California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



Wmiltw mml 



At Rest. 



Now, all clncked home to their feather beds, 

 Are the vtlvety chicks of the dowuy houclB. 

 In the old Dutch style, with the bedfl ab^ve, 

 All under the wings of a hovt-riug love; 

 With a few chinked in, as plump as wrens. 

 Around the edge of the rurtlt-d hens. 



POUTLEY FOK PROFIT. 



I'tONFLICTING advice as to which 

 breed of lioultry is the best to keep 

 for profit results in confusiug the 

 ideas of a new beginner in the busi- 

 ness of poultry raising and egg pro- 

 ducing. The persons who make a busi- 

 ness of breeding fine fowls and have eggs 

 and birds for sale, are frequently preju- 

 diced in favor of or against some special 

 ■ variety, and there edvice is, accordinglj', 

 liable to be unreliable. Every few years 

 some particular breed is in fashion, and 

 its popularity causes many to desire it 

 above any other. In one decade it may 

 be the Cochins or Brahmas, and in an- 

 other the Leghorns, Hamburgs or Po- 

 lands. Whatever it be, after a short run, 

 some other sort is sui'e to supercede it. 

 Each kind and variety of fowl has its 

 special peculiarities which adapts it to 

 certain conditions, under which it will 

 do as well or better than any other sort 

 would. Also there are fowls for the table 

 and fowls for egg producing. The best 

 fowl for the table will not be likely to be 

 the best layer, and the abundant layers 

 are not the best for the table. The 

 heavy aorts, which mature early and 

 fatten easily, and are not given to roav- 

 ing, are the best whore fowls are raised 

 for market or for the table, especially if 

 kept in small enclosures. On the other 

 hand, where chickens are bred for eggs, 

 and a wide range is supplied, the lighter 

 and more active breeds, which are the 

 best layers, should be chosen. 



Some breeders advise keejiiug breeds 

 of poultry pure — unmixed with other 

 sorts. Others say that it increases the 

 value of poultry, either as layers or for 

 the table, to mix the breeds. We believe 

 it depends much upon the hardiness of 

 the breeds about that. Where poultry 

 has been bred for years to fine points of 

 any special sort, whether of color or 

 form, regardless of hardy qualities and 

 health, they are iikely to become delicate, 

 and in a word, run out, as the white face 

 Black Spanish variety did, for instance. 

 In this case it would be an advantage to 

 them to cross in a little stronger blood 

 from whatever source it might be. The 

 Game Cock, which is bred for strength, 

 health and endurance, is found to be an 

 excellent blood to mix with fine or com- 

 mon fowls. On general principles, other 

 things being equal, the hardiest and 

 healthiest fowls are the best. In fact, 

 they are the best anyhow; but for certain 

 purposes fowls of such breeds as are, or 

 seem to be best adapted to any given 

 conditions, should be selected. The 

 feethug has much to do with health and 

 egg and poultry producing; also keeping 

 them free from vermin, and giving an 

 abundance of pure water and pure air 

 day and night. All sickly hens should 

 be at once removed from the llock. Bet- 

 ter kill them at once than allow them to 

 ruE among the others. Choose the 

 strongest cocks for breeders, and use 

 special efforts to keep your fowls healthy 

 and you will be successful. 



Feeding Fowls Pkppee. — I witnessed 

 for the first time, at the late Crystal Pal- 

 ace bird show, the results of pepper 

 feeding, and was greatly pleased, as well 

 as surprised at the wonderful improve- 



ment in color of the different specimens 

 so treated. I looked upon the treatment 

 as fair and legitimate, and in no way de- 

 serving the name of a "trick," which, I 

 am sorry to say, has been applied to it. 

 Such a term of reproach shoulil bo re- 

 served for all dishonest interference with 

 the outside of competing birds, such as 

 drawing, trimming or staining feathers. 

 Whatever can be effected through the se- 

 creting organs of any bird cannot fairly 

 be termed artificial or unnatural, unless 

 everything be so named which diff'ers 

 from the mode of life and food of the 

 bird in its original state. The object 

 aimed at in the treatment of all domestic 

 animals is an improvement upon their 

 natural or wild state; and in the case of 

 the canary bird, bred in confinement, 

 cayenne pepper, voluntarily eaten, is no 

 more unnatural to it than the egg and 

 cake with which the show birds have 

 been regularly fed for years. The sys- 

 tem of moulting birds in close warm 

 cages, feeding them at the same time on 

 more stimulating food than simple seed, 

 has long been recognized as a necessity 

 where depth and richness of color are 

 desired. The new mode of feeding on 

 cayenne pepper is simply an extension 

 of this rule ; ana whether discovered ac- 

 cidentally or as the result of an experi- 

 ment, is, in my humble opinion, the 

 greatest improvement in the treatment 

 of our favorites that I have witnessed. 

 If it could be shown that the health of 

 the birds is injured by such food, there 

 would be some grounds for objection on 

 the score of cruelty; but as for all I 

 could learn, such is not the case but 

 rather the contrary. I, for one, hail the 

 discovery with great satiafastion. Dejith 

 of color has been the point chiefly aimed 

 at in many varieties of canary, and here 

 it is, beyond the expectation of the old- 

 est fanciers, and permanent or not, ac- 

 cording to the continued treatment of 

 the bird. I would, in conclusion, lay 

 down one simple rule, viz: Put whatever 

 you like inside the bird that it wilUngly 

 takes without injury, but forbid, under 

 the strictest penalties, any interference 

 with the outside. — Correspondent Poultry 

 Eevlew {Ennland). 



How TO Pet Canaries. — Says a writer 

 on canaries: "In this way I answer the 

 qirestion of ' how I had such luck with 

 birds.' Simply by allowing the birds to 

 attend to their own afl'airs, and by letting 

 them understand that their mistress 

 would not harm them. Also, by accus- 

 toming them to plenty of light and air 

 and company, rather than, as com- 

 mended in books, keeping the cage in a 

 dark room for fear of frightening the 

 birds. Make just half the fuss directed 

 in bird books over the matter, and you 

 will have double the success in raising 

 the birds. Never give them sugar, but 

 all the red jjepper they can eat. It is 

 the best thing for them. And if your 

 bird feels hoarse at any time, put a piece 

 of salt pork in the cage and see how the 

 little fellow will enjoy it, and listen for 

 the result. Give him flax-seed once in a 

 while, and if he appears dumpy occa- 

 sionally, give him a diet of bread and 

 water with red pepper sprinkled in. Open 

 the cage door and give your pets the free- 

 dom of the room. Soon they will come 

 at your call and fly to meet you when- 

 ever your voice is heard. I had one who 

 came regularlj- to my desk as I sat writ- 

 ing each day, and disputed, with flutter- 

 ing wings and open beak, my humble 

 right to the inkstand; and when I had 

 reasoned him out of his mistaken notion, 

 he would perch himself upon my pen- 

 handle (no comfortable proceeding for 

 me), and watch gravely as I wrote. I 

 have also many times discovered him in 

 the act of eating ofl' the corners of my 



paper, even to the title of my article. " Some 500 or 600 miles," etc. It is I 



Another thought nothing of trotting I 480 miles by sea from San Francisco to 

 about on my head and shoulders, and San Diego. I have traveled that whole 

 even hopped under my throat to nestle distance overland on horseback on pur- 

 against my chin. He would take his pose to see the country. Fifty miles 

 bath as I held the cup in my hand, and south of San Francisco is San Jose; 

 coolly dry himself on my head. Anoth- ; the plain or valley surrounding which 

 er would fly down or up stairs to me , was thought, twenty years ago, by uov- 

 wheuever I called him. He has wel- ices like G. F. M., to be a "desert." 

 corned my return by flying down stairs | Now it cannot be bought for less than 



and singing at the top of his voice all 

 the while, until, at last, perched on my 

 shoulder, he would accompany me to my 

 room." 



Signs of Young Fowls. — A young tur- 

 key has a smooth black leg; in an old 

 one the legs are rough and reddish. In 

 domestic fowls, the combs and the legs 

 are smooth when the bird is young, and 

 rough when it is old. The bills and the 

 feet of geese are yellow and have few 

 hairs upon them when the bird is young, 

 but they are red if it be old. The feet 

 of a goose are pliable when the bird is 

 fresh killed, and dry and stiff when it 

 has been some time killed. Geese are 

 caUed green till they are two or three 

 months old. Ducks should be chosen 

 by the feet, which should be supple, and 

 they should also have a plump and hard 

 breast. The feet of a tame duck are 

 yello\vish, those of a wild one reddish. 

 If the rear end of the keel bone of a 

 dressed fowl be elastic, so that you can 

 bend it a trifle, it is a certain sign thiit 

 the bird is not over a year old. 



The Poultry TForW recommends cooked 

 meat to be given to fowls generally over 

 raw meat, as more nutritious and as 

 making them less quarrelsome. Fish, 

 it says, are always good as food, and 

 when boiled are picked clean from the 

 bones. Scraps from the chandlers, al- 

 ready cooked, are s.aid to be excellent. 

 It is well known that dogs are quite fe- 

 rocious at times from being fed on raw 

 meat. 



" Have you any nice fresh farmer's 

 eggs?" inquired a precise old lady at a 

 grocery store. "No, ma'am," replied 

 the practical clerk, "but we have some 

 very good hen's eggs." She took three 

 to try. 



^Uiivn, 



[E'rom the American Bes Jourual for January.] 



The Southern California Bee 

 Country. 



% 



Cj'f-N the American Bee Journal for Sep- 

 tember, 187-5, I noticed a communi- 

 cation over the signature of " G. F. 

 M.," a few of the false statements 

 in which I wish to contradict. I 

 also wish to show up some inconsist- 

 encies and contradictions of the com- 

 munication of "J.," who received 

 a letter from a "prominent Kansas 

 bee-keeper." By way of parenthesis, 

 I will state that G. F. II. is located 

 on one of the prettiest claims in the 

 county of San Diego, just sis miles 

 from mine, and it is not a "desert" by 

 any means. I am at a loss to under- 

 stand how a man can state in his letter 

 that a country is a "desert," and in the 

 same letter state the fact that the coun- 

 try is "overrun with swifts, horned 

 toads, snakes, ground squirrels, gojihers, 

 rabbits and quails." Query — What do 

 they live on? I always supposed that 

 sheep and cattle had to have grass, etc., 

 to live on. and that thousands of sheep 

 and cattle do live here, and live fat, too. 

 This G. F. SI. cannot, with truth, 

 deny. 

 Now as to some more of "J.'s" facts: 



from S'200 to §1,000 per acre, it now be- 

 ing under a high state of cultivation, 

 and covered with vineyards and or- 

 chards and fruit of .all kinds; and in the 

 Fall of 1808 I saw hundreds of bushels 

 of apples rotting on the ground, there 

 being no market for them. Thirty miles 

 south of San .lose is Gilroy, with a rich 

 farming country surrounding it. Twen- 

 ty miles south of tliis is HoUister, with 

 the same. Between Gilroy and HoUister 

 lies Soap Lake, out of which flows the 

 Pajaro river, which "reaches the ocean" 

 all the year round. Thirty miles south 

 of HoUister is the valley of the Salinas 

 river, which, for a portion of the year 

 at least " reaches the ocean " in some- 

 thing besides a "dribble," perhaps(?). 

 "J." knows more about that than I do. 

 The valley is a rich farming country 

 and not a desert, "J." to the contrary 

 notwithstanding. Next comes San Luis 

 Obispo, with some more good farming 

 country, the people of which would not 

 thank "J." for publishing their county 

 as a " desert. " Next comes Santa Bar- 

 bara, the same. Then comes Ventura 

 county, with just as good farming land 

 as a man need live on. Next comes Los 

 Angeles, with her thousands of acres of 

 orange, lemon, lime, peach, pear, apricot, 

 plum and prune orchards, as fine as any 

 in the world; also her thousands of acres 

 of vineyards, producing vast quanti- 

 ties of grapes, etc. Not much of a 

 desert! 'The average com crop of Los 

 Nietos, Anaheim, Santa Ana and San 

 Bernardino is from 80 to 100 bushels 

 per acre. 



When I refer to fruits and harvest 

 fields, I don't mean a portion of the 

 State 500 or 600 miles north of where I 

 live, but I mean right here in San Diego 

 county. Yesterday I saw a White Tur- 

 key fig tree three years old, without a 

 drojj of water put on it since it was set 

 out, and not a thing done to it in the 

 w.ay of cultivation since the first season. 

 This was frozen to the giound the first 

 Winter, and yet I saw on it 113 figs. 



Men who plant and sow here, and do 

 it when and how it should be done, get 

 just as good returns for their labor as in 

 any of the Western states, where they 

 are as far from market as we are here. 

 frood men get just as good wages and as 

 stead}- employment here as in any couu- 

 tiy I ever lived in, and I have Uved in 

 Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, 

 Iowa and Missouri, and to-day I would 

 not trade my little 160 acres for the best 

 farm in either of those states, and be 

 compelled to go there and live on it and 

 work it mjself, or hire it worked, for 

 that matter. I am a carpenter and get 

 $3.00 and board as the lowest price I 

 work for. The statement that " masons 

 they have no use for, as they don't build 

 brick or stone houses on account of 

 earthquakes," is simjjly laughable. In 

 San Diego, Los Angeles and .San Ber- 

 nardino there are plenty of brick houses. 

 It is true that many of the bee men 

 are living w-ithout women — "baching it" 

 — but many more are not. The majority 

 of settlers here have wives and families, 

 and more would have if they could get 

 them worth having. Good, marriage- 

 able white girls are not very plenty here. 

 G. F. M. has just called in and I read 

 this to him. We had quite a laugh over 

 it. He confessed that he had the blues 



