40 



JOURNAL OF HORTIODLTXTBE AND OOTTAGB GABDENBB. 



[ Jnly 9, 1874. 



with originating the name of the Brahma fowl, with which I 

 never had luytbing to do, as you are probably aware." 



*^ Impritnh, you will observe that I (Mr. Baruham) never laid 

 any claim to tbia ' Brahtna Pootra ' misnomer. I did not mike 

 this name. I then called my fowla ' Grey SUangbais ' — never 

 by any otber name, and eimplv fur the good reason tbat Dr. K-irr, 

 who sent me my hnst pair fr >m Poiladelphia, September 3rd, 

 1849, in his letter said, ' Thougb they are called ' Cbittagonga' 

 (precisely as Mr. Cornish called bia at first), they came into 

 Pennsylvaaia, from Sbaegliai, Chiud.' My second lot of Li^ht 

 Greys were procured in 18.5) through W. T. Porter, Esq , Editor 

 of the New York Spirit of the Ti-net^ from on board a ship at 

 New York, direct from Shaughai, China. I then had otber 

 Chinese fowls of differeut colours, but these last were light 

 grey. Wbat else could I properly call them, but what I did — 

 viz., ' Grey Shanghais ?' 



*' Aud here let me quote what Dr. Gwynne, of England, says : 

 *Iol)taiued of Dr. Beunett, of the United States, five pairs of 

 theae birds. Three of these ten fowls only had comprensed pea- 

 combs ; in none of the others was tbia found, nor Ctjuld I recog- 

 nise in them anything but what could be found iu the Shanghai 

 birds. 1 had several cornmunicatious from Dr. Beunett, aud in 

 reply to all my iuquiries, directed to learn the cause of oamiug 

 as ' a new breed,' birds, most of which were essentially Shang- 

 hais iu shape aud character, I could gather no information but 

 that the difference of colour between these and other Sbanghais 

 precluded their being thus classed ; but I cannot accept this as 

 adequate proof of ' Brahma Pootras ' being a ' new breed,' and 

 therefore prefer the conclusion that they are identical with the 

 Sbanghais, and only anew variety of thatfowl. Auothercircum- 

 stance which confirms me in this view, as to the identity of 

 these birds with the Shanghai breed, is the fact that the fowls 

 recently presented to Her Majesty by Mr. G. P. Burnham, 

 under the name of Grey Shanghais, are admitted by Dr. Ben- 

 nett to be precisely similar to his own; and Mr. Burnham 

 aseures me that the original stock from which the ' Grey 

 Shanghais ' presented to Her Majesty were bred, waa imported 

 by himself, through Dr. Kerr, of Philadelphia, direct from 

 Shanghai.' 



" Thua I oontinned to designate my fowls long years after 

 Dr. Bennett fixed 'Brahma Pootra' first, and then 'Brahma' 

 for his birds, though at that very time (1852) Dr. Bennett volun- 

 tarily wrote Dr. Gwynne as above, which was the true state- 

 ment, but which I do not find in Mr. Wright's account." 



FATTENING CHICKENS BY MACHINERY. 



It seems to be generally admitted by gourmands that no 

 chickens of mechanical fattening have such exquisite flavour as 

 those submitted to the process. In the Gardens of Acclima- 

 tation at Paris this ia very scientifically practised under the 

 direction of M. Odile Martin. " Its advantages," say the au- 

 thorities, "do not consist in the rapidity of the process alone, 

 but above all in the special quality of the meat thus produced. 

 It is solid, very tender, exceedingly fine-grained, not overfat 

 (which would not be an advantage), very white in colour, and of 

 a flavour quite exceptionally excellent." If this ia so, of course 

 there ia no belp for the chickens. They must perforce enter 

 their epinettes, and be mathematically crammed. Here is the 

 ingenious contrivance of the Gardens of Acclimatatiou for manu- 

 facturing this " exceptionally excellent " flavour : — 



It is a huge cylinder with fourteen faces, each in five storeys 

 of three compartments each. It holds, therefore, 210 fowls. 

 The cylinder is hollow aud empty, except for the axis on which 

 it turns. This hollow construction renders it easily ventilated 

 and kept clean. Before it is a box for the operator. This 

 box, or carriage, moves up and down by pulleys. The gaveur— 

 that sounds less offensive than crammer — operates thus: Com- 

 mencing at the bottom of one of theae fourteen faces, he seizes 

 with bis left hand the neck of the chicken ; and pressing on each 

 side of the beak, the bird is forced to open its mouth, as any 

 lady knows who has doctored a sick chicken or Canary. The 

 gaveur then introduces the metallic end of the rubber tube into 

 the throat of the chicken, and by a preaaure of the foot on a 

 pedal the food riaes, aud at the same time the amount passing 

 through the tube ia indicated on a dial in front of the operator. 

 It is, therefore, a skilful operation ; for the gaveur, whatever 

 other motions are necessary, must pay strict attention to the 

 needle on the dial, or he will give his chicken too much or too 

 little. The three chickens duly fed, he turns the cylinder on 

 its axis a little, and the next face of it is before him. When he 

 haa completed the round he turns the cranis, aud the carriage 

 riaes to the next storey ; and so he goes on to the top. Having 

 completed the upper circuit, every chicken in that epinette ia 

 duly fed. Then he turns the crank in the other direction, and 

 the carriage descends to the floor, where it rests on a railroad. 

 It ia then moved along before the next epinette, and the whole 

 operation on 210 more chickens is repeated. A skilful operator 

 will gave, or cram, four hundred chickens in an hourl ThKt is 

 less than nine seconds to each one ; for the time to move the 



cylinder, to move the carriage up, down, and to the next epinette, 

 must be counted out. 



Under this epiattte regime, it requires an average of fifteen 

 days to fatten a Duck, eighteen for a chicken, twenty for a 

 Goose, and twenty-five for a Turkey. The food used for chickens 

 id barley and coru meal mixed with milk into a dough so thin 

 that no other liquid is necessary. The ordinary quantity given 

 is from ten to twenty ceutilitres, or from seveu-teotUs to one 

 and four-teuths ot a gill each time ; but this quantity is reached 

 gradually. When the maximum that any chicken can assimilate 

 is found, the number indicatiU'^ this quantity is placed before 

 its compartment, and th'ji gaveur must measure it exactly on 

 the dial. Truly this ia an age of wonders. What a labour- 

 saving invention this epluecte muit be to the chickeua! Maybe 

 it is not wiae to give these details. What if some enterprimag 

 American Ah'iuld be thereby tempted to invest hi-i whole f jrcaue 

 in a grand improved automaton steam-power cpi/i'jiie, warranted 

 to feed ten thousaud chickens a-minute ! — [Harper's Magazine.) 



SPALDINa POULTRY SHOW. 



Turner's pens were used aud placed under a grand tent, and 

 all were well attended with both food and water, Mr. Boyes 

 being the person iu charge. 



Dorkings had but three entries, Mr. Lingwood landing first, 

 and the Rev. Mr. Bartrum second. In Ga/ue, we are sorry to state 

 that Mr. Matthows's grand cock, which was otherwise in the 

 finest possible bloom, had had his wing injured on the way to 

 the Show, and was in consequence sent home, a good Brown 

 Red from Edinburgh winuiug first; while the IJoston cup cock 

 waa placed second. In Black Reds the first, though best, had a 

 Daw eye; but the first was au extra good one iu hens, the 

 second also being too light in eye. In Any other variety, the 

 first was a Duckwiug with a graud head but ratlier dark back; 

 second also a Duckwiug. The first iu Buff Cochins was much 

 faded in colour. In the next class the cup was well awarded to 

 a good pair of Whites, the second also being of that colour, 

 Messrs. Crabtree haviug only the cock in the pen ; bat in the 

 next class, the cup ior Brahmas was awarded to a good pen from 

 that yard, the second in the class being fine chickeus in all 

 respects of size, symmetry, and colour. Brahmas, Light, poor; 

 but Spanish very good, but one of the grossest mistakes lu the 

 Show, for there were no two opinions here as to how the awards 

 should have been made, the second being by far the best. Ia 

 Hamburghs the decisions of the previous were mostly reversed, 

 as also in Polands. In Hamburghs the cup went to Golden- 

 pencils, which were only highly commended at Boston; and in 

 Polands the Golden-pencilled was placed before the Silvers, 

 which is decidedly wrong. In French fowls the first prize pen 

 of Creves contained one of the best hens we have ever seen; 

 the second being a very good pair of Houdans. 



In Ducks there was a mishap, for the cup for the best pen 

 was not awarded till after the Judge had left, but was eventually 

 satisfactorily placed upon a nice pair of Bahamas. 



There were sis classes for Bantams, all being single birds. 

 The first iu Brown Reds waa a coarse-headed bird but capital ia 

 colour. The second, a chicken, had a grand head and eye, but 

 was rather li^'ht in breast. The highly-commended bird being 

 about the beat in the class. In hens, a grand pullet was awarded 

 first, and the second was the cup hen at the Palace, but rightly 

 placed here. Iu Black Red cocks again the awards were re- 

 versed, aud we have no hesitation in stating this was altogether 

 wrong, the cup bird, although not a bad one, losing somewhat 

 in head, and even much in colour. The Accrington cup cock 

 coming second. First iu hens a grand old bird only bighly 

 commended at Boston ; but we were surprised to see Pen 104 

 passed unnoticed, for this was the most stylish neu in the 

 class. No. 103, highly commended, the best colour in the 

 class. The second-prize hen looking as if it had been trimmed 

 over the eyes. Any other colour cock, first was a good Duck- 

 wing well placed ; second a good Pile ; aud cup cock at Boston 

 only highly commended here. Mr. Hall showing a real good 

 Duckwiug in hens, which was, however, beaten by the Boston 

 first. Second a Pile of good properties. In Black Bantams we 

 should have placed Mr. Reed's birds first and cup, Ashton 

 second, and have highly commended the cup pen. The R -v. Mr. 

 Tearle was first and second with good birds iu Whites. Iu the 

 next class for cocks and in hens, a Pekin was first, and Silver 

 Sebright second. 



In Babbits and Pigeons the entries were exceedingly good, 

 and we thought we recognised some of Mr. Fulton's graud otud. 

 We are, however, open to correction, as that gentleman's name 

 was not to be found in the catalogue. 



DoRKiN03.~l, Heary LiQgwood, Barking. Needham Market. 2. Rev. E. 

 Bartraui. H"rkhaiup^'ead. 



Game.— BroKvilirnw^d Reds— Cock— \, Dr. Harley, Edinburgh. 2, H. E. 

 Martui Sctlihorpe H'-n.-^.B. E.Martin 



OiME.— fiiarfe-trfiMtei Bed3.—Cuck--\ and Cup. W. J. Pope. Bigsleawade. 

 2. Mrs Dt-aon, Oimdl-. c, J. F. HolUnKworth. Hen.— 1, S. Matthew, stuff- 

 market. 2, Dr Harl-y. , . „ 



(j*ME.— .inv olh^r variety—Cock.— \, E. Winweod. Worcester. 2, J. A, jt H 

 H. Staveley. brittl -Id. /ic, H. K. Martin. if(?n.—l E>. Matthew. 2, J. A. «ii 

 H. Staveley. he, W. Barker. 



