BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



The two groups must be desci lirst.of fowls which'immediately 



" or incubate after having laid a certain number of eggs ; and second 

 hose which will generally continue laying, . throughout the late sp: 

 and early summer months, without even wishing I '. < . we may call 



m "setters," and "non-setters.' Among the tir.^t the group of 

 rs the>' further distinctions must be taken. Ti. ither clean- 



Of the former (the clean-lr^ed) the best 



\vn varieties an- tin- Dorking or Sussex fowl, under which title must 

 'ncluded all the live-toed fowls of all colours, and also the cuckoo, the 

 __ ivy, and the ordinary barndoor fowl. These are among the best 

 providing chickens for market. The game-breeds (with which must be 

 xoned the Malay) are steady setters, and the best of mothers. All 

 bher-legged fowls set. In this group are included the different sha 

 of colour assigned to what are known as Cochin Chinas, with the u 



Is called Brahmas, and the black called Langshans. The special merit 

 of these feather-legged breeds is their tameness and their habit of winter 

 ag : in order to which the earliest pullets of the spring must be retain- 

 ed which will begin laying as early as the end of October. They also 

 r than any others endure confinement within narrow limits. Then 

 turning to those varieties which do not set on their eggs, the second group 

 it 1-e divided into single and rose-combed varieties. Of the former, the 

 known kinds are the black Spanish, blue Andalusian, black Min 

 lnnvn and white Leghorn. Under this head, also, come the ere 

 varieties (under which must be included the Polish, the Houdan, and 

 .-T French kinds). In this second group must be considered the whole 

 of the varieties, whether pencilled or spangled, which are called Hani- 

 burgs, ( 'hittaprats, or Dutch everyday layers. Both single and rose-coin h- 

 Is furnish a large supply of eggs in summer ; but therose-combed 

 very impatient of confinement, The crested fowls are placed in tins 

 ;ii they occasionally become "broody" or desirous of 

 yet they are not often to be tru>t-d either to hat h eggs or to rear 

 which have l>een hatched in other ways. 



their treatment it matters little to which of these \ 

 is we pi* ir all alike n- Mm 



:n, and a < sun, to be at all produ" 



.ally in winter. Only JM-.J,I.- <,!' rxjMTi.-iK-e can keep fowls healthy in 



hardly keep th.Mii cnnliiu-.l 



8 early pullets of th- \ the larg.-st <niantil 



.tT eggs ; but no fowl-, young r old, can 1 



aith. at which laying lM-gin>, unle.^tln-y 1-c wrll 



