1875.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i63 



DARK BRAHMAS. 



BY W. ATLEK BIMIPEK. 



Tlu'sc popular Cowls deservedly occupy the 

 lirst place rtuinuL; tlie nienilx'rs of that widcly- 

 dislrilmtcd irroup— the Asiatics. Over no 

 bree<ls of fowls has there heen sucli a furore 

 excited as the Asiatics, iucludius dark and 

 lifjht ISrahnias, partridije. bull', white and black 

 Cochins. At their lirst introduction enormous 

 prices were realized for specimens aiiproachinfj 

 only mediocrity. I5ut now reliable breeding; 

 stock can be procured at fair prices : and yet 

 for birds of extraordinary merit prices ar<? re- 

 alized that to till' uninitiated would seem fab- 

 ulous, cxorbitanl. outrajicous, &e. l?ut it is 

 not so, and especially with dark Hrahmas. 

 >i'o breed of fowls iiresents greater obstacles 

 in the way of establi^h- 

 inff a strain and produc- 

 inj; birds approaching 

 the maximum "one 

 hundred points" of the 

 American standard, and 

 when sucli wonders are 

 liroduccd they are worth 

 all they will bring. It 

 is estiuiated that out of 

 each one hundred dark 

 Brahmas raised, only 

 aboid live will be what 

 are termed "High Class 

 E.xhibition Birds." 

 Great care and skill, 

 united with a sharp and 

 ready eye to perceive all 

 blennshes or excellen- 

 cies of form, feather or 

 markings, are necessary 

 in the mating for breed- 

 ing this highly interest- 

 ing fowl. Very mucli 

 damage (how nnieli can 

 scarcely lie realized) has 

 been done to the i)oul- 

 try interest by ignorant 

 breeders advertising 

 "Extra fine Steel-gray 

 Dark Brahmas," "eggs 

 for hatching for sale 

 from my fine hens of so- 

 and-so's noted strains, 

 mated with a grand 

 cock not akin," of some 

 other strain. Xow thi.'- 

 breeder probably be- 

 lieves all he says — that 

 the eggs from such fowls 

 will produce choice pro- 

 geny, and beginners are 

 apt to be lured by the 

 high-sounding words 

 and the names of the 

 strains of repute from 

 which his fowls were 

 raised. But although 

 the specimens them- 

 selves are good, they 

 may be of strains bred 

 entirely for ditlerent 

 purjioses, and wliich be- 

 ing thus suddenly mat- 

 ed together will produce 

 birds possessing all the 



faults of both strains. So it will be seen that 

 it is often very essential to incpiire the parent- 

 age of your stock, and see that the strains are 

 not foreign to each other. The cock should 

 have a solid black breast, but one with a spot- 

 ted breast will often breed good pullets. The 

 cockerels from such a mating will, however, 

 be nearly worthless. The puilets sliould be of 

 tliat nnu-h-esteenii'd stecl-grav plumage, with 

 very distinct i)(ncilling. In mating breeding 

 birds it sliould be borne in mind that the pro- 

 geny as a rule resemble the male jiarent 

 more in color, markings and fancy points in 

 general, and the female in size and form. 

 Thus very good cockerels can be breil out of a 

 correct cock mated to hens which may be of 

 poor pencilling but of comely shape and form. 

 In selecting fowls to breed for size (and cer- 

 tainly this i.s an object, although not to the 



neglect of symmetry,) a heavy build, with large 

 bones and frame-work should besought, rather 

 than fat and muscle. The over-fattened fowls 

 of the show-pen are often nearly worthhss as 

 breeders. But if the fowls are selected as.just 

 recommended, the progeny will make very 

 large ones if well fed and cared for. 



In economizing merits sonu' fanciers would 

 place ihe dark Brahmas ahead of the light, 

 thinking also that they are of a hardiir consti- 

 lution; but such is not the case. They are not 

 ('(lually i>rolitalilc and good as winter layers. 

 Dark Brahmas are of large siz<', easily con- 

 lined and very hard,v. Of a quiet disposition, 

 they are, nevertheless, good foragers if allowed 

 the range of a suitable grass-plot. The pro- 

 pensity to sit is in this, as in all Asiatic breeds, 

 a decided drawback. But, on llie whole, they 



DARK BRAHMAS. 



area very profitable variety and most assured- 

 ly are exceedingly interesting. They ])re.sent 

 many changes of form and feathers before ar- 

 riving at maturity, which can not fail to rivet 

 the attention and attract the admiration of all. 

 Sometimes the most ungainly will mature into 

 the finest and most symmetrical fowls. Over 

 all things in breeding, look to symmetry and 

 elegance in preference to mere size. Do not 

 cultivate " long-legged racers." They are not 

 only continual eye-sores, but also consume a 

 vast deal of foini that is wasted in the produc- 

 tion of slianks and which are scarcely edible. 

 Dark Brahmas present a peculiarity worthy 

 of notice in their pugilistic propensities. They 

 are the bravest and most fearless of their class. 

 Indeed, to such an extent docs this .sometimes 

 manifest itself that they have lieen known to 

 come off victors in contests with games. Sucli 



propensities add exceedingly to their noble and 

 ■self-confident carriage anddignified bearing, 

 which camiot fail to excite admiration. 



We have the i)leasure of illustrating tliis 

 article with one of the finest cuts ever en- 

 graved, which will, we trust, make clear what 

 our words may have failed to express. The 

 engraving was taken frcun life by the fancier 

 artist, J. W. Ludlow, and represents fowls 

 imported by Mr. S. II. Seamans. 



CROPS OF THE UNITED STATES.* 



Wheat. 

 The wheat crop of the ])resent year is a 

 short one, and the deficiency is augmenlcd by 

 a marked general deterioration in (piality. 

 None of the States east of the .Mi.s,sissippi, ex- 

 ee|)t Wisconsin, appears 

 to have equalled the crop 

 of last year. The Pacific 

 coast crop is also short. 

 The average for the en- 

 tire country, reported in 

 October, is about HO per 

 cent, of hust year's pro- 

 duction. If this indi- 

 cates the total deprecia- 

 tion, it amuiuits to 0"2,- 

 («H),(IOf) of bushels, and 

 gives a crop of •240,000,- 

 (M)Oof bushels. In quality 

 the entire crop of the 

 country averages ft4, or 

 14 per cent, below a 

 sotnid condition. This is 

 equivalent to a further 

 reduction of the crops, 

 though it means poorer 

 bread rather than less of 

 it. Shipments of wheat 

 were made from Mary- 

 lanil to Ohio, in oriler 

 to make a mixtiu'c that 

 woidd i)roduce a pas,«a- 

 ble ilom-. In the entire 

 State, Pennsylvania has 

 made about two-thirds 

 of her last year's crop ; 

 all of the Southern States, 

 however, have increa.sed 

 their production over 

 last year, some of them 

 7.') per cent. 



Corn. 

 The condition of the 

 corn crop, as reported to 

 the 1st of October, is ex- 

 ■ ceptionally high. Its 

 average status in several 

 of the States is consider- 

 iibly above the standard 

 of gdod condition ; that 

 is, in thrift and produc- 

 tiveness. But after that 

 date the crop suffered 

 some depreciation from 

 severe frosts, therefore, 

 there will be a large 

 quantity of unmerchant- 

 able corn, sofi and loose 

 on the ear; and alsoacon- 

 siderable proiiortion of 

 unsound fodder. In ad- 

 dition to fro.sts, corn has Ikhmi injured some by 

 in.sects and drought. A return, however, of 

 the quantities harvested camiot be made until 

 the end of XovenilKT, when the comparative 

 result will be better undei-stood. 

 Rye. 

 The* product reported this year falls about 4 

 per cent, short of la.st year, wliich was l)arely 

 an average croj). The ])roducti<<n of rye is 

 not extensive in any of the Stales. Pennsyl- 

 vania stands third among the rye-|iroducing 

 States, and her product the present year is 

 from 93 to OS in IIKI, or average standard. In 

 Wisconsin it reaches 120, whilst in Kansas it 

 is less than GO. 



Oats. 

 Returns make the entire product five per 



•Condcniod from the October Reiwrt of tho Deptrtmnit 

 of Agrloulture. 



