478 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



of Heyope, Knighton, Radnorshire, hon. sec. 

 of the Campine Club, kindly furnishes the fol- 

 lowing additional notes. The bird portrayed 

 on this page is from his yards, that on p. 479 

 being the property of Mr. R. Edwards. 



Origin. — Monsieur L. Vander-Snickt, the 

 greatest Belgian authority on poultry, tells us 

 that " these two breeds (Braekels and Cam-, 

 pines) have been famous since the time of 

 Charles V. for producing delicious milk 

 chickens in winter, and in summer for the enor- 

 mous number of cockerels {poulcis de grains) 



Silver Campine Cockerel {Front View), 

 (Selected to illustrate marking and type.) 



which must be killed or caponiscd before they 

 are four months old." Of their origin prior 

 to that period we do riot know anything with 

 certainty, but Monsieur Vander-Snickt hnds a 

 resemblance in them to the G. turcica of Aldro- 

 vandus. How they were introduced into 

 Belgium we do not know. Undoubtedly the 

 Braekel and the Campine of Belgium origin- 

 ated from the same stock, but have now been 

 modified by (a) environment and (b) the infu- 

 sion of blood of the fowls that were there be- 

 fore. These two causes are, to my mind, 

 sufficient to account for the differences and 

 have been operative to produce them. 



History. — Undoubtedly Campines have 



been known in England since the beginning of 

 the last century, and I have Mr. Edward 

 Brown's authority for saying that " it is reason- 

 able to assume that the original pencilled Ham- 

 burghs introduced were Campines." The first 

 introduction then led to pencilled Hamburghs, 

 the second introduction took place, as a result 

 of Mr. Edward Brown's letters to the Press, 

 between 1897 and 1899; the Campine Club was 

 formed on Nov. 15, 1899, for "the purpose of 

 bringing the wonderful economic properties of 

 the Campine fowls prominently before the 

 British poultrymen and to forward the interests 

 of the breed generally." The early history was 

 a brief popularity, so brief that in 1905 the 

 breed and the club were practically dead. 



In connection with this it is interesting to 

 note that in the 'eighties Campines were intro- 

 duced into America as Belgian Braekels, and 

 that they had a place in the American 

 standard, but the lareed failed to become 

 popular, and is no longer included in that 

 standard. The revival in England coincides 

 with the introduction of male birds marked 

 like the females, and all signs point to the fact 

 that the introduction of the English type of 

 Campine cockerel will produce a revival in the 

 States. 



Description. — As originally imported the 

 males had flowing white neck hackle, a white 

 patch on the wing bow, white or slightly ticked 

 saddle hackle and a black tail, the rest of the 

 )ody being barred. The hen had white neck 

 1 tackle, the rest of the body being very imper- 

 fectly barred, the greatest fault being " mossi- 

 ness." It was clear that such a male could 

 never breed pullets anything but "mossy," and 

 so the club was faced with the problem of (a) 

 cither double mating, one pen to produce exhi- 

 ition cockerels, and another to produce exhi- 

 bition" pullets, or (b) to make the male conform 

 in body markings to the female. The club de- 

 cided upon the latter course, and this decision 

 led to the practical breaking up of the club. 

 However, the production of the desired male 

 and the breeding of exquisite females has put 

 the club on its legs again. 



The policy of the club for the last six years 

 has been so to draw up its standard as to pre- 

 vent crossing and thus keep the breed pure ; it 

 has also been the policy to discourage increase 

 of size or the abnormal production of any point 

 which would interfere with the wonderful 

 economic qualities of the breed. In this we 

 have succeeded, for our Campines are as hardy 

 as ever, they lay as many, if not more, eggs in 

 the year, and the size of the egg has been more 

 than fully maintained. 



