The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Having recently attended poultry
 shows in Birmingham and Montgomery
 am in a position to draw some com
 parisons between the two exhibits, and
 to make some suggestions to our chicken fanciers in this district.
 The Birmingham show carried no:
 only more chickens. but in addition
 had a fine display of pigeons, and q ' creditable showing of rabbits: but The
 Montgomery exhibit was on the sec
 ond floor of a well located building.
 and was attractively arranged, and ! what was much better. well lighted.
 Now. I know the disadvantages un- der which the Birmingham crowd
 worked, and sympathlze with them in having been compelled to use base
 ment in which chickens and pigeons
 and rabbits had to be seen by the aid of artificial light. but I do hope that
 next season they will either have a | place of their own or one better suit
 ed for show purposes.
 -- s'Hi ADl III d UOSltlOn to pass upOH the advisability of charging an en- trance fee Or making it free, as was done in Montgomery. l know there is a great deal of expense in arranging and keeping open an exhibit of any kind for week. The question, how ever. is, does the admission cut down the attendance appreciabiy. and would 1t be practical for entrance fees to be raised in order to make it possible to throw the show open to the gem eral public as an education and at the same time give the exhibitors a bet ter chance to dispose of their showings. It seemed to me that the Birmine- nam district made very much better | showing than did the section around Montgomery, hut that the outside ex
 hlbitors had fuller showings than were
 made here. The birds offered in the Barred Rock and the Rhode Island Red
 classes in Montgomery were particu- larly fine, and I did a lot of personal
 work with the exhibitors of those. as
 well as other exhibitors, to get ready for Birmingham's show next season. l had no authority to do so. but inst took 1t upon myself to speak a good
 word for my home town. as my main
 business is to boost Birmingham. l Mrs. Butts of Columbus, Ga. was on
 hand with some mighty fine Rhode | Island Reds and so was Red" Jones of Fitzgerald, Ga. I am particularly in- ! terested in this breed. as for several years l made speciality of the Reds, getting my stock from Mrs. Parker Callaway, of Washington, Ga, who for
 years won many cups at the big south ern shows. but who for several years | past has not been exhibiting. I quit
 the show bird" game when the chick en filters got to faneying them too highly
 dld put in some good Barred Rocks
 and had gotten fine flock of pul-
 let's They had just begun to law. 1 when 1t became necessary for my fam.
 fly 10 go to Florida, and I had to dis pose of them, for we'll knew that if l left in my charge with my goines and
 comings. they would either starye for
 the lack of regular feeding or perish | Tor water. or be stolen. confess
 however, that I would have entoved
 having fresh eggs for breakfast. for
 am cook enough to make tea or caf- 1 fee or chocolate and scramble or boi, l eggs, and with the many new baker
 les, 1t is easy to get good bread or | nice rolls.
 One morning after breakfast. while Tn Montgomery, l spied John Dunawa~ and asked him if he cared to visit inc chicken show. and replying in the af-
 firmative. we headed for it. and soon
 were Interested in the showings. IT seems that he raised Rhode Island Reds, and that his wife's flock is made up of Barred Rocks, but as they were In different lots. there is no crossing of breeds He not only believes in pure bred hogs and pure bred cattle.
 but in pure bred chickens. He seems
 to like the Reds however, as he spe- 1 eiaiizes on Durocs. Herefords and
 Rhode Island Reds, though for dairy
 purposes he has herd of Jerseys. ss
 An enthusiastic breeder of Barred
 Rocks came up excitedly to show us rooster for which he had just> re | eeived s1o0. John let him enthuse for
 bit and then quietly told him that he need not try to get me stirred up over $100 rooster, as I had sold a one-eyed game for $2, 200. He imme- diately jumped at the conclusion ina. l was breeder of Pit Games" arls 1 began. to ply me with questions. but seeing that John had not finished with
 him. l evaded to give my friend a chance to make him open his eyes in
 amazement, for he went on to say.
 and what's more. he sold a Blue
 Game hen for s15,0oO" With a pitifui
 look he said, Well. brother, I ain't in your class"
 thlnk the exhibitors at Montgom- cry showed good judgment in putting i reasonable price on their cockerels roosters. bullets and hens. and setting eggs. The winner of first prize in the
 Barred Rock class offered to take s100 Tor his pen of four hens and a cock. ! and l heard the winner of first prize
 m the Rhode Island class tell d lady ! who asked him the price for setting or eggs that she could have them for 50. have been to many shows where the breeders seemed to vie with one another in seeing who could mt