February 21, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



153 



land by tlie " ton," and are sold by the stone at a price that 

 averages no more than that of mutton. They are sent over 

 skinned, denuded of ears and feet ; these are turned to account 

 aa fur and as manure, the latter used for growing the food on 

 which they are fed. This has become a large trade. All the 

 country from Calais to Abbeville is scoured for poultry — fowls. 

 Pigeons, and Turkeys. This has existed for years, and a man 

 who some time since commenced dealing on a small scale, died 

 a short time ago a wealthy man, and at the period of his death 

 was turoiug £200,000 per year. It may be the large farmer of 

 England will not take to poultry again, but it is very sure that 

 there are many who can, and will if their attention be drawn to 

 it. Cherbourg is giving its name to Geese that come over by 

 many thousands, and wherever the trade has penetrated the 

 supply of the English market is the aim and end of poultry- 

 keeping. The inhabitants of those parts can only speak of 

 the cheap days of poultry as a thing of the past. It should 

 be remembered that the poultry imported is not of the highest 

 quality, and not that which supplies the tables of our aristo- 

 cracy and the wealthy. It is consumed by the midiUe and 

 even the working classes. The importance of poultry is be- 

 coming appreciated by Ireland, and it is not an uuusn.d thing 

 for several tons of it to arrive in one day at market. 



Hitherto all attempts have been wrongly taken ; breeding on 

 a very large scale is a mistake, if by the term we mean keep- 

 ing thousands of hens on a few acres ; enough cannot be hiid to 

 make it a profit, but many of the thousands paid to foreigners 

 for eggs. Pigeons, Fowls, Geese, and Turkeys might be kept 

 at home, and help to meet rent-day or to eke out a scanty in- 

 come. The supply that comes from abroad is not the produce 

 of a few large establishments, but it is the collected stock of 

 many homesteads. The same is done in our poultry counties, 

 Surrey, Sussex, and Kent. The higgler goes round and collects. 

 In the neighbourhood of commons many Geese are bred, but 

 thousands more may be bred, and there is a sale for them as 

 soon as they are fit to move. Poultry, like everything else, 

 has increased iu price, and those who have had good Turkeys 

 for sale have sold them well. Hundreds who have neither the 

 time nor the convenience for breeding chickens and fattening 

 them can keep egg-producing fowls that never sit. The Royal 

 Agricultural Society has made three classes for the new French 

 breeds that belong to layers only. We are sure it has conferred 

 a boon on the country, on agriculturists, and all who keep or 

 consume poultry, aud we hope it will find so many entries to 

 compete for its prizes, that it will meet the success and reward 

 it deserves. 



BREEDING GAME FO^^'LS. 



(Continued from paric 7(5.) 



Some breeders assert that in crossing, colour and form, or 

 shape, are derived chiefly from the cock, and that size, vigour, 

 and constitution come from the hen. I would not, however, 

 give much for any brood cock that did not impart all qualities 

 to his progeny in excess of the hens. The best breeders for 

 the cock-pit always considered the cock as the " fountain 

 head " cf all the qualities. The best breeders think bo still, 

 I believe. 



Game fowls being very hardy will thrive in the smallest runs 

 and spaces. I have seen them in smaU yards 10 or 12 feet 

 square, aud in rooms and cellars only 8 or 10 feet square, and 

 yet healthy. These were the Brown Reds, Dark Greys, and 

 white-legged, v/heaten-coloured. Black-breasted Beds. A good 

 country grass run would, of course, have suited them much 

 better. Manufacturing workmen and artisans in the large 

 towns often keep them in these small spaces. This shows 

 them to be of stronger constitution than any other poultry, 

 and less subject to diseases than any. 



As to crossing and mixing the diilerent colours, I think that 

 Piles and Red Duns cross best of all the different colours, both 

 being of a light red colour. Beds will always spoil the colour 

 of Greys, giving them a tinge of red and brown, but Greys do 

 not spoil the Beds. The best colomed Duckwings are bred 

 from the Dark Grey cross, though this spoils Dark Greys. It 

 is well known to all good breeders, that crossing colours is very 

 injudicious as a rule, all the best breeders Uking each sort to 

 be exactly alike both in shape and feather and in blood, and 

 disliking all mongrel mixed colours and crosses. 



Slates I have noticed make a very bad roofing for poultry- 

 houses, for they admit both heat and cold too much, heating 

 very quickly in the sun. Wooden sides to poultry-houses are ' 



also bad, admitting cold too much. The best poultry-houses 

 are built of brick with the roof always of good thick tiles. 



No other poultry should be allowed to roost with Game 

 fowls ; aud 7 feet is not too high for perches for them, though 

 any higher would be bad. — Newmakket. 



CROSS-BRED FOWLS— MANGOLD WURTZEL 

 FOR POULTRY. 



I HAVE been much surprised to find the cross between a 

 sitting and a non-sitting breed objected to. Now, I have kept 

 fowls for years, and have tried different breeds, and from ex- 

 perience I can safely say that such a cross is the very best for 

 those who want plenty of eggs, and not much sitting. The 

 cross I prefer (if I can manage it), is one between Spanish and 

 Coohin-China ; the pullets, crossed again with Golden-spangled 

 Hamburgh, produce the very best layers possible. 



I have eight pullets from these crosses. During the severe 

 weather I had plenty of eggs, although not quite so many as 

 were laid before the frost set in. I have not a good run for 

 the fowls ; they are confined to a yard into which not a gleam of 

 sunshine enteis from the middle of October to the middle of 

 February. The eggs are large and veiy rich ; the hens large, 

 hardy, and tame. 



Have any of your correspondents ever tried globe mangolds 

 for their fowls during the winter months ? I have them boiled 

 soft and chopped with their meal. In the summer the hens have 

 chicken rice boiled and mixed with meal and bran. I always 

 use bran, and althougli many disapprove of it, I believe it helps 

 to keep my hens in the excellent health they enjoy. As m_y 

 hens are entirely dependant on me for their food, I could not 

 afford to give them meal alone. They have during the day two 

 feeds of oats scattered amongst the grass with which I supply 

 them. — J. L. 



NORTHERN POULTRY CLUB SHOW. 



(From a Correspondent.) 



The first animal Exhibition of Poultry, PigeonE, and Canaries, 

 under tlie auspices of tbe Nortliern Poultry Club, was held on the 

 7th and Sth iu.st. in the Mechauios' Hall, Aberdeen, and must have 

 been most gratifying to the Association. Its first Show cannot be pro- 

 nonnced other than a remarkably successful one, both as to the 

 number of the birds exhibited and "their quality, there being 244 pens 

 of poultry, 57 of Pigeons, and b<'2 of Canaries, in all 3^3 entries, and 

 in quaUty far surpassing any previously shown at Aberdeen. 



The Spanish classes, which came first, were very superior, there 

 being scarcely a pen that could be called at all interior. Mr. Gray's 

 birds were especially tine, as also the second-prize cock belonging to 

 Mr. Macaulav. Of Dorlcimis there was a very excellent show, es- 

 pecially the hens, which were almost without an exception remarkably 

 good. The cock belonging to Mr. .Anderson, of Rnthvcu House, 

 Meigle, a splendid bird, obtained the cup for the best cock in the Show. 

 Corhiiis were a good class, but I think the judgment in this and the 

 next class— ft-n/HHas, was faultv, the first prizes for cocks being 

 awarded to large, coarse, and rough-feathered birds m preference to 

 birds much more handsome, better-shaped, and more even in colour. 

 The second-prize Cochin cock was really a very fine bird, and should 

 have been first. In the class for Brahma cocks (nineteen entries), there 

 was a better show than I have seen for a long time ; but I thmk the 

 Judges committed a gieat mistake in passing over Mr. Jopp's splendid 

 bird, and giving the first prize to a heavy, coarse-looking bird, veiy fiat 

 in the breast. In pairs of hens Mr. Jopp was first with magnificent 

 birds, both as to colour and size, and wellfeathtred. The C'amc birds 

 were a large and very excellent class. Among cocks, John H. Wilson, 

 Esq., St. Bees, took the first prize with a splendid Black Red, as fine a 

 specunon of this kind as there has ever been shown in Aberdeen. Mr. 

 Anderson was first for pairs of hens with a magnificent pen. and se- 

 cond with one little inferior. Pencilled Jlnmhnrijlis were an admirable 

 class ; but m Spangled Hambnrghs the cocks, with tlie exception of the 

 first-prize one, were rather inferior, this being in fact the only inferior 

 class in the F.xhibition. The hens in the same class were highly meri- 

 torious, the first-prize pen being as fine a one as I have ever seen 

 shown. Amongst Hondnns, &c., B. C. Urquhart, Esq., of Meldmm, 

 was first and second with really magnificent pens. Some other very 

 good birds had no chance of a prize from want of condition. Hantams 

 were a verv good class, Mr. Anderson carrying off the principal prizeg 

 with exceedingly fine birds. The Aylesbury Ducks were a splendid 

 show (twelve entries), not a bad one being amongst them. 



There was an excellent show of Piijeuns, and if I mention the 

 names of Mr. R. Fulton, of London, E. E. M. Royds, Esq.. and 

 Joshua Fielding, jun., Esq., Rochdale, and Mr. Grant, of Edin- 

 burgh, as being prize-winners, the quaUty of the bhds exhibited may 

 be judged. . _ 



Canaries were an excellent show, all from local exhibitors, a BnS 



