The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-14
MAINE POULTRY ASSOCIATION
Opening Day.

| those Immediately interested had any idea tho
so large collection of so many and such fin,
varieties could be brought together at auy poin
"ltnin the limits of Maine. Our poultry fanci
ers and breeders have been at hard work in ,
quiet way during some years past. and to.da,
they nave something to show for their labor
OF which they may well be proud The sue
cess OF the local exhibition at Bangor some tim,
since, convinced gentlemen interested, that 6
state Association could be formed, which
would be productive of benefit to all concerned
So charter was procured from the last Leg
lslature in January, and meeting for incorpo.
| ration held in this city soon after At this
meeting, Albert Noyes of Bangor, was elected
President f. f. Harris of Portland, Treasurer,
and w. P. Anterior of Hallowell, Secretary
At the same time programme for the present
exhibition was arranged, list of premiums
amounting to $4,000, offered, and 50 handsome
silver cups ordered for prizes,
All yesterday afternoon the hall was filled
with spectators, and in the evening it was
crowded. Over thousand tickets were sold
during the course of the evening. The hall is
turned into one vast hennery, and the sight
presented is very funny and pleasing one.
Eight long tables stretch across the hall, upon
which are placed great number of coops con-
tanning hens, turkeys, geese, ducks, swans
and peacocks, Coops are also arranged along
the sides of the ball. On the platform are
placed about twenty cages containing pigeons,
and as many more filled with birds of plum
age and song. In front of the platform are
cases of stuffed birds, and show cases contain
ing the SO silver cups offered for prizes.
Around the hail. pendant from the gallery, are
cages of canares and magpies and parrots
Upon the first long table are the light brah-
mas, of which larger show is made than of
any other varieties, the representation being
very fine. Next to these come the dark brah-
mas, of which the number is large. The next
in order are partridge cochins, ranking in uum-
bers and quality second'only to the light brah-
mas. Behind these are the buff cochns, which
make an extensive show. These are followed
by the black and white cochins, fine of their
kind. Ten coops of magnificent Plymouth
rocks, entered by p w. Hudson of North
Manchester, Conn.,, desc vedly attract much
mems, there are ten entries. After these are
seen coops of the cunning little seabrghts and
representations Of the reed and spangled game
bantams crested Polands, Bolton greys, Ham
burgs dorkings, leghorns, Sumatra game fowl
black Russians, &c. In addition to these are
guinea hens, superb brace of stately swans, a
peacock and peahen, huge Muscovy ducks
China geese, mallard ducks, bronze turkeys, the
soft-douned elder ducks, wild geese, the petite
wood ducks, and other varieties of fowl 'too
numerous to mention"
Strange sort of "fowl' which attract much
attention are the twenty appeared rabbits,
marked in many curious ways, and the brace of
grey squirrels. They deserve premium for
their silence amid that noisy crowd.
The show of pigeons is very large and fine,
embracing nearly all the known varieties.
The most noticeable cage upon the platform is
the large, handsome three storied and glazed
black walnut "house', in which Mr. Loben-
stein, the, well known merchant of this city,
keeps his pets. The cage, which was
constructed by Mr.. Lobenstein him
self, is admirably adapted to its purpose, DOS
sessing all the conveniences which could be de-
sired. Within its bars there are ten varieties
of pigeons.
The black and white carriers, always objects
of interest, and brought into fresh notice by
the last seige of Paris, attract much attention
They are admirable specimens, and a superb
black one, imported expressly for its owner, is
especially noticeable. Those Turveydrops of
the pigeon world, the pouters, the sombre-look-
ing white-headed nuns, the brilliant-hued blue
ruffiers, the strutting dragons, the magpies
and finn, h1orv md
brown, and notified fantails, make up the vari-
cites. So fine lot of pigeons were never be-
fore seen in Maine. Mr.. R. o. Conant of this
city, exhibits coops containing twenty pairs of
splendid pouters one Of the best collections OF
its kind ever put oh exhibition. Mr.. David
Plummer of Cape Elizabeth exhibits twenty
five pairs of pigeons, and Mr.. Samuel Chad
wick of this city an excellent collection. The
aviary of Mr.. May is very large and embraces
birds noticeable for brilliant plumage and gor-
geous coloring Among these are the green
Australian Paroquets, the cardinal grosbeck,
the Java sparrow, the curious weavers, the
orioles, the finches and others. The large cage
was great centre of attraction The Nutter
Brothers also exhibit fine collection of tropi-
cal birds, much admired by the ladies.
A curious crowd of people gathered about the
coops of game fowl entered by DR.. Pierce of this
city, and fell to thinking of the Cuban cock
pits. One of these cocks, in a cage by himself,
attracted much attention by his superb make
and by the way he had of looking about as il
he were spelling for fight. Three varieties
have been placed on exhibition by the Doctor,
one of which is the celebrated Sumatra game
fowl. All of them are worthy of more than q
passing notice. Ten coops of fighting birds ar.
rived from Massachusetts last night and will
be placed on exhibition to-day. An object of
curious interest is the Danforth Street cock
which Matched out and reared brood of seven
chickens. He and his brood occupy COOP
nearly opposite the entrance to the Hall. He
appears to be very modest bird and doesn't
look as if he thought he had done anything
very wonderful Near him is the cage con.
tanning brilliant plumaged peacock. In the
centre of the hall is an incubator in which
eggs are Matched out in surprisingly brief
space of time.
The confusion of noises quite overpowering.
The cocks crow in fierce rivalry, the hens cack
lie, the ducks quack. the geese hiss, the turkeys
mutter ''phut, phut," the peacock discordantly
screams, the swans look lazily graceful but
make no sound, the canaries sing, the maybe
chatters, the wild geese make their hoarse
'honk;' the pigeons coo, the small birds twit-
ter, the men laugh and swear theiwomen utter
CALCULATIONS of delight, and the parrot quer-
ulously intimates that Polly wants a. cracker
The sounds rival in number and distinctness
the seventy-seven smells which immortalized
the city OF Cologne, and make up a combina-
ton which 's lnd"rons in tho avtror,o-
There are LOG exhibitors, and the number OF
| entries are close on to AGO. The largest exhib-
ltor is Mr.. f. F. Harris of this city, who ente r.
| 20 coops of Partridge Cochins and light and
| eark Brahmas. Mr. Albert Noyes of Bangor
enters % coops, Mr.. G. w. Stcckwell of Eas
Eddington %, and Mr.. F. o. Bailey of this
city Is. The most prominent poultry men Of
the State are present, among whom may be
mentioned Mr.. Albert Noyes of Bangor, the
President of the Association, the veteran poul
try fancier of Maine, also widely known in con
nection with plant culture; Mr.. B. N. Hight of
Skowhegan, of the Board of Directors, one of
the best farmers in the State, for several year
manager of the Somerset Agricultural Societ,
and now an officer of the New England Agri
cultural Society; DR.. Leavitt of Skowhegan,
one of the largest and most successful pOultr,