456 Agriculhiral Gazette of N.S. JF. [June 2, 1908. 



Minorcas. 



MiiKM-cas wfic takt'ii u|> originally uii Ici- tliat name, although tliry- wi-r,' 

 really the original .Spanish. Fiftci'n vt'nrs a^o tliey wcic hied iny excessive 

 comb, until it was as large as a poiuei of steak, aii'l then a ic\ tilsiun ot" feeliiii,' 

 set in, and to rapidly hrceil out the al>iir)nnal coiid), Lan^sliau l)ii>od was 

 inti-oduced and the (liant MiinMca fornicil. 'I'lii-; rn tdc a rcaliv liandsoinc 

 bird; hut the l)reed has n^ver regained its t'Drnier egg capacity of lialf a 

 century ago. 'i'lie hlood inserted in the Minurcfi was not tlie true Ijangshan, 

 but the niodern Larigshan, wldcli is containiNated with JJlack (hinie. It hus 

 brilliant sheen, liard short feather, scant leg-feathering, making a handsome 

 bird to look at, but with a facility for laying far behind i's true ancestor. 



No 3 White Leshorns. S Ellis 



Langshans. 



Langshaiis were ruioed through breeding foi' size, reach, fJauie 'ype, and 

 close feath'^r, anrl now they ai-e being neglected, and the oiiginnl type has 

 already takiMi tli^-ii' jilace for utility, an I also, to a cei'tain extent for show in 

 England, although the modern birr! is still shown. W'itli the a(l\ent of 

 Wakfer's Langshans in the egn-laying compe'itioii came the eye opener as to 

 the egg capacity in strains of breeds. The old strains, away from the (!ame 

 modern type, scill inherited a great precocity, as instanct^l by 'he laying of 

 Pontons Langshans, which were right away from the (iame type, and imt too 

 big, and laid iieai'ly 1,200 eggs in the seoTid competition. This, however, 

 was Ponton's best year, and instead of inci-easing in egg-production, they 

 increased considerably in size, and t he consequence was a re(hiced oiitpuf, 

 until, in II'DN, they had to l>e discard d in the foit\- pens foi' the second year 

 test. Truly a lesson in breeding the wrong way for eggs. The (Hscovery of 

 Wakfei-'s sti-ain is of great importance to Australia. They are moderate 

 eaters, very small compared with the coarse Langshan, and will lay a much 



