THE GENESEE FARMER. 



81 



a glass cap, so as to admit light but exclude rain ; 

 in a few days it will bo a moving mass of living 

 insects or grubs, which can l)e thrown out to the 

 poultry. There is nothing they will devour so 

 greedily ; but this should be sparingly given, as the 

 fowls are so fond of it that, if given abundantly, it 

 will prevent them from taking their usual food, 

 and, squash bugs especially, will sometimes give 

 tlieni disease. 



Reg -larity, where fed by the hand, should always 

 be observed in the hours of feeding, and also in the 

 quantity of food given. Not surfeit them one day, 

 and starve them the next; but give the fowls their 

 food as regularly as you take your own meals. 



"Which breeds of fowls are considered the best 

 for producing eggs?" This, also, is one of those 

 questions more easily asked than answered, " What 

 breeds of fowls would you recommend keeping for 

 economy and profit?" is a question frequently put 

 to us. To which we would answer, those which 

 are considered the most useful sorts: 



1. The Dorking fowl, an ancient breed, which 

 Columella, who lived in the middle of the first 

 century, accurately describes, as we have it now, 

 as being the best fowl of his time; speckled in 

 color, of great beauty of plumage, and possessing 

 the fifth toe ; to which we might add, somewhat 

 delicate in constitution, and seems to thrive best on 

 warm soils ; eggs large and well flavored, but not 

 abundant; fair motliers; chickens, though feather- 

 ing early, not so easy to rear as some other breeds; 

 splendid table fowl, meat white, tender, juicy, and 

 of high flavor; large and plump in body, wants 

 liberal keep and wann housing. 



2. Game fowls. Also an ancient breed. We 

 have good authority that this breed existed in Eng- 

 land with the Romans. Elegant and compact in 

 appearance, hardy in constitution, excellent cater- 

 ers for themselves, good layers of delicious eggs, 

 excellent mothers and roarers of chickens, and 

 unsurpassed in flavor when cooked. Indeed, we 

 would recommend a well-bred Game cock in all 

 cases as the best cross to infuse stamina, liardihood 

 and fecundity into a decaying stock of fowls, where 

 liure Mood is no object. 



3 Dominique. One of the best fowls, taken 

 " all-in-all," we have ; unanimously pronounced as 

 being hardy, good layers, careful nurses, and atibrd- 

 iug excellent quality of eggs and flesh. 



4. Black Spanish. Noble birds, and abundant 

 layers of very large eggs. The Spanish hen will 

 lay more pounds of eggs than any other breed we 

 know ; but they are i)Oor incubators, worse mothers; 

 chickens rather slow to feathar, and delicate. 



5. Golden Spangled Hamburg. Elegant in plu- 

 mage, compact and symmetrical in form, great 

 layers of delicious eggs ; seldom want to sit, poor 

 mothers, and chickens tender; do not bear confine- 

 ment, great foragers, and very showy as lawn fowls. 

 The characteristics of the Silver Spangled Ham- 

 burgs are similar to the Golden, except in color. 



6. Bolton Grey. A nice, plump, and not very 

 hardy bird ; elegant in form, beautiful in plumage, 

 fii-st-rate layers, rare incubators, impatient of re- 

 sri-Miiit, excellent caterers for themselves, requiring 

 •'>-unn apartments. 



7. Poland. Excellent layers of good-sized eggs, 

 rare incubators, poor mothers, chickens rather 



delicate, beautiful in form and plumage; require 

 warm housing; good for the table. 



8. Brahmas. Hardy, abundant and early layers 

 of excellent eggs, rather small in comparison to 

 the size of the bird ; good mothers, chickens strong 

 and grow rapidly, and with good feeding fit for the 

 table at four months old ; very quiet, and bear 

 confinement in a small space better than almost 

 any other breed. o. N. bkmknt. 



Springside, Dec, 1S59. 



MAXIMS. 



[From the Journal of a Canadian Farmer.] 



" Never put off till to-morrow what can as well 

 be done to-day." Our short working seasons and 

 variable climate render this absolutely necessary. 



" Never occupy more land than you can culti- 

 vate thoroughly." One acre well till»id is more 

 profitable than two acres slovenly managed. 



" Never contract debts,, with the expectation of 

 paying for them with crops not yet grown." There 

 are so many liabilities to failure, that we seldom 

 realize what we anticipate.. 



"Never keep more stock than you can winter 

 well; nor less than will consume all the fodder you 

 can raise." To sell hay or straw is unwise and 

 unprofitable. 



" Never expose stock of any kind to the inclem- 

 ency of a Canadian winter." They require, at 

 least one-third more food, and are poorer in the 

 spring ; besides, it is cruel and shiftless. 



"Never neglect getting up a year's sup{)ly of 

 wood in the leisure of winter." It is unprofitable 

 to cut wood in summer, when wages are double^ 

 and every hour is required on the farm. 



" Never spend your labor and waste your seed, 

 in trying to raise grain in ' dropsical' land'."' It is 

 better to spend the price of the seed, and the labor 

 of plowing and harrowing, in drains at the first ; 

 then your capital is properly invested, and you will 

 be likely to get a handsome dividend. 



"Never plant an orchard with the expectation 

 of its thriving, unless you first prepare the laud 

 well, then plant well, stake well, fence well, and 

 cultivate well — hoed crops are the best." " What 

 is worth doing at all, is worth doing well," must 

 always be borne in mind in the raising of fruit 

 trees to anything like perfection. 



"Never let your tools and implferaents be ex- 

 posed to the decaying influences of the sun, rain, 

 and frost, except when in use." " A place for 

 everything, and everything in its place," will pay 

 at least twenty-five per cent, per annum, in this 

 respect. 



"Never depend upon a neighbor's grindstone to 

 sharpen your tools on." It is a waste of time; and 

 time is a farmer's capital, when rightly employed. 

 This might also apply to borrowing in general. 

 . " Never trust boys to plow, unless you are fre- 

 quently in the field." A man's wages may soon be 

 lost in careless plowing. 



" Never trust children to milk the cows, unless 

 some competent person follows after to secure the 

 most valuable part of the milk." A cow is soon 

 spoiled by bad milking. 



" Never use the contemptible saying, ' time 

 enough yet';" but always endeavor to do every- 

 thing in season. "Take time by the forelock." 

 Lead the work, rather than be driven by it. 



