May 27, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



421 



produced the best hatches, and that those who managed to have 

 plenty of January eggs obtained also plenty of very early 

 chickens hatched during the month of February. I quite expect 

 to hear also that the broods in March and beginning of April 

 were unusually small and weak, for the latter half of February 

 and most of March was bitterly cold, and few eggs laid at that 

 time would be fertile. 



Now, if what I have advanced be true, what is the remedy ? 

 Sprinkling and damping the egga during hatching is all non- 

 sense. If the weather is very cold it will only give the hen 

 more trouble to keep up the necessary temperature, and do 

 more harm than good. It is not the eggs, but the fowls them- 

 selves that must be looked after. Do not let them stand 

 about in the wind waiting for their breakfasts. Shelter your 

 runs towards the north and east as well as you can. Provide 

 for the hens a few extra dainties. Spice them up a bit, for it is 

 the only time that spice will do them good. Favour your cocks 

 especially with a little animal food, and as long as they are out 

 keep them occupied ; for I really think it would be better to 

 shut them up most of the day if the run is exposed, than to 

 allow them to stand about on one leg iu the cold. If you have 

 any eggs take them out warm from the nest, and do not leave 

 them about, for if the weather is very severe they may be frozen. 

 — E. W. Beachev. 



CHIGKEN FROM DOUBLE-SHELLED EGG— 

 BKEEDING PURE. 



We have just successfully hatched a Houdan chicken which 

 was enclosed by two distinct shells one within the other. 



I should be glad to learn whether it is necessary for pure 

 breeding to keep the breeds separate, except, of course, at such 

 seasons as the eggs are required for hatching. The analogy of 

 pigs, horses, dogs, would lead one to expect that constant sepa- 

 ration is necessary. — E. L. 



[We have seen before that which you note. We have, how- 

 ever, seen it only once, and our great surprise was how the 

 chicken made its way through two strong shells, for they were 

 fully formed and of an average thickness. When once hatched 

 it became an ordinary chicken. These things have doubtless 

 happened before, but they were not noticed. We have now pre- 

 served in spirit two perfect chickens, the result of a double- 

 yolked egg, which was broken that the condition of it might 

 be ascertained. Each is attached to a yolk. Both yolks and 

 chickens are thoroughly distinct and perfect. We can recollect 

 when these eggs were looked at with dislike and few would eat 

 them. Even cook looked askew at them and would rather not 

 use them, and the poultry woman asked to get rid of the hen 

 that laid them. " There was something about her she didn't 

 like, and she never roosted like the other fowls." " If you 

 noticed, she had a cute look that didn't ought t> belong to a 

 fowl." The only offence of the poor hen was, she was subject 

 to twins. 



We believe there is no analogy between fowls and the animals 

 you mention. All the Gallinacea? are subject to season after 

 their first laying. In some, as in all Game, they cannot be made 

 to deviate from their appointed time for breeding. Indeed the 

 only difference of sex would seem to be in plumage except during 

 a few weeks of the year. The same is true of Ducks and Geese, 

 and of all birds in a state of nature. The only deviation is, if a 

 Pheasant or Partridge loses its first eggs it lays a second nestful. 

 The Pewit or Lapwing that lays the delicious eggs known as 

 Plovers' eggs will, if the eggs be taken three times, lay a fourth, 

 but after that the season is past and she lays no more. In both 

 cases it is curious that the desire to perpetuate its species, and 

 thus fulfil the purpose for which it is sent, would seem to enable 

 a bird to become fruitful at will, because if the first eggs had 

 been left the Pewit would have sat on them and hatched them. 

 A hen Pheasant running wild will lay fifteen or sometimes 

 seventeen eggs and then sit, but if the eggs are taken away she 

 will lay twenty-five or thirty. This fecundity is only during 

 the season, and that extends over twelve weeks at the outside ; 

 sex then seems to disappear till the next breeding season. It 

 is not exactly the same with poultry, because pullets lay at a 

 certain age, but after they become hens they lay only in their 

 season, and that is after the severe weather is past. For these 

 reasons we do not think it necessary to keep fowls separate 

 during the winter months. We have had many running together 

 for years. We separate them two months before we wish to put 

 the eggs nnder hens, and have never been deceived. For these 

 reasons we do not think them subject to the same rules as the 

 quadrupeds you mention.] 



close the form of particulars. I may say that, with the exception 

 of three sittings, these eggs were purchased from well-known 

 exhibitors at a cost of from 10s. 6d. to '25s. per dozen exclusive 

 of carriage. The hens were set side by side upon the earthen 

 floor of a house exclusively devoted to sitting hens, and where 

 the temperature rauged from 45" to 65'. They were all taken 

 off the nests at the same time by myself, supplied with food, 

 water, and dust bath, and returned after an interval of from 

 ten to twenty minutes according to the weather. The usual 

 sprinkling and water bath was attended to. 



I may add that the only ailment that I have had among the 

 chicks has been diarrhea, and that only to a slight extent. I 

 feed about every two hours from 6.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with chopped 

 egg, bread and milk, bread and beer, grits, oatmeal, barleymeal, 

 buckwheat, barley, and boiled liver. They have grass and vege- 

 tables ad lib. — N., Ventnor, Isle of Wight. 



[We regret not being able to afford space for the very full 

 tabular report of the proceedings and results, hut we will give 

 an epitome of them. There were 178 eggs, and these were 

 divided into fourteen sittings. The chickens hatched were 

 seventy-six, and thirty-six were dead in the shells. The other 

 eggs were either broken, clear, or addled. Distance travelled 

 and packing seem to have no material influence. Thus, thirteen 

 Hamburghs' egga travelled 29G miles, and changed trains five 

 times, yet produced eight chickens. The same result exactly 

 occurred with Houdan eggs after travelling fifty miles and three 

 changes. Whether packed in paper and hay, or in oat husks, 

 or in wadding, nine packages out of the fourteen came with 

 eggs unbroken. — Ens.] 



THE PRESENT HATCHING SEASON. 



Having seen several letters in " our Journal " relating to the 

 present hatching season, I thought — having received fourteen 

 sittings of eggs from various parts of the country, and having 

 kept a tabulated record of the result — that my experience would 

 perhaps be interesting to my fellow fanciers. Herewith I eu- 



BEDLINGTON SHOW OF POULTRY, &c. 



The eleventh annual Show was held at this plucky colliery 

 village on the 17th and ISth iust. The weather was very fine 

 and warm, and the birds protected by two excellent marquees, 

 which while being a ijerfeot protection admitted the light in a 

 perfect manner. There were some empty pens as might be 

 expected, the birds arriving late ; and in Pigeons almost one- 

 half the birds were not iu the pens, Mr. Van der Meersoh's being 

 among the lot. 



Cochins were good, the cup for the first four classes going to 

 an exceedingly rich pair of Bufla, and in the next class the 

 section cup for five classes was awarded to a grand pen of 

 Si^anish, the second being also a grand pen. Polish were all 

 noticed. First Silvers, and the rest Gold. The third and 

 highly-commended pens had capital pullets, but poor cocks aa 

 compared with the winners. Game had sis classes and had 

 good entries. In single cocks were eighteen entries, almost 

 every pen being good, the cup for Game being awarded to a 

 Duckwing cock which was grand in every particular second 

 was a Brown Red, good in style and colour but a little scant in 

 tail. The best single hen was a Black Red, one of the best in 

 fact that has been out of late; second was a Brown Red, and 

 third a Duckwing. Black and other Reds were, first a hard and 

 close-feathered pair of Brown Reds ; second a pair of Champion 

 Black Reds, not, howevei-, iu the highest order; and third good 

 Brown Reds. Duckwings were not a good class, only the first- 

 prize pen being of any note. Hamburghs had four classes, and 

 these were very even throughout, the cup going to a neat pen 

 of Gold-spangles. Poultry, any other, were, first Black Ham- 

 burghs, and second and third Houdans. Bantams were a smart 

 section, the birds being well shown and mostly in capital feather. 

 Single cocks were good, except that some of the best were a little 

 heavy in tail. Hens a fair lot, the first winner very good, second 

 a Brown Red. In Red Game Bantams, pairs, the first, the cup 

 was awarded to Black Reds, good in style and general quality, 

 but the hen a little white iu ear, but they seemed to be shown 

 in a most natural state ; second and third of that colour were 

 very good. In the next class Duckwings were first, and needed 

 only soap and water to have ensured the cup; second were very 

 smart Piles, as also the third. The latter, however, were a 

 little too light on the wing ends. Black Bantams were very 

 pood, but some of them a little overshown. Only the first in 

 Aylesbury Ducks were good, but the Rouens were a good class ; 

 and in the Variety class first were Pintails and second Widgeons. 



The cottagers' classes were a surprise to us, class after class 

 proving good, the Cochins being about the best of such classes 

 we have ever seen in the north of England, many birds proving 

 quite perfect, and in almost the same degree these remarks will 

 apply to the Bantams. 



Pigeons, as before stated, were pretty numerous, and also as a 

 rule well placed, the cup going to a capital Carrier cock. Second 

 was a Dun cock, and pen 211 being very good but rough and not 

 well shown. The first Short-face was an Almond cock, good in 

 head but a little muddy in colour ; second was a good Black 

 Mottle. In Long-faces first and second were Black Mottles, 

 both good; although we were surprised pen 215, an Almond, 

 did not receive one prize — but perhaps this was right. Pouters 

 were a grand class ; the first was a Blue and second a White 

 cook, many other birds being jastly noticed. Two Black-pied 



