THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



when once past chickenhood they will be 

 found hardy : the Pencilled breeds being most 

 delicate, and specially subject to roup if 

 cooped up in small runs and houses, 

 General fo"" which they are not adapted. 



Management. Black and Silver-spangled Ham- 

 burghs have, however, been kept 

 with success in moderate-sized and even small 

 runs, provided they are kept scrupulously clean, 

 and roost in the open kind of houses described on 

 page 1 8 of this work. When so kept, of 

 course, their laying qualities must be main- 

 tained by animal food, in lieu of the insects 

 they would procure in the fields. 



The eggs of full-feathered Hamburghs are 

 very fertile as a rule, and the chickens active 

 and easy to rear, if reasonably cared for. Owing 

 to their small size, they should at first have 

 small seeds like millet and canary in good 

 proportion, which also help them to feather 

 well ; and their crops being small, unless at 

 large they should be fed little and often. 

 Nearly all Hamburgh breeders, especially of 

 Pencils, would like their birds bigger if they 

 could get them so without loss of quality ; 

 and we know from results with other small 

 fowls, that much more might be done towards 

 this than is generally supposed, by the use 

 of ground oats and finely-cut bone, diminishing 

 the latter as the combs grow. They must be 

 kept clean, and dry underfoot ; and if with 

 hens, require great watchfulness against insect 

 vermin ; not that they are specially liable to 

 this, but that they suffer from it in proportion 

 to their smaller size. They come to maturity 

 pretty early, and will often lay at five months 

 old. Pencils usually being the earliest, and 

 Golden Spangles the last. If space is in the 

 least limited, weeding out of obvious wasters, 

 and of surplus birds of the wrong sex, should 

 be done at the earliest possible time, to make 

 room, the purest possible air and ground 

 being all-important. 



Hamburghs are seldom used for crossing 

 purposes ; but it is worth mentioning that the 

 cross between a Silver-spangled cock and Light 

 Brahma hens often produces chickens of great 

 beauty, fairly well spangled. In these days, 

 when lacing has been extended from Sebright 

 and Polish to the larger-sized Wyandottes, and 

 these spangled breeds themselves have been 

 already Bantamised, it might be found worth 

 while to extend such beautiful marking to a 

 larger race. 



Till the exhibition era, knowledge of the 

 Spangled and Black Hamburghs was practi- 

 cally confined to Lancashire and Yorkshire, 

 but the Pencilled were known as Everlasting 



Layers, in London and elsewhere, from quite an 

 early date. When the Spangles first became 

 more widely known they excited great admira- 

 tion ; but owing to the system of breeding not 

 being understood — double-mating was generally 

 unknown then, being in fact almost confined to 

 this breed — the produce of purchased stock was 

 so disheartening, and it was so impossible to win 

 against the northern breeders, that many gave 

 them up again in despair. A similar system 

 has since been extended to the Pencilled 

 breeds ; and while the perfection to which it 

 has been brought has resulted in a beauty and 

 accuracy of marking not previously attained, 

 and unequalled in any other breed of poultry, 

 there is probably no other example so impressive 

 of the depressing effect of a rigid double-mating 

 system upon the general prevalence and popu- 

 larity of a fowl, whose singular beauty and 

 productiveness would otherwise have certainly 

 marked it out for very wide cultivation. 



The breeding of Hamburghs for exhibition 

 altered even within Mr. Wright's recollection. 

 That recollection extended perfectly (with the 

 aid of notes respecting fresh developments) for 

 thirty years, and in less degree for forty years. 

 Even the full account written by the late Mr. 

 Henry Beldon for the first edition of The Illus- 

 trated Book of Poultry, required considerable 

 revision by himself for subsequent editions ; 

 and further changes in breeding have since 

 taken place. He had left us a few memoranda 

 regarding some of these ; but his death some 

 years ago — keenly regretted by all true lovers 

 of the Hamburgh — had made it impossible that 

 the following articles should proceed directly 

 from his pen. In these circumstances the late 

 Mr. Henry Pickles, of Earby, Colne, came to 

 Mr. Wright's assistance, but expressly desiring 

 not to interfere more than necessary with the 

 views of his late friend, and one so highly 

 respected among all Hamburgh breeders. He 

 therefore made detailed notes and additions 

 where necessary, answered many queries arising 

 out of these, and supplied feathers to illustrate 

 modern changes. Mr. William Roberts, of 

 Ingol, Preston, also kindly gave some occa- 

 sional aid in both these ways. While express 

 quotation is impossible, the greater part being 

 necessarily collated and put into shape by 

 Mr. Wright, it will therefore be understood 

 that the articles on breeding the Spangled 

 and Pencilled varieties of Hamburghs are in 

 substance due to the late Mr. Beldon ; where 

 necessary, corrected or added to by Mr. H. 

 Pickles, with occasional aid also from Mr. 

 W. Roberts, and the whole finally revised by 

 both these eminent breeders, 



