Vlll INTRODUCTION. 



have errors of type, of history, and of judgment, I cannot doubt. Per- 

 haps no human work on any subject is free from error of some kind ; 

 and I shall not claim infallibility in this Treatise. I shall use the 

 writings of others moderately where the subject I am treating on will 

 be elucidated thereby; and I hope no one will be able to accuse 

 me of not giving the proper credit, as has been the case with other 

 writers on this subject who have preceded me. I shall also discard 

 much of the matter now existing in the pages of my predecessors, 

 which seems to be of little practical value, but inserted apparently, for 

 the want of more important matter to help to fill up and swell their 

 volumes to the dollar size. Truth demands this assertion, however 

 harshly it may grate upon the ears of the writers of the works refer- 

 red to. It is too often the practice of the present day to extend a 

 little matter to a great sized volume, in order to command a higher 

 price. We often see large books with small pages, and broad margins, 

 and the types large and leaded, that is, the lines wide apart ; and in 

 this manner purchasers are made to pay for large books at high prices, 

 when their contents may just as well be condensed into books of 

 half the size, and sold at half the price. The pages of this work are 

 equal in size to the dollar works on this subject, but not so much 

 margin is allowed, and by using small type to a great extent, and 

 setting it solid, the work is in a form that admits of its being retailed 

 at the low price of fifty cents in paper covers. In the arrangement 

 of the various breeds of poultry, I wish it to be understood, that I do 

 not give particular breeds a precedence over others in regard to their 

 value, in consequence of such breeds being presented first in the work. 

 N"or do I attempt to form any particular classification on the score of 

 genealogy. 



No work of value on Domestic Poultry can be produced without 

 comprising the Essays of gentlemen engaged in rearing fowls. That 

 some of these Essays may be rather highly colored for interested 

 purposes, is quite probable ; yet this is the only way in which we can 

 get information from those who breed them. And if they desire to 

 effect sales of their own particular breeds by publishing glowing 

 accounts of them, we must make due allowance for these things, 

 when and where we think best. 



It has been my endeavor to procure information from gentlemen of 

 known probity and standing in society ; and I am happy to say, if that 

 which I now impart from my correspondents, is not correct, we may 

 consider it utterly impossible to obtain correct information on the 



