15 f 



THE AGKICULTUUAL NEWS. 



AuousT 30, 1902 



POULTRY. 



Thr f()llo\ving notes on Bivuds of Poultry arc from 

 the pen of Mr. John Barchu', of the Agricultural Society, 

 Jamaica, in continuation of those in previous issues : — 



I'LYMOUTH ROCKS. 



Of till/ m11 lumiil l)U'J.s there are, — the IJarred Plymouth 

 liock, an Aiiierican hieod, a fair layer anil a fair table fowl of 

 good iiiediuni size, hardy, hut more suitable for the cooler 

 and inoi-stcr parts than the hot dry plains. Plymouth Itocks 

 Lave yeUow legs and skins ; the hens lay brown eggs of a 

 fair size, are .strong sitters, and make fairly good mothers. 

 There aro alsj the white and butf varieties with the same 

 qualities^ 



OIll'INOTONS. 



Then there are the Ori)ingtons, English breeds, black and 

 butf varieties, the former being the better lasers, the latter 

 the larger and better for table. They average aljout the same 

 ^ze as Plymouth Ilouks and arc of shoi't and stocky build, 

 good layers of light brown eggs, go broody and make gootl 

 mothers. There are also the white, anil two s[)angled 

 varieties. The Putf Oiiiington is a first-cla.ss table fowl 

 with white legs and •white skin. The P>l;ick Oriiington is 

 iiuirh like a clean-legged Langslian. 



It is to be noted that taste for table birds differs in the 

 United States and Jji'itain. In America, yellow-legged birds 

 and so birds with yellow skins are the favourites ; in the 

 United Kingdom and in France, table birds uuist have white 

 skins to be tirst-class. 



WYANDOTTKS. 



TliiM billow Wyaiidotte-s, of which there are white, buff, 

 silver, golden, l)lack, and partridge varieties; they are smaller 

 than Plymouth Itocks and Orpingtons, but rather better layers 

 of rather small brown eggs ; the hens are good sitters and 

 mothers. Plymouth Pocks and the W'yandottes arc not old 

 bi'eciLs like the Prahnii.s, Cochins and Pangsliau-s, but are 

 latter-day [M'oductions of the Pniled States, made by cro.ssing 

 various breeds -the big heavy Asiatic breeds with the 

 smaller, non-.sitting, laying breed.s, and by a process of 

 selection of tin; fittest made what they are — good utility 

 fowls. The Oi|iingtons are also new breeds and were 

 jiriilur.' 1 in Eii^im I U> till the .same end. 

 nouKiNiis. 



As ;i talile fowl Dorkings are unsurpassed ; they have 

 short while or pink leg.s, deei> bodies, full breast.s, small 

 bone.s, white flesh, and would be suitable for dry localities in 

 the West Indies where there is ))lenty of shade and a good 

 run. The hens are ratlu'r [)oor layers of larg(!, white eggs, 

 and are strong sitters. 



For table purposes we have, then, the ('(irnisli Indian 

 Game, large and heavy, but the hens [kmi- layers, with 

 the old F.nglish (<ame muih more active and very useful 

 for cro.ssing but a gicat tighter. We have the Plymouth 

 llock, black and butf ()r|iingtons and Wyandottes as 'all- 

 loinul' iowl.s. The Old I'higlish (lame and the Indian 

 (lame thiive anywhere. The others while doing well 

 in must places, aro better suited in the cooler upland parts of 

 the West Indies where there is shade for them to run. 



It is to be remembered that the all-round breeds mentioned 

 were produced to be hardy in the cold north and are good 

 winter layei-s there, which does not always mean hardy here : 

 but still they have proved very adaptable. When, howe\er, 

 eggs are the principal oliject, and the table is a secondary 

 consideration, we turn to the laying breed.s, principally 

 IjCghorns and Minorca.s, sometimes called the Mediterranean 

 clas.s, because tliej' came originally from Italy and Spain. 

 There are other purely laying breeds not Mediterranean, such 

 as the Hand>urg.s, most beautiful birds Init very small ; 

 Caini)ines of the .same type from Holland, and Braekels from 

 lielgium : and there are also valuable French breeds such as 

 the Houdans, FaveroUes and La Fleche, but these not 

 having been tested or proved in Jamaica (except the Houdan 

 which would be the best fowl of all except for its large top 

 knot which obscures the eyes of the chickens so much that 

 they fall an ea.sy prey to hawks, vultures and mongooses) — I 

 will not dwell ujion them. 



(7'o be cont'iHunl.) 



CACAO. 



KXrElU.MEXT I'LOTS .\T (;HEN'.\I).\. 



A report by Mr. Munlo McNeill, the Agricul- 

 tural Instructor, for June last, gives an accoimt of the 

 work (lone in connexion with the experiment cacao 

 plots at V'enilome, Belle Vue, Vincennes, Nianganfoix 

 and Columbier estates, and other agricultural eftijrts 

 in that Colony. Considerable improvement i.s recorded 

 in the condition of the cacao trees in these plots since 

 they were! placed under the care of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture. ' Results of the mamirial 

 experiments have been so far extremely satisfactory. 

 At Nianganfoix estate, on Section A of the jjlot, 

 treated with pen numure, onl}- an average yield of 5 

 bags per acre for the last two years were obtained, 

 while on Section B, to which basic slag followed b\' 

 sulphate of ammonia had been applied, an average 

 yield of bags per acr(> was obt.iined in 1900, and of 

 S| bags per acre in 1001. This woidd seem to indicate 

 that the latter nudhoil of manui'ial treatment is the 

 one irmst likisly to prove successful in renovating old 

 and neglected cacao trees on red clay lands in the 

 interior- of the island. Several visits were jiaid by the 

 Agricultuial Instructor to the holdings of ]>easant 

 cultivators and, wliere po.ssible, praetieil ilnuoiistra- 

 tions w-ere given in budding oranges and otiur [ilaiits. 

 Efforts aro also being made to eiieourage the cidtiva- 

 tion of limes in localities unsuiled for the growth of 

 caaio, and allusion is made to an interesting experiment 

 in reforestation at present being carried on by the 

 Hon. \V. H. Jjascelles lU'ar the firaiid Ktang Lake.' 

 The trees which consist of the native 'gotumier' 

 ( DacryudcK licnuul hi ) iilanted -lit. ajjart either way, 

 are now two years old and are describi'd as 'being 

 from two to two-and-a-half feet high ;\nd orowing well.' 



West India Isinglass. There is observed iu 



Messrs. Hales Caird A- (.'o.'> Market Peports uf the yth inst., 

 a ([Uotjition for Isinglass as lullnws : — 'Isinglas.s, West India 

 tirnr— Nine packages offered and sold, darkish to fair pale 

 lump at l.'i. 11./. to •-'-■. P/. : purse — thin to fair lOi/. to 

 !.<. 'Id. per 111.' It woukl be interesting to learn the origin 

 and nature of the product above (pioted. In other words : 

 what is 'West India Isinglass.'? 



