392 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 


Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by JosePH M. 
WADE, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
aw 
SrcnsJ OURNAL AND GJ OULTRY Gracuance, 
JOSEPH M. WADE, Editor and Proprietor. 
Published Weekly at 39 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia. 
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In England, within a few years back, certain societies 
and clubs have tried the experiment of hiring their exhibi- 
tion judges, and the plan has been found to operate so satis- 
factorily that it is growing largely in favor there, and from 
the present outlook in that country all the leading shows 
will soon adopt this course in selecting umpires to pro- 
nounce upon the merits of the fowls entered annually for 
competition in the exhibition rooms. 
It strikes us this is a good arrangement, and we should 
be glad to see this plan adopted generally in America. In 
Great Britain, it is true, they have a few leading experi- 
enced breeders and fanciers (who are not dealers) whose 
services can be availed of for this important purpose, and 
whose decisions are now never questioned. In this respect 
they have the advantage of us, since we have very few 
such men-in this country yet, if any, who would be con- 
sidered qualified and competent judges, who are not engaged 
in the breeding and selling of some classes of fowls, and 
who are thus inclined, upon occasions, to be prejudiced in 
favor.of their own or some other particular breeder’s strain 
of poultry. 
Mr. John Baily, Sr., of Mount Street, London, the pro- 
prietor of the general poultry, pheasant, bird, and small 
pet bazaar there, and who is an old breeder of many years’ 
. experience with almost all varieties of fowls, is now or has 
been one of the leading public judges in England, and Mr. 
Hewitt, whose portrait we give in this number of the Fan- 
ciers’ Journal, is another. The latter gentleman is foremost 
in the list of accomplished English judges, and has made 
a reputation through his impartial and wise public decisions 
at numerous principal shows of poultry that are always 
popular, as well as enviable in their character for fairness. 
We look upon this plan with great favor. If good men 
could be found, who are not self-interested. in any way, who 
would undertake this duty at a fair remuneration for their 
services, and who would give the necessary time to the duty 

at our American exhibitions during the show season, socie- 
ties and contributors would be large gainers through this 
means ; because, if the right men can be secured, who know 
no fear of criticism and entertain no favor towards any par- 
ticular men, breeds, or strains of stock—who should not be 
informed beforehand to whom any contributions belong, 
and who would thus (if duly qualified) be able to pronounce 
fairly and equitably upon the entries made, upon their 
merits strictly—everybody would be glad to have their — 
fowls so judged, and every one would be content with the 
fiat of such independent judges. 
For each class of birds it would be necessary to employ 
but one good arbiter, and, if the right man could be found, 
this would be sufficient. Half a dozen paid judges would 
be sufficient for any show, however large. Have we got the 
men in this country? If so, who are they that possess the 
qualifications, who are not breeders or dealers, and who are 
so situated that they can give their time to it, and who are 
sufficiently experienced and disposed to undertake this 
responsible task ? 
THE propagation of anything short of pure bred full- 
blooded fowls, true to feather, is not considered of sufficient 
importance by most professional and amateur breeders, to 
claim their attention by word or practice. 
For those who can find a market for all the pure bred 
fowls and eggs they can raise, and for such as understand 
the business, attention to pure breeds only is wise and most 
profitable. For the masses, however, including the thou- 
sands of farmers who can raise a few hundred fowls annually, 
at so little cost, the question of crossing breeds judiciously to 
produce any desired quality in fowls, is of great importance. 
Some would breed for the egg-producing quality in their 
fowls; others keep a special eye to size, while the great de- 
sideratum for all farmers should be a combination of these © 
good points, with another essential one, that of early matur- 
ity. We are glad that many experiments, bearing on this 
point, have already been made public, and we remember 
the enthusiasm of some recent writer over a cross which he 
was pleased to designate as ‘‘the farmer’s breed,’’ combin- 
ing, as he sought to prove, a grand combination of almost 
all desired points. This cross was obtained by mating a 
Gray Dorking cock with Dark Brahma hens, and we agree 
with him that the progency of such a‘ pen”’ is truly gratify- 
ing. Other very valuable crosses can be had, however, by 
judicious mating, it being always desirable in putting a light 
and heavy breed together, to take the cock from a light 
breed. The opposite plan is seldom if ever practiced. The 
range for experiment is so wide, and the peculiar fancies of 
different breeders vary so largely, that it would be unwise to 
attempt even a brief synopsis of the number of valuable 
crosses to be produced from peculiar breeds. The birds result- 
ing from the cross alluded to above, will be good layers, large 
in body, will mature early, and a large range is not essential. 


CorrespoNnDENcE, 

Mr. J. M. Wave: 
I have just received a postal card from you, wishing me 
to write if I do not want the Fanciers’ Journal. I do not 
wish to take the paper. Yours, Wm. E. Wiaeut. 
WHITEWATER, WIs., May 25th, 1874. 5 
FRIEND WIGHT: 
You must be a little mixed in this matter. We have 
never yet solicited either subscription or advertixement by 
postal card.—Ep. 

