BLACK SPANISH FOWLS. 135 



There have been several very fine lots of Black Spanish 

 fowls recently imported by Dr. J. C. Bennett, Dr. Wight, and 

 Jno. Giles, Esq., the portraits of which are here shown. I have 

 not procured this breed, for the reason, that they do not thrive 

 so well in a very cold climate, as in a moderate one, and besides 

 being less hardy than some other breeds, their combs are 

 more liable to freeze. I shall, however, procure the breed, 

 and construct warm quarters for them. As a market, or table 

 fowl, I cannot recommend them, because it is a generally 

 admitted fact, that all black fowls, of the smaller gallinaceous 

 tribes, are hard to fatten, and their flesh not as finely flavored 

 as that of light-colored fowls. This rule, however, does not 

 apply with equal force to some of the large Asiatic black fowls. 

 As layers, I will admit that the Black Spanish fowls are truly 

 valuable, but beyond this, judging from analogy and other con- 

 siderations, I must say that here their main worth rests. 



Mr. Dimon, the writer of the following letter, says, that they 

 are very hardy ; but I must have evidence of that fact from 

 personal experience, before I shall believe that their hardiness 

 will compare with our large Chinese or Asiatic breeds of fowls ; 

 but at the same time, Mr. Dimon may be correct in calling 

 them hardy, to a certain extent. 



WAKEFIELD, R. I, Sept. 27, 1852. 



ME. T. B. MINER Dear Sir : As yon request me to write an article 

 concerning the Black Spanish fowls which I own, I will endeavor to 

 do so. The parents of my fowls were imported from England in May, 

 1850, at a great expense. And they are the handsomest specimens of 

 the Spanish stock 1 have ever seen. And at our State Fair last fall, 

 they took the only premium awarded on Spanish fowls, although Mr. 

 J. P. Child s' fowls were there. 



I have for several years been more or less engaged in keeping and 

 breeding fowls, and formerly more for pleasure than profit ; but now, 

 my object is to keep fowls for profit ; and after impartially trying 

 nearly all kinds common to this country, I have come to this conclusion 

 that if eggs be your object, keep the Spanish fowls in preference to 

 any others of my acquaintance. But if raising chickens for market 

 be your object, I would advise a cross between the Spanish and 

 Shanghae or some other large fowl. I have been very successful in 

 crossing the Spanish with the red Shanghaes for raising chickens for 

 the market, as chickens from this cross grow larger than the clear 

 Spanish, and also come to maturity much sooner than the Shanghaes, 

 thereby producing good sized fowls for the market, of excellent flesh, 

 that are not forever growing. The Spanish fowls of my stock are of 

 a medium size, averaging about six pounds in weight, of a glossy 

 black plumage, changing in the sun to a greenish hue. Their legs are 

 of a leaden color ; the solea of their feet are of a dirty flesh color, 



