WORCESTER SOCIETY. 159 



commence laying ? " " How many eggs do they lay in a given 

 time ? " " What is the quality of their eggs and flesh ? " " To 

 what extent are they profitable or otherwise ? " 



The present enthusiasm on poultry has arisen principally 

 from the introduction into this country of foreign fowls, of 

 which there are several species, though probably not so many 

 as some fowl fanciers claim. Indeed, these gentlemen have a 

 bitter strife among themselves on this point. 



While one of them speaks of the Cochin China, Malay, Chit- 

 tagong, Shanghae, Shakebag, Great Java, and others, as distinct 

 species, another declares that some of them at least have resem- 

 blances that prove them to be of the same stock. One will 

 describe the " important points of difference '' between the form 

 of the Cochin China and Shanghae, while another, with the 

 fowls before him in every favorable position for examination, is 

 so exceedingly stupid as not to perceive a shade of difference. 

 Another of these gentlemen quarrels with himself. He says 

 that one importation of the Cochin China fowl is a cross of the 

 Chittagong and Shanghae, and that another participates in the 

 blood of the wild Indian game, in addition to the former bloods, 

 and still he calls either of them a species or distinct race, when 

 they are truly varieties or mongrels. But what fowls are the 

 most profitable, is the general and practical question, and per- 

 haps no one can answer it. The opinion is quite prevalent, 

 however, among those who have had the best means of infor- 

 mation on the matter, that the Chinese varieties, embracing 

 what are called Cochin China and Shanghae, are the most to 

 be desired of any yet known, some declaring in favor of one 

 importation, and others preferring a different. But even with 

 the common breeds, the farmer may be assured from ample sta- 

 tistics, that the poultry yard, if properly managed, will yield at 

 least as large a per cent, profit on the capital invested, as any 

 other yard of the farmer. 



C. B. METCALF, Chairman. 



