May 16, 1367. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



3S1 



house and under exactly the same conditions hatched out. 

 There was not a fault to be found with the hen under which 

 the Poland eggs were placed ; I never in my life saw a hen sit 

 better. I may remark that the eggs under the other hens were 

 not purchased eggs. I wrote and stated the result of the sitting, 

 but received no answer whatever. It is not to be wondered at 

 that persons are becoming shy of purchasing eggs for sitting 

 when the results are so frequently unsatisfactory. It is strange 

 that poultry breeders cannot see that they are ultimately in- 

 juring themselves by not being more careful with the eggs 

 they sell. — Poland. 



BREEDING POULTRY. 



READ BY COLONEL HiSSAKD BEFORE THE CANADA WEST POULTRY 

 ASSOCIATION. 



In regard to the mode of rearing chickens, much may be 

 learned from books on poultry ; but there is one subject on 

 which they are silent — viz., impregnation. I had heard and 

 seen that many fanciers and breeders, in this country especi- 

 ally, allow all breeds to run together at certain seasons. They 

 say it is convenient to do so if the cocks agree, and if eggs are 

 then taken they are useless. Granted ; but after this promis- 

 cuous running together can you be certain that no future harm 

 will arise from it? In the larger animals, such as cows, horses, 

 and others, there is no doubt that the first impression lasts for 

 some three or four births. A nobleman in England put a 

 thorough-bred mare to a zebra : the offspring was striped. The 

 next year he put the mare to a thorough-bred horse, and again 

 the stripes appeared ; and I am informed that for three or four 

 foals all were more or )e=!3 striped on the shoulders. Some 

 years since, when in the Mediterranean, I had a pointer bitch, 

 of which the greatest care was taken to keep the breed pure ; 

 she had a splendid litter of puppies, eight in number ; I reared 

 six ; they were all pointers but one, which, though of the same 

 colour, turned out a long-haired, ugly brute, almost useless. 

 This was accounted for by the fact that the first litter had 

 been by a vagrant in the street, similar in shape, but of dif- 

 ferent colour to the odd pup. I therefore recommend to all 

 poultry breeders to keep their birds pure ; above all, not to 

 let the pullets that they intend to rear stock from have any in- 

 tercourse with males not of the same breed. Perhaps some of 

 the professional and scientific men in the Society can explain 

 these things, which I do not profess to be able to do. I merely 

 state the facts, and act accordingly. I never let any pullets of 

 mine run promiscuously with other breeds ; and I think what 

 holds good in one case, will in another. 



With regard to breeding, I think that the system of coun- 

 teraction must be acted upon. I merely say I think, and do 

 not lay down the law on the subject ; but I am convinced that 

 in breeding Pouters, Carriers, Cochins, and other breeds, to 

 do well you must always act on this principle, which I will 

 explain. It is valuable information to many, and breeders 

 generally would have better stock by paying attention to the 

 rule. It is this : — Supposing (take Carriers for instance) you 

 have two first-class birds which you want to match, but on ex- 

 amining the points, you find both deficient in one point — say 

 eye ; you cannot match them, or you will perpetuate bad eyes 

 . — the very thing you want to avoid. No, you must select a 

 bird with a very good eye, to counteract the deficiency in the 

 other, although it may have some other inferior point. Again, 

 in Pouters, if you have one of great length, you could afford 

 to match it to one smaller, if good in other points. Again, in 

 Cochins, if you want good colour, all other things being per- 

 fect, a dark cock should be put with light hens, and vice 

 i-crsa — you will then get light and dark chickens, but never 

 mealy or of doubtful colour. In a show pen it is quite the re- 

 verse ; the birds must match in colour to a nicety. I havo 

 merely given these examples because they have come within 

 my own experience ; but in all other breeds the same thing 

 applies : so that it appears there is a great deal to be studied 

 and thought of, and attended to, even in breeding poultry. 

 Here I should state something about breeding in-and-in, or 

 from near relationship, which if continued will eventually 

 ruin the stock. Mr. Ballance, of Taunton, Somersetshire, has, 

 however, proved that by a judicious selection of strong birds 

 from different broods, kept in different runs, the system may 

 be successfully carried out ; but there is no doubt that, if con- 

 tinned for many years carelessly, the stock degenerates. In 

 a manufactured breed, like Sebright Bantams, it cannot be 



carried on at all, or degeneracy in markings, &c., will be ** 

 once apparent. 



The next question is. What are the best ages to breed from? 

 I have been compelled to breed from young stock generally ; 

 but I believe two-year-old cocks and young hens, or the reverse, 

 would be equally good. So much depends upon what one has, 

 that no rule can be always followed ; and if the stock is healthy 

 and not too old, and the aforesaid principle of counteraction 

 attended to, the result should be good. For all sorts, get birds 

 as nearly perfect as can be, and never breed from stock with 

 glaring defects on one side or the other. I think that these 

 rules should be followed until the breeder has a good stock on 

 hand. He may then try experiments l.y crossing ; but there 

 is one thing he never should do — that is, sell any of this expe- 

 rimental stock as the genuine article, or at any rate without 

 letting the purchaser know what he is taking. I once in 

 England sold a gentleman a Black-breasted Red Game Bantam 

 cock; he was satisfied in all respects but one; he said he 

 thought he could trace on the wing a light portion that made 

 him imagine he had Duckwing blood in him. I wrote imme- 

 diately, and told him that one bird in the brood had turned 

 out Duckwing; he asked me to take him back, which I did ; 

 but I was not obUged to do so, as there had been no deception 

 on either side. At the time I was not aware that it mattered, 

 nor did it much ; for the bird was a splendid specimen. 



A word or two about prices of birds of the same stock inay 

 not be out of place. Prices must vary according to quality, 

 although birds are of the same stock. It you sell a pair or 

 trio almost faultless, which the buyer may exhibit against yon, 

 you must get a remunerative price. You can let them have the 

 same race, blood, purity, &e., for a less sum; but then there 

 may be a difference in age, in points, or other respects, which 

 lessens the price. I once purchased, from one of the first 

 and best breeders of Cochins in England, a cock Cuchin-China ; 

 the sum paid was, I think, £1 10s., which, for a bird coming 

 from this yard, I considered very little, especially as my new 

 purchase was own brother to the bird that had won the first 

 prize at the Crystal Palace Exhibition. On his arrival, I did 

 not like the comb. I wrote and said so, and I was told that a 

 few weeks before he had a fight through the wires, and it was 

 damaged. This I could see was the case ; there was no fault 

 in the bird for stock ; but he was useless to exhibit. Had he 

 not been so, I suppose £5 would not have bought him. Some p{ 

 his descendants are now here. I merely refer to this to explain 

 the reason why prices should vary for birds of the same stock, 

 although they may be equally good to breed from. In closing 

 these remarks, I would request all interested in our Society to 

 endeavour to inculcate as far as possible into the minds of 

 dealers and others that in poultry, as in other things, honesty 

 is the beat policy, and that no confidence can be established 

 amongst us, especially when at distances apart, unless the 

 birds advertised or sent are what they are represented to be. — 

 {Canadian Farmer.) 



HYBRIDISATION. 



The question of hybridisation to which Mr. West has 

 directed our attention, "is, as I have remarked, a very interest- 

 ing, but it is also, I think, a very complex one. I do not 

 think that Mr. West can be fairly charged with expressing any 

 definite views, or adopting any particular hypothesis on the 

 subject. His whole object evidently has been to eUcit informa- 

 tion and stimulate inquiry. I should be happy if I could 

 assist in this laudable object; and with this view I now desire 

 to add a few words to what I have already said upon it in the 

 Number of the 7th of March last. Judgiug from the few replies 

 called forth by Mr. West's appeal, the subject has not been 

 apparently much studied. 



Although in the article to which I have referred I hinted 

 that the queen's mating with more than one variety of drones 

 might afford a certain solution of the results of hybridisation, 

 yet I must confess that my observations with respect to the 

 queen herself, in certain peculiar circumstnnces to which I 

 need not here more particularly allude, would rather tend to 

 disprove the theory of double raatings altogether. Again, in 

 remarking upon the rapid deterioration of the pure Ligurians 

 in most apiaries, I only expressed, I believe, the general 

 experience in the matter. I also stated that in circum- 

 stances where, from the immense number of Ligurian drones 

 in proximity, a true impregnation was probable, the results 

 nevertheless were often unsatisfactory and puzzling. In making 



