292 NORFOLK SOCIETY. 



At Mr. Bray's, they found his poultry, which is in great va- 

 riety, in good condition, and his arrangements for keeping dis- 

 tinct his different breeds of poultry, admirable. He is as yet, a 

 novice in the breeding of poultry, but his patience and indomi- 

 table perseverance in this branch, will lead to results which must 

 have a beneficial influence on his neighbors. 



At Mr. Marsh's, the committee had an opportunity to exam- 

 ine more fully, his stock, than they had been able to do as 

 boxed for the exhibition. Of the imported stock, he has re- 

 maining on hand, the rooster and one hen ; the issue of that 

 stock having been mostly disposed of to Francis Alden, Ded- 

 ham, a large contributor for the day. In answer to the inquiries 

 of Mr. Marsh, as to their flesh, he says : — " We killed a rooster 

 when about six months old, which, when dressed, weighed 

 almost six pounds, and a nicer chicken was never placed upon 

 the table." The weight of roosters when fully grown, it will 

 be seen by Mr. Marsh's statement, is twelve pounds. The 

 committee requested Mr. Alden to weigh some of his chickens, 

 (hatched in June,) and the return shows eight pounds for the 

 rooster ; the pullets of the same breed, (Mr. Alden says,) " have 

 produced eggs liberally, for the two weeks last past." 



Trusting that some of the members of this society may feel 

 an interest sufficient to learn the value and importance which 

 the poultry and egg trade occupies in the marketable world, 

 they have taken some pains to procure statistics relative to the 

 sale of poultry in the Boston market, and also, in relation to 

 the egg trade of Boston. 



The breeding and rearing of poultry, are scarcely second 

 in importance to that of any other article of stock in New 

 England. 



By reference to the Agricultural Statistics of the United 

 States, published in 1840, it will be seen that the value of 

 poultry in the State of New York, was tioo millions three hun- 

 dred and seventy-three thousand and twenty-nine dollars; 

 which was more than the value of all the swine in the same 

 state ; nearly equal to one-half of the value of its sheep, the 

 entire value of its neat-cattle, and nearly five times the value 

 of its horses and mules. 



