178 FARMING FOR LADIES. [chap. \iii. 



in winter, will in a short time impart some- 

 what of its scent ; and the fir tops found in 

 plantations are said to give them an odour 

 of turpentine. Grain of any sort, particularly 

 harley — in consequence probably of its sac- 

 charine property — renders them very rich 

 and delicate ; but peas, it should be observed, 

 will have the effect of imparting an unpleasant 

 flavour to the egg, though not to the flesh. 



Respecting number — we have already stated 

 that from ten to twelve, and in some instances 

 even fourteen, dozen of eggs are produced by 

 hens of the common breeds ; but so various 

 are the numbers layed by different fowls and 

 under different circumstances, both as to their 

 period of moulting and the time of their be- 

 ginning and ending their laying, that — as the 

 following account will show — no certain cal- 

 culation can be made of their average annual 

 amount. Thus, in one of the publications of 

 the Labourers' Friend Society, the produce of 

 three hens (two of them more correctly pul- 

 lets) from May to November was 343 eggs, 

 and that of three Polish pullets, hatched in 

 June, is stated to have been during two 

 consecutive years 524 and 456 eggs ; the 



