24 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by JosrpH M. 
WADE, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, 
; ay 
Hsvozns Joona wo) OULTRY (rxonanes, 
JOSEPH M. WADE, Editor and Proprietor. 

Published Weekly at 39 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia. 
SUBSCRIPTION. 
EP OTA TUNG 2 ccsscvstectcccttactuet (ecieveessraume ssareean tact eenes $2 50 
DIX COPIES, ONO) Vials... .:o.ce-vssosoevacswssnecnerks ee 12 00 
Specimen Copies, by Mail,..........0...sseceecceeerves 10 
ADVERTISEMENTS 
From reliable parties, on any subjects interesting to Fanciers, will be 
inserted at 10 cents per line, set solid; if displayed, 15 cents per line will 
be charged. 
Advertisements from unknown parties must be paid for in advance. 


SHERMAN & Co., PRINTERS, PHILADELPHIA. 


CONTRIBUTORS. 
To such as have original and meritorious ideas to offer, and 
having but little, if any, experience in writing for publica- 
tion, we would suggest that they write as plainly as possible, 
giving us the facts, skipping one line in two, to leave room 
for corrections which we will cheerfully attend to before 
going to press. Write only on one side of the paper.—ED. 

~ 
A NEW DEPARTURE, 
OnE of the marked features of the premium list offered by 
the Western New York Poultry Society, whose exhibition is 
to be held at Buffalo, January 14 to 21 inclusive, is what 
they are pleased to call a ‘‘ New Departure,’”’ which is a 

SINGLE BIRD PREMIUM LIST. ~ 
This system has been the prevailing one in England from 
time immemorial, but we think the Western New York Poul- 
try Society are the first to attempt its inauguration in this 
country; its merits over a premium list for pairs or trios will 
hardly be questioned by breeders or fanciers. 
Under the old plan of awarding premiums to trios, how 
often is it the case that a trio of birds are awarded first pre- 
mium, when if exhibited singly, some one or may be two of 
the birds would only command a second or third premium ? 
yet, they are awarded first premium, simply because the three 
birds taken together figure a higher average number of points 
than any other trio in their class on exhibition, and this 
highest average is often made so because of the very superior 
qualities of some one bird composing the trio; so that under 
the old plan the two inferior birds are awarded first premium, 
not on their own merits, not because they are in fact the best 
birds in their class on exhibition, but because they are fortu- 
nate enough to be found in good company ; or in other words, 
they are awarded first premium, and it is so published and 
advertised to the world, because one bird out of the three 
figures points enough to make the trio, taken as a whole, 
overcome the defects of the two inferior birds and all are 
awarded first premiums, when in fact there is only one first 
class bird in the coop. i 


The Single Bird Premium List enables the purchaser of 
breeding stock to purchase his birds singly, and thereby pur- 
chase all first-premium birds if he desires; and he more 
readily obtain birds not akin, which is very desirable in 
mating breeding stock; under the old plan of exhibiting in 
pairs or trios exhibitors usually decline separating a trio to sell 
single birds. These are only a few of the many arguments in 
favor of a single bird premium list. We wish the new plan 
success ; and we learn from the officers of the Society that 
from all sources they have received words of congratulation 
and encouragement, and the present indications are that they 
will be rewarded by drawing together a very large number 
of exhibitors, as well as a large show of unusually fine birds. 


Po 
PREMIUMS. 
WE do not propose to buy our subscribers with Premiums ; 
but, as we have been very successful the past season in rais- 
ing a large quantity of Fancy Pigeons of rare kinds, we will 
allow, in Pigeons, thirty per cent. when five subscribers or 
more are sent at one time at $2.50 each. 


(For Fanciers’ Journal.) © 
HIGH PRICES FOR RABBITS. 
THE most of our readers are probably not aware that the 
Japanese are passing through a mania on this subject. Every 
steamer leaving San Francisco carries over from 500 to 1000 
rabbits, for which the Japs pay most extravagant prices. 
An instance of the intensity of the fever was lately recorded 
in the California press. A person in the poorer ranks of life, 
after raising enough money, by unusual exertions, purchased 
a pair, which unfortunately died on his hand. His grief and 
disappointment was so great that his daughter sold herself 
into servitude, and presented her father with the proceeds. 
He speedily bought another pair of rabbits, and these also 
dying, he, in dispair, committed suicide. His daughter, 
hearing the sad news, also killed herself. 
A correspondent states that an officer on one of these 
steamers told him that on his last trip he saw 1200 Mexican 
dollars counted down on the deck of the ship as the price of 
one rabbit. Probably this is the highest price recorded in 
this fancy. 

+ 2m 
ORGANIZATION OF A POULTRY AND PIGEON 
CLUB. 
A MEETING was held at the store of Mr. John Spealler, 
No. 1415 North Fourth Street, Philadelphia, on Saturday 
evening, December 6th, and a club formed under the name 
and style of The Keystone Poultry and Pigeon Club of Phila- 
delphia. The following officers were elected for the ensuing 
year: Paul M. Baker, Pres’t., Thos. S. Armstrong, Sec’y, 
Wm. M. Scattergood, Treas. The Club intend holding an 
Exhibition sometime during the month of February. All 
communication on the subject should be addressed to 
Tuos. 5. ARMSTRONG, 
Trenton, N. J. 
————_+-2-2- o> —__ 
A YOUNG man was struck by lightning near Trenton, N. 
J., recently, and when the neighbors began to flock to the 
spot to view the body, they found a man standing beside it 
trying to sell lightning rods. 
