catalogues might be ready by the time the Show opens, 
and every one having a catalogue might be entitled to a jirize- 
list as soon as printed later in the day.] 
A FELLOW-SUFFERER WITH “ E. 0.” 
I agreed to exchange (with I have no doubt the same man as 
your corresjiondent “ E. C.”) a couple of Black Spanish fowls 
for the pen of Piles which took first yirize at Skipton. 
I sent my Sjianisli fowls, and in return he sent me a Pile 
Game cock and two White Game hens, about six years old, and 
with but four eyes between the three birds. 
I returned the fowls as worthless, and he then agreed to ex¬ 
change for a pen of Duckwing Game; but these fowls succeeded 
in taking second prize at Tliorne the day they were to have been 
sent to me, and lie then very coolly writes to say that unless I 
give him a consideration, as well as my Spanish fowls, he shall 
not exchange, and returns my fowls with carriage to jiay. 
[The party is the same as victimised “ E. C.” If we hear any 
more such transactions, we will publish liis name and address. 
—Eds.] 
CRYSTAL PALACE. 
In consequence of the lateness of the season the general ex¬ 
cursions to the Palace have been somewhat delayed this year. 
They are now, however, in full swiug. Scarcely a day ellipses 
without numerous excursions of schools, charitable institutions, 
or large bodies of workmen. The coming six weeks being full of 
special attractions, great numbers are likely to visit the Palace. 
For instance : the Great Summer Poultry Show, which always 
attracts large numbers of provincial visitors, takes place in the 
last week in August. This is followed on the 30th of August 
by a special day set apart for amusements provided by Mr. 
Strange, the energetic contractor for the refreshment department. 
On the 1st of September the Hollyhock Show' will be held. In 
the following week the Tonic Sol Ea Association hold a contest 
of singing societies, a party of Scotch vocalists coming expressly 
from Edinburgh to sing some of their national airs. On Thurs¬ 
day, the 13th of September, the Licensed Victuallers hold a great 
festival for the benefit of their Asylum. A performance by about 
2,000 voices of Mr. Martin’s glees, which were so successfully 
produced at Exeter Hall last month, will take place on Saturday, 
the 15th of September; and on the 19th and 20th of the same 
month the Autumn Dahlia and Fruit Show ; and on two of the 
last days of September Madame Clara Novelio, who is coming to 
England on her farewell tour, will sing for the last time in the 
“Creation” and “Messiah,” two performances of which will 
be got up with great force under the direction of Mr. Benedict. 
REPLY TO “ BOUGHT EGGS UNPRODUCTIVE.” 
I left home early in May, and have never had the pleasure of 
seeing The Poultry Chronicle since, until this day, when I 
met with an old friend who kindly lent it me; and the first 
article I stumbled upon was “Bought Eggs Unproductive.” 
Now I, being the person alluded to who sold the eggs, will 
state the whole transaction, and leave your numerous readers to 
pass theh- own verdict; as I think by the word “ deceived,” 
which Mr. Brooke uses, he gives a little extra colouring to the 
affair. Although he does not publish my name he may mention 
it in private, which might equally injure my character; and 
being clear of what he accuses me, I will now out with the whole 
10 s. 6d. worth. 
Mr. Brooke wrote to me to know the jn’ice of a pen of birds I 
had for sale, which he afterwards refused to purchase at the 
stated j)rice, but would take a sitting of eggs, which I supplied. 
At the end of three weeks I got a note to say they were all bad ; 
but requested another sitting, or part of a sitting, to compensate 
his loss, also informing , me of having eleven chicks from Mr. 
Dixon’s eggs. I wrote back, expressing myself sorry for his ill 
luck, which I could not account for, and told liim I would send 
another sitting for 2s., charging Is. eggs and Is. package; but 
