June 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 457 



larger percentage of eggs of eijiuiliv as large a size, will mature taster, and lay 

 sooner in the autumn. Referring to Illustration No. 1, the birds shown laid 

 over 2,400 eggs in twenty-four months, without the replacement of a hen, 

 showing wonderful stamina and vitality besides precocity. It may be intt-r- 

 esting to stit*^ that these celebrated layers do not test fii-st-class under the 

 Hogan system, but they are undoubtedly of tirst-class general conformity for 

 egg-production. They are not all exactly of one type so far as stature is 

 concerned ; the one shown in Illustration No. 2 is of medium height, while 

 others are medium low, showing the tip given to the fancier, how the .size and 

 reach could easily lie increased, 

 to the draught-horse type, which 

 is shown in Illustration No. 2^. 

 This monster weighed 10 lb., but 

 might have weighed 20 lb. from 

 the size of h^r fiame. Mr. 

 Wakfer says of his Langshans : 

 " For several years, while em- 

 ployed on the E and A. line of 

 steamships, I made it a practice 

 to bring to Sydney occasionally a 

 few Langshan fowls for use in my 

 home, and have never until quite 

 recently tried any other breed. 

 I always purchased my birds 

 from a sampan in which poultry 

 is hawked around to the ships on 

 the river at Shanghai, and the 

 Chinaman who supplied me said 

 that he bought the birds in Lang- 

 shan. The pullets at present in 

 the competition were picked out 

 from my pens in a haphazard 

 sort of way the day previous to 



being sent away, and are the descendants of hens I purchased in China four 

 years ago. Two years ago I tried, as usual, to procure a fresh stock of birds 

 at Shanghai, but could only obtain \ery poor specimens, and was informed 

 that the reason of the scarcity was that the Indian troops s-ent to China 

 during the Boxer disturbance had, on returning, bought up all the Langshans 

 procurable, to take to their homes in India. I have always found them 

 splendid layers, both in winter and summer, and they are very hardy. During 

 winter — in fact for many months — forty hens, two years old, averaged a 

 weekly profit of 20s. That they ar^ hardy is due to thn climate of Noril; 

 China, severe cold and deep snows in winter and intense heat in summer. 

 The chickens certainly feather slowly, or they have done so with me, but they 

 are very hardy. Last season I hatched out about 400 Lang.shans and their 

 crosses, and the same number of other breeds that 1 intended trying, and the 

 Langshans proved the hardiest." 



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No. 4. White Leghorn. S. Ellis. 



