286 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



t October 10, 1867. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week eniUng October 8th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



FRENCH BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

 So many are writing of the above, and speaking of breeds 

 that have been kno.viL for the last thirty years as novelties, 

 that we wish to have our say on the subject, and to put those 

 right who trust implicitly to our columus for their guide in 

 poultry matters. 



We will class them in three divisions — those who breed for 

 profit, thoFe who breed for exhibition, and those who breed for 

 the love of the pursuit. We do not support manias, but we are 

 anxious to give all encouragement and development to anything 

 that may seem useful or profitable, and to communicate to our 

 readers the results of our own experience. Constant straining 

 after novelty is not the method to insure success, nor is it 

 the road to profit, and we will not, therefore, touch on the 

 Bredas and other novelties now. We will from time to time 

 pass all in review, British and foreign, with a sole view to 

 give to those who lack time or opportunity the benefit of our 

 experience. 



Profit properly understood means eggs or table poultry sold 

 in the market. In all speculations of the kind the cost of pro- 

 ducing should be taken into account ; and here we must say a 

 word about non-sitters. We are not sure they lay eggs enough 

 to pay for those that take their places while hatching and 

 rearing are the order of the day. These processes with our 

 ordinary breeds are the recesses, the times when Nature rests. 

 After three weeks of incubation and seven or eight of nursing, 

 the exhaustion of the laying season is repaired, and the hen re- 

 commences the production of eggs, which is continued till all 

 the energies of the bird are wanted for moulting ; but where 

 non-sitters are kept, broody hens must be bought, and kept to 

 hatch eggs and to rear chickens. It is a question, then, whether 

 the non-bitters are as profitable as egg-producers as they are sup- 

 posed to be, and whether the surplus eggs they lay compensate 

 for the expense *boy cause by rendering it necessary to provide 

 substitutes for ihe performance of maternal duties. 



We do not wish to underrate or undervalue the non-sitters. 

 They are very desirable for those who have neither the desire 

 nor the opportunity to rear chickens. Nothing is more vexa- 

 tious to the amateur who has but scanty accommodation, and 

 can keep but six or eight hens, than to find them, when be visits 

 the house in the morning, huddled in cornel's, forming a ball of 

 their feathers, from the centre of which their head projects, 

 clinging firmly to one egg, or to some large stones, and growl- 

 ing terribly when they are forcibly removed. This is avoided 

 by having non-sitters. But as a class these amateurs are not 

 those who keep poultry for a profit. We know a considerable 

 profit may be made from eggs laid by those breeds that unite 

 in themselves all the properties of fowls, but we have our 

 doubts whether it may be by the non-sitters, as their surplus 

 eggs are not produced in the winter «hen they are most valu- 

 able, but at the same time when all others are laying. 



The other source of pndit is feeding poultry for the table. 

 It seems that few care to undertake this, but it will always be 

 an important branch, and it increases daily. The non-sitting 

 breeds are open to the same objection here as tbey are where 

 eggs are desiderata. They entail an additional expense. But 

 there is another and graver objection, and that is they all have 

 blackleg-'. It is said that the colour of the legs has nothing 

 to do with the flavour of the flesh. Nay, seme have even said 

 the flesh ( f a black-legged fowl is whiter than any other, for- 

 getting th" tiifect of ci ntrast. But there is one thing all will 

 admit. If they want to buy fowls they will not have black- 



legged ones if they can avoid it, nor will black-legged ones sell 

 in the market while white ones are to be had. Our experience 

 tells us that black legs lessen the value of table poultry, in 

 many instances 8s., and in all instances 4.s. per dozen. This 

 is starting at a great disadvantage. The French breeds fatten 

 so well, that we should class them as table poultry artificially 

 fattened. Next to Dorkings, LaFleche, Creve Cccur, and Houdan 

 are all good table birds ; but where profit is concerned it is 

 necessary to weigh all considerations, and above all to speak 

 the truth — neither La FlCche nor Creve Cceur is hardy. The 

 cocks die by scores, and are subject to complaints we have 

 hitherto known nothing of. Our experience of these breeds is 

 that the Houdan is the best and hardiest of all the recent im- 

 portations. It 13 an excellent layer, very good for the table, 

 and only speckled not black-legged. 



{To be continued.) 



BRAHMAS VERSUS CROSS-BRED BRAHMAS 

 AND DORKINGS. 



Seeing in your Journal, page 205, an account of produce 

 from poultry cross-bred by " Powis," giving to thirty-two hens a 

 produce of i2',lo eggs, allow me to state what I obtained during 

 the same months from pure bred Brahmas. 



I began with twenty-two hens, and lost three before April 

 (two died, one was sold), and the eggs numbered 1215 — namely. 



Eggs. 



May 160 



June 112 



Eggs. 



January 108 



Kfbruarv 217 



March 295 



April 823 



Total 1215 



During the last two of the abo-fe months I had eighty-four 

 chickens hatched, and have reared eighty-two, showing the 

 chickens to be quite as hardy as those less pure. — A. F. New- 

 man, WorshoroiKjh ParsonagCy Barmleij. 



BRISTOL AND CLIFTON POULTRY SHOW. 



There used to be an old saying that " the Bristolians always 

 slept with one eye open." The Committee of the Bristol and 

 Clifton Show appear to go a step beyond the old fashion — they 

 sleep with both eyes open ; at any rate, if this is not their con- 

 dition they are at least " wide awake," appearing deter- 

 mined to make their Show a very important rival to Bir- 

 mingham and Manchester. Encouraged by the magnificent 

 collection of domestic poultry entrusted to their care in January, 

 they have revised their prize schedule, and seem determined 

 to be quite at the head of all the southern shows. They have 

 many facilities for this in railway and steam-boat accommoda- 

 tion. 



The approaching Show is, except in Bantams, devoted to 

 chicken classes. To head the list there are eleven silver cups — 

 one for the best pen in the Show, given by the President, S. 

 Lang, Esq., jnn., value twelve guineas. Dorkings, Spanish, 

 Cochins, Brahmas, Game, Hamburghs, Bantams have each a 

 cup for the best pen, value seven guineas. The best cockerel 

 in the Exhibition has another silver cup of the same value, and 

 the other two cups are offered for Pigeens. These cups are 

 offered in addition to the money prizes, so that the best pen in 

 the Show will have two silver cups, one of twelve guineas, the 

 other of seven guineas, besides the £3 as first prize. 



The prizes otiered are for the most part three — £3, £2, f 1. 

 Dorkings have four classes, Cochins five. Game five, Spanis.i 

 three, Brahmas four, Hamburghs six, including a special class 



