CHAP. II.] FARMING FOR LADIES. 55 



The decision of which may be the better 

 mode, is a question which must depend much 

 on the nature of the climate — for all the gal- 

 linaceous species thrive better in the warm 

 and dry air of the south, from which they 

 originally came, than in the cold and humid 

 regions of the north ; but still more upon the 

 nature and sufficiency of the food. We cer- 

 tainly have frequently seen, both in this 

 country and abroad, from fifteen to twenty 

 hens attended by only one cock, and we 

 freely admit that the fewer cocks are kept in 

 the yard, the better ; as they will be the less 

 likely to quarrel. But, judging from our own 

 experience, we should say that a dozen hens 

 are the utmost that should be allowed to one 

 cock, and perhaps a still less number would 

 be more advisable ; unless warmly kept in 

 one of our southern counties, and fed with 

 a good quantity of corn. Moubray, indeed, 

 goes so far as, in the winter, to advise " that 

 a cock should only have four wives :" which 

 is perhaps limiting him unnecessarily, but 

 the error, if it be one, is on the right side : 

 and in the breeding of game-fowls for the 

 cock -pit, this is the utmost number allowed. 



