Sept. i, 1886.] 



tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



io.< 



AURIC ULTU RE ON THE CONTINENT OP 

 EUROPE, 



(Special Letter.) 



Paris. July 10th. 

 Poultry farming at best can never be conducted 

 profitably on an extensive scale. It is the natural 

 work for medium sized or small farm.s. By commou 

 fowl is meant that which is usually kept for rearing 

 and breeding and restricted to the genus Oallus — 

 whose origin dates from the jungle fowl. Such fowl 

 comprise several distinct races, but new varieties due to 

 crossings and selectious are constuntly foming into notice. 

 The fowls of La Bresse in Burgundy are famous 

 since nearlj- two centuries ; thej' are short-legged birds 

 having four toes. Their skin is fine, the flesh delicate 

 and savoury. On an average a hen annually lays 

 170 eggs, and may rear two broods of chickens. For 

 hatching many farmers prefer turkeys : they eat little, 

 become fat while sitting, are ready for the market 

 any day and cover double the number of eggs. There 

 are farmers who breed stock for fattening and colts 

 for rearing ; so there are poultry breeders who only 

 rear chickens to fatten off at two months old ; or at 

 five months if destined to be a capon or a poularde. 

 All fowl fatteners prefer to buy only those chickens 

 of a pure local breed. Crossings are estimated to 

 diminish their value one-fifth. The next object is 

 to know the rearer who does not hatch more than 

 he requires, keep.s young cocks and eschews egg- 

 farming. The fattening season extends from September 

 to March ; the birds selected must be from three 

 to five months old ; the fattening is generally effected 

 within four weeks. When chicken fattening — a special 

 branch of industry is the object, the chicks are sent 

 to market at two months old ; they weigh then about 

 2 lb. and fetch between 2 and 3 fr. each. A fat cap 

 on will sell from 10 to 15 fr., and a poularde, from 

 8 to 10 fr. The capon is emasculated with a scissors ; 

 the operation induces rapidity in fattening, and greater 

 fineness and delicacy of flesh. If the operation be 

 well performed the comb will augment in volume; 

 if otherwise it will continne to grow. A poularde is 

 a hen flayed. A fat capon weighs from 8 to 10 lb. 

 The La Fleche capons are today in as much favor as 

 they were in the fifteenth century ; they are exported 

 to London. Europe and even America, in cases like 

 champagne. The process of fattening is nearly uni- 

 form for all breeds. Like mushrooms the develop- 

 ment of flesh takes place best in the dark. About 

 L50 are put up at a time to fatten; each bird has its 

 own box sufficient to allow it to move in, but not to 

 circulate. No light is allowed to enter the house 

 where they are boxed, all chinks and crannies are 

 stopped to exclude light, cold and free circulation of 

 air. Some strew the bottom of the boxes with wood 

 ashes, others do nothing at all. 



Before being placed in their cells the fowls during 

 eight days are accustomed to a moderately dark house. 

 The diet consists of a paste composed of one-half 

 wheat, one-third barley and one-sixth oat-meal, wetted 

 with fresh milk. The mixture is made into balls 

 about the .size of un olive, and the man in charge 

 takes three birds on his lap, ties their legs together, 

 and administers their ration of paste, rubbing tbeir 

 throat if necessary to make it descend more rapidly. 

 This process continues during four or five we-^ks. A 

 fowl is known to be fat, if on being handled at the 

 upper part of the back between the wings, or just 

 under the wings, and on either side of the tail, it 

 feels plump. 



Before killing the bird is kept fasting for twelve 

 hours. It is then held carefully, the mouth open and 

 an incision made in the under side of the tongue 

 with a scissors or a pointed knife, up through the 

 palate into (lie brain. Or after removing the feathers 

 on the left side of the head an incision is made just 

 beneath the ear. The first spasms over, hang the bird 

 up to allow it to bleed freely, as it is on this as in 

 the case of veal, the whiteness of the flesh d^enda. 

 Next pluck anil wrap up in a piece of cloth kept 

 moist with thf^ milk. Tliu fowl is fi'd twice a day and 

 th cc)!) (iiiylit to be felt to see if it be empty before 

 ano'ur meal be allowed. Drink is given twice a day 



either of water colored with meal or milk. A fowl 

 when plucked and trussed loses 18 to 21 per cent of itw 

 weight, and from 28 to 41 per cent more during roasting. 



PRODUCTS AT THE COLONIAL EXHIBITION. 



Fiji. — The products of these islands occupy a com- 

 paratively small space, and though there is but little 

 of absolute novelty among them there are neverthe- 

 less, some of considerable interest. The Ooco-nut and 

 its products, as might be supposed, is fully repre- 

 sented, as well as Oandle-nuts (Aleurites moluccanus), 

 the oil of which is used for illuminating purposes ; 

 and Dilo-nuts, the kernels of Oalophyllum inophyllum, 

 from which an abundance of oil is obtained having 

 a high reputation for the cure of rheumatism. Tapa 

 cloths are also abundant, the entrances to the court 

 being hung with curtains of this material, which, as 

 our readers will know, is the beaten-out bark of the 

 Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera). Amongst 

 the many valuable woods that are found in the Fiji 

 islands the " Visa " and the Sandal-wood will attract 

 most notice, for here is shown a canoe cut out of 

 a solid " Vesi" trunk. The tree which furnishes it 

 is a leguminous one (Afzelia bijuga), and the wood 

 is heavy, close and even grained, and of an intensely 

 dark brown colour. The natives use it not only for 

 canoes but also for pillars for houses, bowls in which 

 to serve kava, war clubs, kc. The Sandal-wood 

 (Santalum yazi) was, it is said, " at one time plentiful 

 in various parts of Fiji ; but in the early stage of 

 settlement its destruction must have been most 

 indiscriminate." 



LTnder the name of Bandina Boxwood some blocks 

 are .shown of a remarkably hard wood, which appeared 

 upon examination to be suitable for engraving pur- 

 poses. It is however, of a dark brown colour, which , 

 it seems, unfits it for the better kind of work. 

 Upon submitting a sample of this wood • to an expert, 

 he reported that the wood has no special claim in 

 consequence of its dark colour. This, he says, con- 

 siderably reduces the value, as it could only compete 

 with inferior Box, which is at present supplied in 

 sufficient quantity. He explains this objection by 

 saying that " cutting upon wood is like drawing upon 

 paper ; if it is tinted, there must be a limit to the 

 density of the tint, or your drawing will be absorbed 

 by the tint upon which it is drawn. An engraver 

 would have difficulty in observing his progress while 

 doing his work." The plant producing this Bandina 

 Boxwood is at present unknown, but it is stated that 

 should it prove useful it could be had in any quantity 

 up to two feet in diameter from Fiji, and the other 

 outlying groups of islands in the Pacific* 



Some fine masses of Kava root (Piper methysticum) 

 are shown, also powdered Kava root. This, it will 

 be remembered, is the source from whence the Fijian 

 beverage called kava is made by masticating the root 

 and ejecting and fermenting the saliva. It is known 

 to have diuretic properties, and has latterly attracted 

 some notice for its medicinal value in this country. 

 Quite recently, indeed within the lagt few weeks, a 

 spirit prepared from K^va root has appeared oa 

 sale at the refrephment bars in the Exhibition. It is 

 a colourless liquid and is sold in square white glass, 

 capsuled bottles, with labels fully describing its virtues. 

 It is called Yagona, the finest Kava Schnapps, or 

 aromatic gin, and its value is set forth as follows : — 

 "The active principle of this agreeable and splendid 

 beverage is prepared from the root of the Piper 

 methysticum, a species of Pepper. The root is called 

 ifagona by the natives of Fiji, and from it they 

 make their national drink, which is diuretic rather 

 than intoxicating. Yagona has been the Royal drink 

 of the Fijian and Samoan chiefs from time immemorial, 

 and it is to its constant use that chiefs and people 

 alike owe their robust health, in spite of the depressing 

 influence of their tropical climate. This primitive and 

 unsophisticated liquor regulates the action of the 

 internal organs ; it possesses remarkable soothijig pro- 



'* Surely the colou • could be dispelled by some cheaii- 

 oal substance which would leftve the texture of the wood 

 uninjured.— Ed. 



