448 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK 



I Jane 19, 1668, 



mntton only nt 4\d. per lb. live weight (5s. per stone of 8 lbs. nett dead 

 weight] ; Ihatit costs no more to produce 1 lb. of ponltry than 1 lb. of meat; 

 that poultry are tho farmers' best friends, consuiTiinp no end of insects, 

 and utilising and economising all waste grain ; that they should have 

 free access to pasture and to our other fields near the homestead; that 

 care should bo taken as to their breeds, as in sheep, bullocks, and pigs ; 

 that first crosses, having regard to the demands in the market, are 

 advantages; that tb-- lunnure from poultry is of first-rate quality. My 

 poultry (about three linndred) have free access to my corn fields at 

 almost every period of the year. Of course, poultry, like sheep, bullocks, 

 or pigs, mast be well and properly fed if they are to he well developed in 

 siae and condition. 1 do not know that I could say mnre than this to the 

 Committee. " Yours faithfully, 



" P. LoNevo Foster, Esq." "J. J. MECai. 



Mr. Chester: There is no doubt that in France there are a great 

 many more eggs and poultry produced than in England, compared with 

 the population. I should like to know what is the reason of that ; and 

 whether we coald, by putting out any practical suggestions, increase 

 the supply. We shall not see the price reduced or the distribution 

 improved until the number produced is increased. 



Mr. Wilson : I think the cottier system, which is so prevalent in 

 France, is very favourable to the production of poultry. Have you ever 

 tiied the experiment, which, I believe, has been tried in France, of 

 having a moveable ponltry house, which can he taken from field to field ? 

 Mr. Manning: 1 have not tried it, but I should think it would be 

 very euccessful. The only objection is that the }ioultry are left un- 

 protected. My attention has been principally directed to ponltry Icept 

 in email places, and I don't think it can be carried on profitahly in 

 that way, bccaas'3 all the food must be parchased ; you must then sell 

 at fancy prices. If a considerable number are kept in a confined place, 

 there must be some arrangement for changing the soil, which, in most 

 cases, would occasion a difficulty. I kept three CocLiu-China fowls for 

 about three months in a small space about -Ift. by 4 ft., with a little 

 hot behind for roosting; but then I had the droppings continually 

 removed and the soil constantly dug up. The prices paid to tbc 

 producer by the higgler are 2s. for a coop-fed, or l.f. 8*^/. for a running 

 fowl, weighing on an average 3.1 lbs. I see nn reason why poultry 

 should not be sold by weight ; I think it would be a very great im- 

 provement if all ])rovision8 were required by law to be sold by weight. 

 The size and weight of the eggs from a Spanish and a Hamburgh fowl, 

 are very different, but they are all sold at so many for a shilling ; and 

 a retail dealer told me that he allowed a good customer to pick out 

 which he liked. I have used Indian com for fowls, and it answers 

 very well, but just at present it is very dear. You cannot always keep 

 to the same kind of food, whatever it is. In Sussex they use a good 

 deal of bruised oats ; I have used a mixture of bruised oats, rice, and 

 toppings, with success. I doubt the advantaiie of feeding fowls with 

 meat ; the kind of flesh which the fowl picks up naturally is very 

 different to anything we coald gi-re them. I have seen the reports of 

 the large poultry farm in France, and Ilcnow them to be wholly untrue. 

 I am certain that no experiments have been made on a large scale in 

 this country to feed poultry on horseflesh mixed with farinaceous food, 

 but I cannot say what has been done abroad. Graves and other 

 animal food have been given to force the laying of hens, hut I believe 

 the tendency is to wear out the hen very quickly. 



Mr. Wilson : Would it not answer to do that ? To get all the eggs 

 yon can, and then fatten the fowl for table? 



Mr. Manning: Perhaps it might. An old hen may be made to eat 

 very well by boiling it first, and then roasting it. I keep breeding 

 fowls about three years, then I sell or eat them. The eggs are not so 

 good for breeding from the first year as the second and third ; in the 

 foiirth year they begin to fail, according to the constitution of the bird. 

 The best breed for cold clay soils is the Brahma Pootra or the French 

 sort, !the Houdan. I think a cross between the Brahma Pootra and 

 the Dorking gives the most useful bird for farmyard purposes. The 

 Brahma has a good deal of the Cochin-China in it ; it lacks breast a 

 little, but not so much as the Cochin ; and when crossed with the 

 Dorking it produces a very fine bird, with all the hardihood of the 

 Brahma Pootra and the meat properties of the Dorking. If the soil 

 is good, no bird would answer better for a cottage than the Dorking. 

 Lime must be supplied, of course, if it is not naturally present in the 

 B(ril, where birds are in confinement. I have had no experience with 

 Ducks, Geese, or Turkeys. I think poultry -keeping would be carried 

 on more saccessfuUy on a large scale than by individual cottagers. 



Mr. Wilson : la there not a great tendency to epidemics amongst 

 ponltry kept together in large numbers ? 



Mr. Manning : I think Mr. Mechi woold answer that by sa^ ing, not 

 if the yards are kept well supplied with lime and salt. If the fowls 

 were free to run in the fields it would be a long time, indeed, before 

 the ground became tainted. It would be almost an impossibility. 



Mr. Wilson : Should you feel inclined to go into the speculation to 

 the extent of thousands ? 



Mr. Manning : I think Mr. Mechi could answer that question tetter 

 than I can. He has three hundred. I think the great difficulty with 

 small farmers would be in finding a good and ready market. The 

 large breeder has a salesman in town, to whom he sends his produce, 

 but the cottager and small farmer might not have those opportunities ; 

 they must depend on the middleman or higgler. I do not think it 

 would answer for the amall farmer or cottager to breed fowls for his 

 own ase. 



Mr. WUson : Would not a Goose or a Dnck forage for itself until it 

 wae timo to fatten it? . 



Mr, Manning ; I do not know about that ; but the farmer \ronld Hol 

 like to see the cottagers' Geese wandering over bis fields. 



Mr. Chester: Do you think it better io adhere to a pure breed, a 

 siiecific sort, or to let all sorts mn together, and trust to natnre to 

 produce the best result ? 



Mr. Manning : On a light soil 1 should prefer a pare Dorking. 

 taking care not to in breed ; if it were not a light soil T would have a 

 cross between the Brahma Pootra and the Dorlting; in all cases I 

 would have tho Dorking, either pure or crossed. If yon require onlv 

 eggs, you may dispense with the cock bird altogether ; for breeding yoii 

 should not have more than eight hens to a cock, and if breeding for 

 exhibition or fancy purposes the number should be still further 

 reduced. I don't think the eggs are quite so palatable where the hens 

 run alone. I think it would be well if in ponltry exhibitions there 

 were move classes for farmyard poultry, and if, ae has been done at 

 Chelmsford, dead poultry were included. The Hamburghs, Spanish, 

 and French varieties produce most eggs, but they never ait. I believf- 

 tho most delicate-flavoured bii'd of any for the table iathe Dorking. T 

 can quite imagine that there may be an impression in France that the 

 Houdan is superior, but I should attribute that to a national feeling. 

 The Houdan produces very early chi^'keus ; but the earliest are th*» 

 Cochins ; they are very hardy and can be reared even in the snow. T 

 cannot say exactly why cheap poulti7 are always bad. but a fowl that 

 has been fattened will keep longer than oue that has not. I have not 

 experimented on artificial hatching, and speak only from observation 

 and information on that question. The difficulty is in rearing the 

 chickens. I believe Mr. Schroder, at Rickmansworth, is trying it on 

 a large scale. Colonel Stuart Wortlcy has invented a new incubator. 

 The great diiEculty is in rearing chickens from them fit for the 

 market. This is the opinion of the salesmen. 



PACKING EGGS. 



Although numerons modes of paching egps are advocated 

 from time to time in jour Journal, I have felt reluctant to 

 state my individual opinion ; but as "Constant Eesdek" in 

 the number of the dtli inst. has been the first to advocate saw- 

 dust, it may bo useful to add my practice to his experience. 

 They perfectly coincide. 



During the last three years I have had about 600 dozen of 

 eggs forwarded to places far and near, each egg rolled in paper, 

 and packed on end in sawdust ; a layer of soft hay lining the 

 top, bottom, and sides of the basket, which is tightly fastened 

 with pliable wire. Their exemption from breakage when 

 packed in this way is marvellous, and I cannot learn that their 

 fecundity is in the least impaired by it. Moss and cotton are 

 difficult to manage, and expensive; rolls of hay are clumsy; 

 and, as your correspondent avers, sawdust i? cheap, cleanly, 

 and comatable. — J. C. Coopek. 



ANTICIPATIONS OF PIGEON FANCIERS- 

 ANT WERPS—DEAG00N8. 

 1 HAVE been an enthusiastic breeder of Pigeons for the last 

 seventeen years, principally abroad, and I am happily now 

 acquainted with many enthusiasts in this country, who justly 

 value your .Journal quite as much as I do. Since the PoHt«r 

 controversy began, I and those I allude to anticipated great re- 

 velations and important reforms in regard to our shows, which 

 should be the principal point of all interested ; and I beg here 

 to ask, What has become of the amalgamation of the two great 

 metropolitan Societies ? I, and many more, hailed with the 

 greatest pleasure the union, and expected most anxiously every 

 week to receive "our Journal," and satisfy our expectations. 



I consider the first and most important point to us all, is the 

 selection of judges for our shows. I suggest, therefore, that 

 the great metropolitan Society will take the initiative, and I 

 am positive that every society in England, and one of the first 

 that of which I have the honour to be a member, will be ready 

 to co-operate in memorialising the committees of the principal 

 shows to discontinue selecting judges from dealers. That 

 done (and it will be our fault if left undone), the greatest evil 

 has passed. 



Then, I suggest, with all due respect to the metropolitan im- 

 partial judges, that local judges should also be selected, and I 

 believe there are, or must be, many in this country, so that 

 breeders will have the opportunity of knowing the opinion of 

 siTeial, and not only the few privileged principal metropolitan 

 gentlemen ; and my reason for suggesting this is, the often- 

 heard conversation between us, " So-and-so will judge, we must 

 show such and such a colour, such a stjle, eye, &o." 



Thou, again, "They (expecting the same gentlemen), have 

 ' given the firist prize to such a colour in such a class last year. 



