80 THE REARING AND 



for the want of insects, I occasionally give them a little raw 

 meat. By adopting this plan I keep them in decent health. 

 The only thing they appear to want is more exercise, which, I 

 think, is the reason I cannot rear chickens well, for with all 

 my attention I find they are stunted in their growth, no doubt 

 from the want of a sufficient run." I can only say that a 

 Cockerel which this gentleman did me the favour to send me, 

 showed no symptoms of stunted growth. He was a magnificent 

 black Spanish fellow, with all the distinctive marks of the breed 

 highly developed. He has since vanished, and is now doubt- 

 less the pride of the thief or the receiver, in some sequestered 

 dingy back lane. What a contrast such a situation for Fowls 

 is, to that described by another correspondent. " I wish you 

 could see my poultry-yard, which is in fkct no yard, being part 

 of our park, where I always have the young broods, and as 

 some of it is now a hay-field, it is a nice place for them to run 

 about in." H. H. 



It has been suggested that none of the writers on Poultry 

 have dwelt sufficiently upon the profit and convenience of those 

 who keep a few Fowls for the sake of their eggs, having ever- 

 lasting layers, with perhaps one or two sitting Hens to enable 

 them to keep up their stock. If the sitting Hens were such 

 as lay broicn eggs, and the others white ones, it would save 

 trouble. This arrangement could easily be carried out by se- 

 lecting one or two Game or Cochin China Hens that lay dark 

 eggs, and are all excellent incubators, and having the laying 

 Hens Black Spanish, or Silver Hamburg, or the Andalusian 

 variety, imported by Mr. Barber. 



Another plan, quite feasible, is to keep no Hens' whatever 

 except those which lay everlastingly, and to make hen Turkeys 

 perform the duty of incubating for all parties. 



The following hint may be useful to those who are not pro- 

 vided with a stud of everlasting layers : " Amongst all the 

 remedies I have seen recommended for diseases in Poultry, I 



