138 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



ment, and in addition would say, I have sold eight dozen of their 

 eggs for eight dollars, which will make the profits of the fall as 

 follows : ■ 



472 eggs at 331 cts. per doz., the average store price, $13 11 

 Dr. for keeping, 3 74 



Net profit, as common fund, . . . . . $9 35 

 Difference of eggs sold for $1 per doz., . . . 4 66 



114 01 



The hen in pen No. 2, we believe, has laid 150 eggs in the 

 six months. In pen No. 3, 1 present for premium a pair of pure 

 breed from my stock, which are the property of Charles Land- 

 burn, the same being entered for him. Tliis pair of fowls has 

 been enclosed in a coop twelve feet long and six feet wide, all 

 of the time. The hen commenced to lay, on January 31st, and 

 laid from that time to the 7th day of July, 119 eggs. The 

 remainder of the six months she did not lay, but as you see, 

 she laid her whole number in five months and eight days. She 

 commenced to lay again, August 8th. Her keeping has been 

 varied, but she has had the best of care, and I don't hesitate to 

 say that 200 eggs a year can be had from each hen of this 

 breed, if they have their health through the year. 



In my opinion, the above fowls are the best breed for eggs 

 that has yet been presented to the public, and in giving the 

 merits of the breed to the public, I submit the following state- 

 ment of my four hens and a cock for six months : from March 

 10th to September 10th, 1864. The above fowls have been for 

 most of the time enclosed in a yard, three rods long and one 

 rod wide, and their food has been nothing but corn, with fresh 

 water and oyster shells, at an expense of three dollars and 

 seventy-five cents for the five fowls for the six months. The 

 four hens have laid in the six months, 472 eggs, and one of the 

 hens has been sick ten weeks of the time, being an average of 

 118 eggs to each hen ; but to give each hen her just merits, we 

 should consider the hen that has been sick to lay about one-half 

 as many eggs as each of the others, as she would not naturally 

 lay as frequently, when layhig, as the others. Allowing her to 

 lay 60 eggs, would leave 412 eggs to be laid by the three other 



