A^gast 4, 1863. ] J0TJENAL OF HOETICITLTTJKE AKD COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



95 



dichotomui.. ^A. Z.).-the smaller of the two plants sent is the Pennyroyal. 

 Mentha pulegium. The larger plant is the common Culamint, Calammlha 

 officinalis or Babington. (C.H.).-I. AthyrmmV.hx-temina- 2 Poly- 

 podium vulgare ; 3, Osraunda regalis ; 4, one of the double loim» of the 

 common Feverfew, Pyrcthrum Parthenium plenum^ ^^^ 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



CHICKE^'S LAYIXG-LAMENESS. 



We do not know that we can answer many of oiu- eoiTe- 

 spondents better than by entering at some length into the 

 subjects to which their letters refer. Thus "K. O. T." says, 

 "Will you inform me what is the age at which puBets 

 generally lay ? I have now kept chickens and Ducks for 

 nearly twelve years, and I have never remarked a pullet lay 

 at so early an age as this year-. I had a brood the tii-st week 

 in February fi-om a pullet hatched some time in March last 

 year. She brought out nine chickens out of eleven eggs, 

 five of which I sold when not ten weeks old for 12s., and 

 kept two, one of which has laid an egg to-day, July 25th. 

 The mother has sat a second time, and brought out eleven 

 chickens from thirteen eggs, and has begun to lay again, 

 having been taken from her second brood about a week ago. 

 This, remember, was a last-year's chicken of the Pheasant- 

 Dorking breed.— K. O. T." 



It is almost impossible to state any particular tune. It 

 is a question of breed, weather, and management. Food also 

 has to do with it. 



It is not the part of any particular breed to lay in winter, 

 nor is it their nature. Pullets an-ive at maturity when they 

 attain a certain age, whether that be in May or December ; 

 and when they arrive at maturity they lay. No rule can be 

 laid down ; we saw an egg laid by a Spanish pullet at Wor- 

 cester, the youngest-looking bu-d we ever saw. We have 

 always found Cochins and Brahmas the earliest layers; 

 chickens of these breeds that have been well done, that have 

 had no check, and that are in good health, should lay at 

 from eighteen to twenty weeks old, provided the expiration 

 of this term falls in April, May, or any month before October. 

 If birds ai'e wanted to lay in the mnter, those that attain 

 the proper age at the time when the eggs wiU be wanted 

 should be chosen. 



We believe the supply may be made a certainty simply 

 by arranging chickens in such wise that each month shall 

 have its layers. Thus, for November supply, the Brahmas 

 or Cochins should be hatched in May ; Dorkings in March, 

 or Spanish in February. It is, however, a mistake to sup- 

 pose that the fact of keeping a number of May chickens will 

 instire eggs throughout the winter. They wiU begin in 

 November, but it is more than probable, especially if the 

 weather is severe, that they will not continue to lay more 

 than six weeks, or, it may be, a month. Assuming, then, 

 th^t they cease laying in the beginning of Deeeniber, a 

 relay of pullets one month younger than those giving up 

 should be ready. Attention to this wiU make a supply of 

 eggs a certainty throughout the winter months. Extreme 

 severity of weather must be encountered, and overcome by 

 generous feeding, and all help must be in this way. The 

 only care required in their roosting-houses, even in unusual 

 cold, is security from draughts. 



It must be borne in mind hens do not lay ia the winter. 

 After laying the first eggs and having been broody, the 

 pullet is a hen, and fi-om that time she lays in the regular 

 season, which begins about March. It will thus be seen, 

 first, that all eggs laid in the winter must be the jjroduce of 

 pullets ; next, that to have a succession, the ages of the 

 birds must be arranged accordingly. We do not mean to 

 say hens cannot be made to lay in the winter. A few eggs 

 may be produced by meat-feeding and by stimulating diet ; 

 but the penalty is paid, and the eggs are dearly purchased 

 by the destruction of the hen. Disease begins from the 

 moment forced laying is produced, and the price must be 

 paid because the process can only be used successfully with 

 a young hen. The food is thrown away on an old one. 



Our observations are principally prompted by the oft- 

 repeated remark that, had people known in time, they 

 would have had eggs all the winter. Few of the May 

 chickens are kUled, and therefore, in the language of Friar 

 Bacon's head, "Time is;" and if our readers wish for eggs 

 at the breakfast table in the winter, we believe they can 



have them by following our instructions. They are based 

 on the experience of many years, and have never failed. 



" Constant PiEADEb" says he has chickens two and three 

 months old lame in the legs. He wishes to know the remedy, 

 if there is one. 



No fowls are naturally lame when chickens— they may be 

 lame in the legs from weakness. This wiU be remedied by 

 good diet. They may be lame from very rough stones on 

 the floor of theii- houses. This can be remedied by raking 

 them off. The most seiious remains behind : they may be 

 lame from chUl or damp from floors of wood, brick, or stone. 

 The cure is removal and the substitution of gi-avel or eai-th, 

 the former preferable. Where objectionable flooring is used, 

 its efTect generally shows itself in enlarged knees; and the 

 pain or discomfort arising from them causes the bu-d to sit 

 down and rest on the leg fi-om the knee to the foot, all that 

 part being on the ground— not with the body poised as it is 

 when at roost, but resting a dead weight upon it, and nsmg 

 with evident difficulty. 



MEETHYR TYDFYL SHOW. 



The seventh annual Meeting of the Merthyr Tydfyl 

 Poultry Exhibition took place on the 30th ultimo, bemg 

 held in the Market Hall, in conjunction with a show of fi-uits 

 and flowers. E. T. Crawshay, Esq., of Cyfarthfa Castle, 

 also offered a laro-e number of prizes for the best-gi-own 

 veo-etables by cottagers, each district in this -tvidely spread 

 nefo-hbourhood having its special prizes, and, consequently, 

 producino- an amount of close competition that few of oui- 

 readers could possibly credit who did not witness it. It 

 is, though somewhat a digression from the poultry depart- 

 ment, a pleasing feature to record, that the vegetables thus 

 entered for competition, and gi-o^v-n under many local dis- 

 advantages exclusively by working men, were quite equal 

 to those exhibited in the classes ex-pressly appointed for 

 amateurs, and such as would tend much to the credit ot any 

 similar meeting even in the most favom-able districts. 



The Market Hall at Merthyr affords every necessai-y ad- 

 vautao-e for the successful holding of a poultry show, bemg 

 alike "spacious, airy, and well lighted. On the present 

 occasion it presented the gayest appearance possible— flags, 

 pennants, and banners meeting the eye m profiision on 

 every side, and many waggon-loads of evergreens were used 

 as decorations. The sei-vices of a brass band made the 

 an-angements complete, and, as the weather was every way 

 favoiu-able, success ensued. , , „ j. i. ^.i. 



Although entries were admissible from any part of the 

 kincrdom, most of them came fi-om breeders not tar removed 

 from Merthyr ; this fact caused the entries to be somewhat 

 Hmited, still, as a whole, the Show could not be pronounced 

 othenvise than a good one. Dorkings came first. I his neigh- 

 bom-hood seems rather scanty of Dorkmg-breeders, only 

 three pens being entered. They were, however, good This 

 tune of year being just about moulting season, the Spanish 

 showed to disadvantage, consequently need no particular 

 mention. In the Game fowls several very good pens -were 

 present. It should be remembered, howe-per, by exhibitors 

 that adult Game fowls should always be shown dubbed, 

 or then- chances of success are seriously dimmished. io 

 Game whilst chickens this rule does not apply. Of Cochins. 

 the Partridge-colom-ed ones were decidedly supenor to any 

 of the others, besides being shown in exceOent feather In 

 the Hamburghs the Merthyi- amatem-s seem to have paid but 

 little regard to combs, imperfections in this respect bemg 

 always a fatal objection, though ui these classes abounding. 

 The Black Hamburghs on the contrary were ti-uly good 

 The classes for Malays, Folands, and Sebright £a«ta«s were 

 without a suigle entry. Some very good Bed Me Game 

 Bantams were shown; also capital Silkies both Wlute and 

 Brown ones. The entries in the Single Code classes were 



""^Th^^L' and Ihicls were very creditable ; and fii the 

 Variety class a splendid SheU Drake, "same as a Kobm, 

 drew many admirers to its pen. , . , , „„,.i.:_„ „„„ 

 The poultry prizes offered exclusively to working men 

 were closely cUested ; a truly useful " cross J^etween the 

 Malay and Cochin was here ^eU shown possessing extia- 

 ordinary advantages as a table bird, combmed with a consti- 

 tution remarkably hardy during chickenhood. 



