Uaich 13, 1868. 1 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



211 



wanting far-seeing people who say, tiiat when the gold of 

 Australia is exhausted, wool and corn will form more certain 

 foundations of prosperity; and so we do not hesitate to tell all, 

 that if every show in England were closed, and the " Standard 

 of Excellence " were become obsolete, there would be a sound 

 and profitable pursuit in keeping poultry. When a large 

 nugget is found in Australia there is a rush of all the unem- 

 ployed to the spot. It is the same when a new breed of fowls 

 comes np. It becomes at once the attraction of all the poultry 

 Micawbers who are waiting for something to turn up. The 

 breed is at once invested with almost miraculous virtues, and 

 may rank among the fortunate it it escape improvement at 

 the hands of some of those who view it as a means of making 

 money. There is always a large class of society that cannot 

 bear the beaten track, nor submit to jog on among those who 

 toil patiently, adding little to little, till they have mastered a 

 position. They must be quick, enterprising, and shrewd. 

 They must see advantages hidden from ordinary men, and 

 must, of course, reap a benefit corresponding with their own 

 estimate of their deserts. It was this spirit that caused 

 Cochins to make fifty guineas each, sometimes more, and, it 

 may be added, this spirit brought about the collapse that 

 followed the mania. 



There can be no doubt of the great interest now taken in 

 poultry, we believe we may say more than was ever before 

 shown. It had the honour to be placed among the " limited " 

 of 1860 ; but fortune frowned upon it in such companj'. Too 

 much was expected of it, and therefore it produced only dis- 

 appointment. The present generation is evidently wiser. 

 It is not led away by visionary schemes, nor does it be- 

 lieve all that is published in England as being well known 

 abroad. The present movement bids fair to be lasting, and to 

 produce good results. Those who have been in the habit of 

 reading our columns will know we have foreseen this, and 

 have predicted such a time as the present — the revival of the 

 poultry question in its capacity for producing food. There 

 will be no disappointment in this, for none is possible. It is 

 only where undue expectations are raised that such a result 

 happens. 



It has been often urged, and by good authorities, that 

 poultry will never become a staple article of food. We do not 

 believe it will ever be sold at per lb. like beef or mutton in the 

 markets ; but we also know there is demand for a much larger 

 quantity than the United Kingdom produces. If we should 

 ever have that which is much wanted — a statistical account of 

 the importations into Leadenhall and Newgate markets, many 

 who flippantly talk about the whole question being in a nut- 

 shell, and pooh-pooh what they are pleased to call a few 

 Turkeys and Eabbits, will be astonished at the number, weight, 

 and value of the imports. That which was a small trade a 

 few years since — viz., the importation of Ostend Eabbits, now 

 counts in many thousands of pounds monthly ; while they 

 are delivered by the ton, and sold to the dealers at per stone 

 like beef or mutton. It may be said these do not belong to 

 poultry ; granted. Eggs do ; what will be said of the impor- 

 tation of between 4 and 500,000,000 annually? The whole 

 north of France, all Belgium and Holland, parts of Switzer- 

 land and Italy, are put under contribution to supply the English 

 poultry market. Those who travel in these parts will hear 

 constant complaints at the change that has taken place. The 

 good Goose or Turkey to be had formerly for 10 or 50 sous, now 

 makes twice as much ; while the omelette that used to be 

 made with twenty eggs, now costs more, though it is only com- 

 posed of twelve. All these come to England. Experienced 

 Englishmen have been sent to France to superintend the kill- 

 ing, picking, and packing of Turkeys after the EngU&h method, 

 while the Geese are bought lean and sent to England to fatten. 

 This is no mania, nor is it a speculation. It is an established 

 trade, and has lasted for years. This proves it is profitable. This 

 again is an assurance there is demand for all that is sent over. 

 Hence two conclusions : first, that we do not produce enough ; 

 next, that there is no doubt of a sufficient demand and a sure 

 market. We have nothing to do here with the high-flown 

 descriptions of many who have really no real knowledge of the 

 subject, and who will almost undertake to prove the possession 

 of a cock and six hens a moderate livelihood. We cannot 

 agree with those who would have people believe that any 

 number of fowls can be kept on the smallest possible space ; 

 but we want to afliim that those who wish to keep poultry, and 

 have moderate conveniences for it, may do so profitably. 



We have sometimes treated the subject dividing table from 

 exhibition poultry. We will now put them together. There 



is no such thing as a yard whore all the fowls are fit for exhi- 

 bition. One strain may bo better than another, but none can win 

 without help, and without the opportunity of much selection. 

 If it were necessary at poultry shows to give a pedigree, as it 

 is at some agricultural shows, there would be much sur- 

 prise when it was seen how the largo yards were indebted to 

 smaller ones, and how much assistance was required to form a 

 prize pen. 



Our own experience teaches us, that to exhibit successfully 

 birds of one's own breeding, it is necessary to produce a large 

 number and to pick from them. AVe are giving an account of 

 that which has happened when we say, that in a large yard 

 filled with the produce of the best birds money would buy, and 

 containing only the pickings of the broods, it was almost im- 

 possible to choose a cock and two hens likely to bo successful 

 at Birmingham. A neighbour who kept only a few birds, cared 

 for no particular strain, and left them pretty much to take 

 their chance, supplied not only the wanting bird, but of a 

 quality that made success a certainty. This is no isolated case. 

 The competition of a poultry show has supplied to many a 

 pleasing pursuit and a legitimate excitement, and needs only 

 to be put on an inexpensive footing to be still more adopted. 

 The belief that it is necessary to spend a great deal of money to 

 get a prize is a mistake, and the idea that after a great number 

 of good birds has been reared there is no sale for them, is 

 another. As to the first it is essential to have a good walk or 

 pen to begin with, to buy eggs from some one you can depend 

 upon, to hatch your chickens early, and to feed them well from 

 the first. As to the second, recent sales. Lady Holmesdale's for 

 instance, and those at Stevens's all through the season, have 

 proved there is a profitable sale for good birds. We are com- 

 mon-sense poultry-teachers, without the semblance of romance 

 or excitement about us. We want to publish the plain things 

 of the pursuit. We say, then, the days are passed when it may 

 be expected to make hundreds of pounds of a yard of poultry 

 (Lady Holmesdale's was an exception), but good birds will 

 make good prices. We leave shows aside as regular sales, they 

 are few and far between, very profitable when they come. 

 When three or four pens bring £00 or £60, it is a mighty help 

 to the balance sheet. It always gives prestige to a yard. It 

 begins the sale of eggs for sitting. Our columns will testify to 

 the reality and extent of that trade, we may add its profit also. 

 If success can be held on through two years the yard obtains a 

 name, and a dozen or eighteen birds sent in the exhibitor's 

 name and with the guarantee they belong to him, will always 

 meet a sale. We believe we are correct when we say, that at 

 Stevens's rooms both Spanish and Brahmas have made £9 

 each within these six weeks. We dwell on auctions because 

 they afford an easy and positive answer to that old and frequent 

 question. What am I to do with my surplus stock? and al- 

 though they do not always command large prices, they always 

 sell without sacrifice. 



The poultry pursuit was carried on for many years without 

 any other hope or resource than the sale of eggs and fowls for 

 food purposes, and even then it paid well. With prize money, 

 exhibition sales, auctions, and eggs sold for sitting added, it ought 

 to be under any circumstances profitable now. A bet was made 

 many years ago by a Berkshire farmer to match the produce of 

 two hens against two ewes of a celebrated flock belonging to a 

 neighbour. The hens won. Two picture-dealers lived in the same 

 street'; both were good judges of the wares in which they dealt ; 

 both took their periodical coutinental trips, and when they re- 

 turned were followed by buyers anxious to see their purchases. 

 One sold whenever a profit was ofiered ; the other, shutting him- 

 self up in his judgment, named his masters, tacked his faith to 

 their being originals, and put a price on them accordingly. He 

 was every now and then justified in his course, by hearing that 

 his neighbour had sold for a few pounds a picture by an old 

 m/ister that was worth hundreds. In the meantime many 

 admired his, but no one bought. He became bankrupt, the 

 other made a fortune. The nimble niuepence beat the slow 

 sovereign. It is so with poultry. If the amateur can afford 

 to indulge his hobby in every way, by all means let him do it, 

 but if it does not succeed he must not complain his pursuit is 

 unprofitable. He ceases to follow it remuneratively, but if it 

 is to account for itself at the end of the year, then constant 

 sales must take place. 



Early eggs must be sold at good prices — assuming that the 

 laying season terminates as a rule in September or October, it 

 will be unreasonable to expect hens to begin to lay again in 

 December when eggs are most valuable. Laying in winter is 

 not the characteristic of a breed, but the result of a calculation. 



