3-021-306 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Prize birds at the Birmingham Poultry Show, 1865. 'Pigeons: 1, Mr. T. D. Green; 2, Mr. T. H. Ridpeth; 3, Mr. Mathew Wicking; 4, Mr. Mathew Hedley; 5, (Laced Fantails), Mr. Arsenio Pinto Leito. Geese: 6, Mrs. Seamons Hartwell; 9, 10, Mrs. Ferguson Blair; Fowls: 7, (La Flêche), National Poultry Company Ltd; 8, (Creve Coeur Fowls), Mr. W. Blinkhorn; Ducks: 11, Mrs. Seamons Hartwell...If there be one proof more than another of the great national use of a poultry show it is in the enormous weights which have been attained. Two pairs of geese, white and grey, for instance, weighed 58 lb. and 56 lb.; a trio of white Aylesbury ducks 30 lb., and Rouens, 26 lb., which are 3 lb. and 1 lb. respectively over last year; and runt pigeons were "quoted at" 4 lb. 15 oz., which is nearly half a pound more than they ever scaled before... The pigeon show was so good that the following special note was appended to the prize-list by the judges, Messrs. Harrison Weir and T. J. Cottle, "The judges feel much pleasure in drawing attention to the excellence of the present show of pigeons".' From "Illustrated London News", 1865.