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JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



t May 8, 1873. 



members only, and therefore there will be a special class for 

 these birds, and a second and third prize given at the next Show. 

 I find there are many breeders of tliis variety that have hither- 

 to bred them li{*ht — dark, perhaps, would be a more fitting term, 

 and I would suggest that the subscription list be continued to 

 give prizes for chickens and adults, so that we may have a chance 

 of seeing what there is in the counti-y. 5s. subscription would 

 be ample, if all would help. — F. C. Hassabd, Slieerness. 



AIDING A CHICKEN'S BIRTH— BEAHMAS. 



I SEND with this an egg-shell from which a chick has just been 

 hatched. If you examine it you will find it a double shell. I 

 do not mean to say that the hen laid it so, but I forward it as a 

 successful dodge by which I think I saved the life of a chick. 

 Yesterday morning the hen, in returning to her nest, trod upon 

 and thoroughly crushed the original shell. I think it was weak- 

 ened by a previous small crack in the narrow end, which I had 

 covered with a little bit of postage-stamp edging. I was certain 

 that the chick would die if left, as, if not crushed, the skin would 

 bind it and dry to it; but it would probably have been crushed 

 between the other eggs, as I have often had happen. They were 

 due to hatch to-day, and I therefore thought that an outside 

 shell might preserve it for the necessary time ; so I took an 

 egg-shell that had been used at breakfast, rasccd it a little, and 

 slipped it over the small end, and joined it to the original top 

 (which was not much injured), with postage plaister, and put it 

 under the hen again. It is very roughly done, as a clergyman 

 with three services on Sunday has not much time for surgical 

 operations ; but it was successful, as I found that egg and another 

 hatched this morning, and the shell just as I forward it to you, 

 though it will probably be rather more crushed in the post. I 

 have written this account, because the plan may be useful to 

 others iu similar cases. AJid now, if you will spare me a short 

 space, I should like to add a few words de quibusdam aliis. 



"With respect to the merits of Brahmas, my exi^erience of them 

 for the past two or three years has not been favourable, and I 

 have now returned to my old loves the Silver-Grey Dorkings. 

 The Brahmas are said to be hardy, early and good layers, great 

 weight, lire. Hardy I found them, but not very early layers, nor 

 could I get any weight that was of much use for the show pen, 

 but then I could not afford to buy the monsters that may be 

 necessary for this. DorJiings are thought tender and compara- 

 tively poor layers. Mine have been laying well ever since 

 January 1st, not only pullets, of which I have but two, but old 

 hens also. Several old hens were certainly laying in January, 

 and I have never found Dorking chicks, if hatched early enough, 

 tender. I hatched some (very few, I am sorry to say), in Feb- 

 ruary, and reared them all, and since that I have lost but two 

 or three. Late broods of anything I detest — even late June 

 birds are seldom healthy. I think the weather is too hot for 

 their chickenhood, and they remain stunted and probably get 

 roupy iu autumn. My first chicks this year were hatched on 

 Februai-y 1st by a Turkey lieu. She had laid four batches of 

 eggs since the previous April, being then a pullet. I set her on 

 fifteen eggs, but only three were hatched : they are alive and 

 well. I have just weighed two of them. The cockerel weighs 

 3J lbs. and the pullet 23 lbs., which is, I think, pretty well for 

 eleven weeks old, and the coloiu's promise at present all that 

 could be wished. Hatching this spring has been with me very 

 bad. I could get no hens to sit for some time, though I tried 

 all the neighbourhood ; and the broods have been very small — 

 three, two, and from a Black Red Bantam, which breed usually 

 hatch every egg, a grand brood of one. Eight is the best I have 

 had yet. I hope for better broods now. — E. S. Tiddemas, Chil- 

 derditch Vicarage. 



[We carefully noted the two shells, and admired your inge- 

 nuity. We also rejoiced at your success, because you deserved 

 it. We have often mended a cracked egg with the border of 

 postage stamps, but we had not the thought of putting on a shell. 

 Jumping from one end of your letter to the other, we can tell 

 you you have only neighbours' fare. It has been a bad hatch 

 hitherto this season. There are always reasons why early eggs 

 should not hatch as well as later ones. Iu the winter the cocks 

 are not as attentive to the hens as they are later in the year ; 

 many eggs are spoiled by chill and frost before they are laid ; the 

 hens are allowed to be off the eggs too long at feeding time ; the 

 eggs are kept too dry. Accidental exposure of an egg for a time 

 is fatal to hatching. For early chickens, according to our notions 

 the eggs should be the produce of a walk of a cock and three 

 hens (we speak of January). The hen should sit on nine eggs ; 

 she should be well fed, but never allowed to be off her eggs at 

 that time of year more than ten or twelve minutes. While 

 Bitting she should be thoroughly protected from draught. It may 

 not be your case, but we are convinced that in nine cases out of 

 ten eggs are prevented from hatching, and often condemned as 

 bad, when the only fault is they are too dry. All bii-ds iu our 

 country naturally moisten their eggs. Nature has taught them, 

 from the Pea fowl to the Wren, including the whole feathered 

 tribe, to leave their nest at daybreak to feed, iSre. At that time 



the grass is wet, and after walking or hopping about for ten 

 minutes or a quarter of an hour in the dew, and in that state 

 they return to the eggs, thoroughly wetting them. They always 

 hatch. Take all sorts of Game — take every description of Duck 

 and Goose — take our domestic poultry, a hen or a Turkey with 

 a stolen nest — they are seldom or never seyi off feeding, but 

 they bring off all their eggs, and they are generally the strongest 

 chickens we have. Two or three days before the time is up for 

 chickens to hatch, the eggs should all be tested in warm water. 

 A pail should be three parts filled with warm water. The eggs 

 should be taken from under the hen and put in it. As soon 

 as the chicken feels the warmth of the water it begins to move 

 in its shell; its antics increase as the warmth makes itself felt, 

 and it becomes positively ridiculous to see the eggs elbowing 

 and bumping each other. This is not only a test as to the good- 

 ness of the eggs, but it facihtates the operation of hatching. 

 The thorough wetting is very beneficial. To make sure of 

 success this should not be the only process. For ten days before 

 hatching they should every morning be thoroughly rinsed with 

 cold water; the neglect of this causes us to hear so oft-en of 

 chickens dying in the shell owing to their weakness. It is 

 nothing of the sort. From heat and drought the inner mem- 

 brane of the egg becomes as dry and hard as gutta percha, and 

 it is next to impossible any chicken can extricate itself. Even 

 one shell is too much for its strength. 



It is refreshing to hear some one speak up for our old friends 

 the Dorkings. We believe that where the spot and its conve- 

 niences are fitted for them they are the best fowls in the world. 

 More than average layers, excellent mothers, and unequalled on 

 the table. But they wOl not do for a confined spot. They want 

 a range, and having it they do well. So far from being tender, 

 we know no chicken will rear more easily in the winter than a 

 Dorking having a little care bestowed upon it. Kone will make 

 so much money, or secure such a certain market as a Dorking. 

 They will not do in confinement. Cochins and Brahmas will; 

 but it is difficult to make any satisfactory return where fowls 

 are kept in confinement.] 



POULTRY REFORM, BRAHMAS, &c. 



During the jjast few weeks letters have appeared in the 

 Journal on the above subjects. Several remedies on the causes 

 of contention have been proposed, but there is no likelihood 

 of any of them becoming law, as there is no tribunal in the 

 poultry fancy to insist on their observance. I was much sur- 

 prised when Mr. Wright wrote on the subject of a formation of a 

 national poultry club, to find but one or two of the principal ex- 

 hibitors supporting his proposition. 



I firmly believe, if such a society were formed, it would prevent 

 the numerous cases of trimming now reported as taking place 

 at some of the shows. The offenders could easily be punished, 

 and the chances of small amateurs winning prizes would be in- 

 creased, as they would show oftener when they found there was 

 a probability of the names of the trimmers being held up to the 

 public gaze. 



The " dealer" question could also be settled in the same way, 

 though I fancy it is very severe on a man who gets his living by 

 selling articles if he is not allowed to obtain as much as possible 

 for those articles. The question I would ask is, " What is a 

 dealer ? " 



Concerning the controversy on Brahmas I dare say there are 

 good as well as bad laying strains. Two years ago I bought two 

 sittings of Dark eggs, one from a noted exhibitor, the other 

 being from birds of really good strains, and mated with a cock 

 bought of one of the best breeders of Dark Brahmas. From the 

 former sitting the pullets proved really good layers, both when 

 pullets and also now as hens. The other sitting produced pullets 

 ready to sit within a month of laying their first egg. From this 

 it woiild appear that with careful breeding the really good strains 

 may be made nearly non-sitters. 



Ajiother subject I wish to call your attention to, and I have 

 done. Many of the birds whose portraits have appeared in Mr. 

 Wright's poultry book, have names. Now if they have names 

 at home, why not at the show '? It would be the means of giving 

 many good lessons to inexperienced amateurs. I will explain 

 this. In the south-western counties there are few good sliows 

 (Bristol excepted). A year ago (in 1872) both the Dark Brahma 

 and also the Buff Cochin Cockerels which wore first at the Palace 

 were at Bristol. Now, had they been named, any one who had 

 read the prize list in any paper would have been able to have 

 seen the champions, and to have examined them thoroughly. 

 Hoi-ses, cattle, sheep, dogs, and pigs are named, and their names 

 inserted in the catalogue, then why not fowls? The single 

 bird principle would no doubt answer best in this respect, though 

 a pair could be named as well, and I fancy if breeders have 

 names for their pets they shoiild be known to all. — A Worcestek 

 L.U). 



New York Natiox.'LL Coluhe.abi.uj Society. — A meeting was 

 held on April 9th, at 14, Murray Street, for the purpose of form- 



