OUR POULTRY YARDS,&c.

Press, Volume XXVI, Issue 3391, 17 July 1876, Page 3

OUR POULTRY YARDS,&c.

I (BY A lANdlBB.) As the ninth annual exhibition under the auspices of the Ghristchurch Poultry, pigeon, and Canary Society approaches, p&rhaps the following notes of some of the poultry yarde, pigeon lofte, und aviaries in Oorifttcbarch and its neighborhood will interei t many, of your readers, both in and oat of £he " fancy." I have lately had the pleasure M perusing the prize schedules of the Melbourne Pigeon and Canary Society, and the Tast~nanian Poultry Association, and comparing th em with the schedule issued by out local society, and I think tbe latter shows to great advantage, inasmuch as the prizes are more liberal than the other societies I have named. Considering that the Ohrietehnreh society has been formed only nine years, it will doubtless surprise many of the public when I etate that, starting on a very email subscription list, thanks to the energetic manner in which the various managing committees have worked, the society is now possessed of poultry and pigeon pens and canary cages to the value of about £180, and is entirely clear of debt, notwithstanding the very heavy expenses each show incurs, sod the , very large amount of money annually paid away in prizes. Contrasting the quality of the exhibits at the first show with those of last year, it must be admitted that great progress has been made, and indeed in some of the classes it is generally believed that we could exhibit birds bred here with sneoess against even some of those entered in the most prominent of English exhibitions. A great deal of th's success is due to the fact that some of the breeders here do not stick at the expense if they think a change of blood desirable, and it would surprise the uninitiated in these matters if they heard the amount of money that even working men will spend when they resolve to join the ranks of fanciers. Fearing to tire my readers with any further introduction, I will now give my notes of some of the principal yards. I will start with Mr W. H. Por*er, of the Shades, who for the past two or three yeara has been well to the fore at the society's exhibitions. I had a look over some of his stock, both old and young, and was very well pleased with the few birds there; they are all black red game, and from what I saw I am of opinion that in that class he will be hard to beat. He also informed mc that some of his best birds were " running " out in the country. A short time ago I had the pleasure of visiting the yard of Air E. 8. lieversedge, one of our oldest fanciers in the "game" line, at Opawa, where I saw a couple of very fine duckwing cockerels. One certainly showed a rather dark saddle, but its owner quite expects to see this lighter before the show, and aa the bird is young and was then in moult, it is quite on the cards that his expectation will be realised. I scarcely remember seeing a finer lot of duckwing pullets, and Mr Leversedge may well be proud of them, as indeed he is. I only hope that he will be able " to keep the peace" in the yard until the show day, when, if exhibited, the/ will take a deal of beating. While looking round I noticed that my friend had started a pigeon loft, with a couple of pair of yellow Jacobins, pair of Nuns, and sundry other birds, bo with the hope that the fancy will grow strong and prosper with him, I took my leave. A few nights back I met another old fancier in Mr Fraser, who, before leaving town for Springston, where he is now farming, was one of the greatest breeders of game in the province. Owing to the diffiaulty of getting his birds down to the exhibition, he has refrained from the past two or three years from exhibiting; but this year he tells mc his young birds are so promising, that despite the trouble of bringing them to town, he means to have a cut in at the duck wings and brown-reds. To Mr Stapleton, or " Old Tom," as he is familiarly known amongst the fancy, a debt of gratitude is due by the society for the manner in which he haselevated thestandard of canaries in this part of the world. Starting as he did, some eight or nine years ago, on very second-rate birds, he has, with his experience of over thirty years in this fancy, and at considerable expense in importing from England and elsewhere, succeeded in getting together a stud of birds which, taking the number of varieties as well as their excellence into consideration, I believe can hardly be beaten in the southern hemisphere. As a brother fancier of small experience, I may Bay that it is a pleasure and also a profit to have a "crack" with "Old Tom," and except in the moulting season, when, as a rule, |his bird room is closed but to your humble servant and one or two other chume; he is always happy to show persons interested the contents of his cages. In Belgians this year, he will make a grand show in all the classes for which prizes are offered for this variety, bnt I am sorry to have to state that he has been unfortunate in losing some of his best hens. In clear jooque and buff Norwich, I also saw some very "hot" birds, bat my fancy dwelt long on a pair of variegated Norwich, to the beet of my knowledge the firet ever bred here, and which are very handsomely marked. Misfortune has also attended the lizards, as regards quantity, but the quality is good, especially a jonqne bird so beautifully spangled that he is worth going any distance to see. I trust no accident will befall the bird, as he is intended for tbe chow, and a sight of it will so gladden the eyes of some of the other breeders that they may be induced to take up this class of canary. It has always been a wonder to mc that they have not done so before, as a prettier bird could hardly be imagined, so beautifully spangled, either gold or silver, with clear cat caps to match, a sprightly look and sweet song, which renders them quite charming. I also saw four very handsome goldfinch and linnet mules, but am sorry to report the death of two goldfinch cocks and a linnet during the breeding season. Other birds were there, notably "greens" and " Germane," but as your space is limited, I must necessarily leave them and.take a look round the poultry yard. Borne fair Cochin and Brahma chickens were strutting about, as also were a pair of the handsomest duckwing bantams it has been my good fortune to see for man; a day. A few pigeons were flying about, and as the boys have taken to the fancy I hope they will be snccessfnl, as I am certain my readers will agree with mc when I say that it is far better for any youngster to have a " hobby " at home than loafing about tbe streets in the manner which is now the fashion. I will now take leave of my old friend, with cordial wishes that he may long be spared to enjoy the fruits of his labors in the canary and poultry fancy. _ ■ Coming home from Mr Stapleton'e, I called in at the boatsheds, [where E. Bees, another old fancier and breeder of game fowls, is located. It struck mc as strange that such a good judge as he is should be without ary of bis favorite fowl", bat it is nevertheless a melancholy fact. He however informed mc that he should probably be represented at the show by a pen of Malays and very glad I was to hear it. They are not a very taking kind to look at, bnt it is astonishing how useful they are in a yard to cross with some of the other breeds when consumption is the end sought for. In pigeons Mr Bees has a few good carriers, bet as the best are still young, I am afraid they will not compete successfully with older birds if shown,, another year will make a great improvement in them, and I hope that at future exhibitions good fortune may attend him. One thing is certain, he has got the foundation of. a good strain of carrleisA few dragons am} some nice Antwerpe, some of the latter beir g in training for the society's race from the Aehbarton, also a pair of promising yonry> birds of the latter kind complete hia etcMk at present. (To le continued.

The tombstone to the memory of the daughter of the Bey Henry Keet, of which the */icar of Oweton Ferry refaeed to eano* tio7j the erection, because on it Mc Keet was (described a« "Ber" bee been erected, the Privy Council having decided that the Church I of England does not poteen the sole right to oae the title objected to.