The Feathered World.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 414, 30 June 1898, Page 17

The Feathered World.

The entries for the Suburban Poultry Club’s which open today, constitute a record for ■HMand. Oeer eight hundred birds will be on HHtaon, and if the quality is up to the strength the show should be an unsuccess. I hear that most of the classes H||Kry strong, and that competition will be ' The art union tickets are going off well, |S|Hfao not wonder at it for some of the pictures baaatif ul. toe best all-oound fowls is the Minorca. -I *m not at all sure whether I ought to at aIL But if I do not boldly declare to be the bent all-round fowl, there

are plenty of fanciers and others who are quite ready to swear till they are “ gipsy-faced ” that Minorcas are the best fowls for tte fancier and for the man who keep birds to eat too scraps. LSfinorcas are easy to breed true to color, thereforajbe breed is popular with the fancier. They lay eggs and plenty of them, and thej are very rail birds on the table, therefore the “ utility ” man w-pleased with them. Minorcas lay probably the largest eggs of any breed, not even excepting toe Spauidh.•. I. think most poultry authorities are agreed on that point, for it is certainly no difficult matter to get a dozen exhibition eggs weighing three ounces each from a pen of Minorcas, if they are well fed and come from a good laying strain. The West of England has been for many years past the home of the Minorca, and though lately the Cornish or Indian Game have in a certain degree threatened the supremacy of the black fowl. I think the danger has passed, and that at the present time there are as many Minorcas in Devonshire, Cornwall, and Somerset, as there were ten or twelve years ago, when the breed was at its zenith of show popularity. At winter layers, Minorcas may be relied on if they are hatched at the right time, and once they start, they keep laying. Mr Hopkins, taking the average from four pens, says his birds laid 226 eggs each ; Mr Phy sick, who counted seven pens, averaged 184; while Mr Amesbury says his birds laid from 180 to 200 pen eggs each. He got the latter number from a of birds,four years of age I These three gentlemen are all well-known fanciers and breeders, and their returns are thoroughly to be relied upon. If exhibition strains will lay as many eggs as given above, a carefully selected stock of extra good layers should give even better results. There is nd doubt that Minorca breeders have used Langshan blood pretty freely since the introduction of that fowl, ana the cross is easily seen in the eye, the thicker shank, and more brilliant green gloss. Before we knew the Langshan, the Minorca was a black fowl; now-a-days, we must have a sheen of almost beetlegreen colour Even Lewis Wright, who is a great stickler for keeping the blood pure, must go with the stream, and the words, “as much green gloss as possible,” occur in his latest schedule for judging Minorcas. In. his scale of points to be deducted for defects, he has no place for “white in face” now, for, as he says, it is a disqualification in the Poultry Club Standard. It is never carried out in practice, which is a pity. Langshan blood has been used as much as anything to get rid of white in face, and successfully too. I think the Langshan cross makes the Minorca a coarse bird in head and leg, and while I admit to do away with white face is a great thing, I should prefer—if I kept the breed—my Minorcas “straight.” Mr Frank Holmes is going across to Sydney for the New South Wales Poultry Club’s Shownext month. He takes a team of birds from Motutapu. Messrs Reid’s Dark Brahmas and Dorkings and Ducks should do some winning on the other side if breed goes for anything, for Messrs Reid have spared no expense in procuring the very best strains from the Old Country. I hope the trip will be a successful one. All the birds going over are for absolute sale, and as they comprise the pick of the yards Sydney fanciers will have an opportunity of procuring highclass stock they do not often get. I was having a look at Mr Frank Holmes’ bantams the other day, and a very choice lot he has. It is rather too close to show time for one to particularise, but I may say that he has bred some capital Black-red youngsters from toe Ainscough and Cooper birds he imported last year. In Piles he will be well to the fore with some very typical birds bred from his own stock. The Pile cock now in his third season is in grand condition, and save for a little marbling on the breast, is as good as ever. The Christchurch Poultry Show took place on Fhursday, Friday, and Saturday last, and was a ?reat success. Messrs Fred Rogen and Ambrose Johnstone made the awards in the poultry sec;ion. In Dorkings S. C. Kesteven was, as isnal, well to the front in both Dark and Silver 3-reys. In the Dark cockerel class Kesteven had :o lower his colors to G. Butcher, who penned a splendid bird, good in size, color, and feet, and ;he winner of the cup for the best Dorking exhibited. The following are the awards in Game, Leghorns, and Wyandotte varieties, in which sompetion was keenest:—

Game. — Black red—Cock — Robert Boswell, 1 and 3; M. Donohue. 2. Cockerel—E. S. Leversedge, 1, cup and special; Robert Boswell, 2 and 3 ; S. Clarke, h.c. Hen—M. Donohue, 1; S. Clarke, 2; E. S. Leversedge, 3. Pullet— E S. Leversedge, 1 ; Robert Boswell, 2 ; S. Clarke, 3. Cock—C. P. Bradford, 1 ; M. Donohue, 2; A. Walker, 3. Pullett—A. Walker, 1 and 3 ; Master Bertie Walker, 2 ; Duckwing— Cock—M. Donohue, 1. Cockerel-E. S. Leversedge, 1. Hen—M. Donohue, 1. Pullet—E. S. Leversedge, 1. Pile—Cock—Robert Boswell, 1 and 3; W. E. Earnshaw, 2. Cockerel—Robert Boswell, 1. 2, 3 and Cup. Hen—W. E. Earnshaw, 1 ; Robert Boswell, 2 and 3 ; M. Donohue, h.c. Pullet—Robert Boswell, 1,2, and h.c. ; W. E. Earnshaw, 3. Indian—Cock—A. and H. Clarkson, 1 and special; J. Bundy, 2 ; Patrick Campbell, 3. Cockerel—A. and H. Clarkson, 1 and special; Whittaker Bros., 2 ; J. Bundy, 3. Hen—A. and H. Clarkson, 1,2, and special; A. Walker, 3 ; Patrick Campbell, h.c. ; J. Tindall, h.c. Pullet—J. Bundy, 1, Club cup and special; A. and H. Clarkson, 2; Patrick Campbell, 3 ; A. Walker, hc. Old English, any variety— Cock or Cockerel—J. J. Breeze, 1,2. and 3. Hen or pullet—Harry A. Shepherd, 1 ; J J. Breeze, 2 and 3.

Lzghokns. — White, single comb, cock. — Palmer and Davison, 1 ; C. Lucas, 2. Cockerel —H. Hearfield, 1, hc, cup and special; Palmer and Davison, 2 ; C. Lucas, 3 and c. Pullet—H. Hearfield, 1,2, hc, and special; C. Lucas, 3 ; John Friend, c. Brown, single comb cock — James Lillico, 1 and special; A. F. Anderson, 2; J. Farrell, 3 and c. Cockerel —J, Farrell, 1, hc, and o and special; W. J. Graham, 2; Robert Wilson, 3. Hen—Robert Wilson, 1,2, and special; A. F. Anderson, 3 ; James Lillico, hc. Pullet—James Lillico, 1, special and cup , A. F. Anderson, 2 ; Robert Wilson, 3 and c; J.

Farrell, hc. Buff cook or cockerel—T. C. Robertson, 1,2, 3, hc, c, and special. Hen or pullet—T. C, Robertson, 1,2, 3, and special; P. D. M’Guire, hc. Any other variety—cock or cockerel—M. Donohue, 1; E. J. Ross, 2. WYAM DOTIES, GOLDEN.— Cock—E. J. RoSS, I, 2 and special; A. Walker, 3. Cockerel—M. Donohue, 1 and special; Dr F. G. M. Brittiu, 2; G. Edgar, 3 . H. Pitcher, ho; E. J. Ross, c. Hen—Dr G. F. M. Brittin, 1 and 2; M. Donohue, 3. Pullet—Dr F. G. M. Brittin, 1,3, special and o; M. Donohue, 2; E. J. Ross, h c. Silver cock—W. Goss, 1,2, and special; F. C. Hack, 3;E. J. Ross, ho. Cockerel —D. Williams, 1 and. special ; W. Goss, 2 and 3. Hen— A. Walker, 1 and special; W. Goss, 2; E. J. Ross, 3; F. C, Hack, ho. Pullet—E. J. Ross, 1, Club Cup and special*: W. Ross, 2 and c; R. E. Reeve, 3;F. C. Hack, ho. White, cock— H. Pitcher, 1. Cockerel—E. L. Andersou, I and 2. Hen—E. L. Anderson, 1 and 2 ; H. Pitcher, 3. Pullet—E. L. Anderson. Visitors to the Suburban Poultry Club’s Show to-day will probably be disappointed at rhe absence of the Black-Red crack imported from Melbourne by Messrs Brigham and Shayler. I may as well state the reason why Mr Brigham’s name is not in the catalogue this year. When ( Mr Shayler left Auckland for America some of the stock was sold to a budding fancier, and to give him a show it was resolved that “ the firm” should not exhibit. Of course such an arrange ment having been come to nothing more can be said, but fanciers and other visitors to the show aro thereby deprived of a look at the best BlackRed I have seen in the colony. The Melbourne bird has a lovely color, capital head, and splendid feet. In shape and style he is excellent, and all-round he is a bird that would score easily at any show in the colony. I was much impressed with the bird when I saw him the other day, and I am only sorry that he is not on view at toe Suburban Show. Mr Brigham has an Ainscough-bred cock that with the Melbourne bird at home would win at most of our shows. I saw the bird, as a cockerel, and though I admired his style and reach I never for one moment imagined he would grow into the handsome, vigorous bird he has. He is perhaps a trifle light in hackle color and in eye, and is not so

nicely cut as toe Melbourne bird, but otherwise he is hard to find fault with. These two birds are in splendid trim, and Mr Brigham seems to have a splendidly successful breeding season in view. D.H.