1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



561 







THE GUEIiDE BLAND FOWL. 



In placing some of the breeds of fowls, which i 

 we have occasionally introduced, before the read- 

 er, we do it to afford him an opportunity of 

 learning something of the various kinds that 

 have been brought among us within ten years, or 

 that have been gained by crosses with the old 

 stock of the country. We give their merits and 

 defects, as we have observed them in the poul- 

 try yard, or as we find them described by others. 



In Bennett's "Poultry Book" we find the fol- 

 lowing account of these fowls : — 



I am indebted to Mr. H. L. Devereux, of 

 Boston, for the following account of the original 

 importation of this breed, and a description of 

 those in his possession. 



"The Guelderland fowls were imported from 

 the north of Holland, some years since, by Cap- 

 tain John Devereux, of Marblehead, in the ship 

 Dromo ; and since that time have been bred 

 purely by him, at his place in that town. They 

 are supposed to have originated in the north of 

 Holland. They are clad in a beautiful blue-black 

 plumage, but the flesh is white, tender and juicy. 

 They have no comb, but a small, indented, hard, 

 bony substance, instead, and large red wattles. 

 They are of good size, great layers, seldom in- 

 clining to sit ; bright, active birds, and are not 

 surpassed, in point of beauty or utility, by any 

 breed known in this country. Their weight is 

 from five pounds for the pullets, to seven pounds 

 for the cocks. The laying qualities of the hens 



are very respectable, and in this respect they will 

 prove profitable to their owners. It is safe to 

 pronounce the Guelderlands to be a first-rate 

 breed for profit, and especially for beauty." 



SPAYIH& COWS. 



We learn that a gentleman at Newburyport 

 had two cows spayed last spring. They have done 

 so well, and given him such satisfaction that he 

 has recently had the operation performed on an- 

 other. They are all fine milkers. One of the cows 

 spayed last spring, a fine young Durham, gives 

 as much milk now, in October, as she did last 

 May, a few weeks after calving. The other, an 

 old cow, is now in rather low flesh and has fallen 

 ofi" somewhat in her milk. Their milk has varied 

 in quantity, according to the keeping they have 

 had. But they have neither of them fallen oflf 

 as much as cows in the ordinary condition. This 

 gentleman keeps four cows, and he intends to 

 have a fourth spayed soon, so that he may have 

 his whole set in this condition. We shall watch 

 the result of this experiment with much interest. 



|^= "Commentators are folks that too often 

 write on books as men with diamonds write on 

 glass, obscuring light with scratches. 



