POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 42

POULTRY NOTES.

At' the recent London dairy show Messrs Randle Bros.' first-prize brown Leghorn cockerel had the honour of realising the highest price of any bird claimed in the show, being claimed at- £2Q. The next in order were Mr Bygott's winning R .-uen duck, £15 ; Mr Gallon's firsfc-prize Creve pullet, 12gs; the Rev. D*vies'B flrst-priz3 Langahan cockerel, lOgs ; and Mr Waddinglou's firal-prize buff Wyan-> dotte, lOgs. A Fubnch Poultry School. — It is time. say» a Home paper, we bad poultry schools on. the pattern of the one at Gambais r in the Department of the Seine and Oise. The course is three months and the fee £14-, which includes boad and lodging-. Scholarships are founded' to assist those who. cannot afford the fee. These are, of course, given only to French learners, bat other nationalities are not excluded* and' there are three English pupils at the school now. They work hard at the Gambais School, aud they have need to do so, for they hatch.' 30,000 chickens in the season. The hours are, from 6 a.m. -till 8 p.m., and out of this three hour* are devoted- to- theoretical study. Half, an hour is given to breakfast and half an hour, to supper. There is a recess from lldrfll 1, during which comes dinner. The rest of the time is spent in active labour.

The Lard Mayor's cup for the best bird in the London dairy show was awarded by the judges to Mr Walter Firth's brown-red British game pullet — x superlatively good specimen (says the Stookkeeper) of her charming variety. Curiously enough, Mr Stacey, who was appointed to allot a number of leading specials, awarded that for the best pullet in the show to Mr John Frayn's Indian game. The award was fo contradictory, and clearly a result of a misinterpretation of the conditions by the judge that it was reconsidered, and finally allotted to Mr Firth's pallet.

Mr W. Cook has, according bo Sydney Town and Country, again placed another variety of Orpington on the show bench — this time mottled in colour. They are said to be extremely pretty and striking in appearance, and Mr Cook states that colour is obtained by the use oC the red-speckled instead of the coloured Dorking in the foundation of the breed. The birds are said to hare white feet, and are of good sizi, going over 91b. The blue and buff Orpington ducks, though very attractive exhibits, failed to catch the judge's eye at the late Ciystal Palace show, perhaps because of the varied nature of other exhibits in the class, amongst which were three beautiful pens of Mandarins and Carolines, whose bright colours are certainly very taking.

Tub Refinement of Cruelty. — After having considered the case at three consecutive committee meetings, the committee of the N.S.W. Poultry Club have (so the Town and Country Journal states) disqualified the exhibitor of the bird shown at thu Kiama show, which was afterwards discovered to have darning needles inserted in its comb, presumably in ordec to keep it erect. The term of disqualification is five years, and will take effect at sill shows held under Poultry Club rules. The defence was * denial of all knowledge of the matter, bat the exhibitor did not attend at any of the meetings to defend himself, although invited to do so.

Imported Paizk Poultry. — Two members of tin ChciatchorchPoultcjf Club, Messrs Clatk-

son Bro*. and W. Nichols, received on Wednesday from England a valuable shipment of poultry — one Minorca cocktrel, three Minorca pullet--, twj silver-spangled Hamburg cockerels and five pullets. These "birds arrived by the s.b. Gothic, and were lvnded in good condition, with the exception of one Minorca pullet.