NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



155 





WHITE SIIANGHAE FOWLS. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 



Mr. Colt: : In describing these fowls, and giving 

 the history of the importation of them, I shall be 

 obliged to make statements which -will conflict Avith 

 those put forth in the work on poultry edited by 

 Dr. J. C. Bennett, and jiublishcd by Phillips, Samp- 

 son, & Co. 



The "White Shanghacs were first introduced into 

 the New England States, in the year 1848, by Capt. 

 A. S. Palmer, of "Westerly, K. I. Capt. Palmer, 

 while fit Shanghao, made inquiries rcsjiecting the 

 different kinds of poultry bred in its A'icinity, and 

 learned that the white breed M'as most highly prized, 

 on account of the size ; amount and quality of the 

 eggs produced by it ; the quietness of the race ; the 

 small amount of offal, compared with the other breeds ; 

 and the early age at which these fowls came to ma- 

 turity. 



Capt. Palmer put on board of his ship a large num- 

 ber of choice specimens of the White Shanghaes, as 

 well as those of tlie Kcd Shanghacs, and on his 

 arrival in the United States, presented his selections 

 to the lion. Nathan F. Dixon, of Westerly, R. I. 



This importation, by C^apt. Palmer, of White 

 Shanghacs, is the only one ever made until the 

 present year, when a merchant of this city, Daniel 

 C. Bacon, Esq., received from Shanghac three speci- 

 mens of these fowls, by the ship Vancouver, which 

 arrived in March last. Mr. Bacon ])rcsented these 

 fowls to Mr. Ebcn AVight, of Dedham, Mass., who 

 now has them, and to whom I am indebted for the 

 following letter containing a description of the fowls 

 imported bj- Mr. Bacon. : — 



S. B. >IoRSE, Jr., Esq. Sir : Your note of yester- 

 day, asking of me information in relation to the 

 White Shanghacs, recently imported in the ship 

 Vancouver, is received. 



The fowls, consisting of one cock and two pullets,, 

 arrived here during the last month, March, 1850, and 

 were in poor condition when coming from on ship- 

 board, as all fowls suffer more or less when kept so 

 long without coming to the earth. When the ship 

 left Shanghac, there were two cocks and four pullets, 

 and with great care they were enabled to save one 

 cock and two jjuUcts. 



The fowls were selected with care, expresshj for the 

 owner of the ship, and no pains were spared to obtain 

 the purest and best that could be had in that quarter; 

 and I think they do credit to the person who selected 

 them. 



Immediately on their arrival here, the owner, a 

 friend of mine, having no conveniences for them, 

 handed over the entire lot to me ; and I sent them at 

 once to Dedham, where they are doing well, having 

 throve finely since coming to the earth. 



The pullets commenced laying at once, and have 

 continued to give each their egg every day since their 

 arrival. 



Their eggs are of a fawni or pearl color, being in 

 this respect diil'ercnt from the thmisand niul one 

 White Shanghacs, (so called,) which I take it arc 

 merely a cross between our common white fowl and 

 the Red Shanghac. 



Whether their eggs will come darker or not as they 

 grow older, must remain to be seen ; at present tl^e 

 eggs are of the color of the eggs laid by Mr. Burn- 

 ham's Roval Cochin Chinas, and yet his birds are 

 entirely different from both the Red and Whito 

 Shanghacs, and very superior fowls too. 



Since their arrival, tlie feathers have come oui 

 fully on the leg, and the portrait gives a very correct 

 likeness. 



This must prove a valuable fowl, from their nat- 

 urally quiet disposition, early nuiturity, and the great 

 Buic which they can be made to attain to ; and siuce 



