FOWLS, TABLE AND MARKET. 179 



Plymouth Rocks and Brown Leghorns — progeny make 

 fine broilers and extra good layers. 



Houdans and light Brahmas — progeny very symmetrical, 

 plump and precocious. 



Silver-spangled Hamburgs and light Brahmas — extra 

 good layers ; very symmetrical, but do not mature early. 



Silver-spangled Hamburgs and Houdans — progeny extra 

 good for broilers and for eggs. 



He states also, that, as a rule, the male influences the 

 color of the progeny, and the female influences the form of 

 the body, bone, etc. 



Of all these cross-bred fowls, the Plymouth Rock and 

 light Brahma cross made the fastest growth. They were 

 the heaviest at three to five months old ; but pure light 

 Brahmas hatched at the same time were heaviest at nine 

 months old or older, and the pure light Brahmas made the 

 heaviest capons. 



Virgin cocks are superior to capons up to about seven 

 months old ; after that the capons are superior. They can 

 be made fat at five to seven months old, and capons at seven 

 to eight months ; though for their full development nine to 

 twelve months are requisite. 



Capons should be marketed when fat, though the market 

 is better after the bulk of other poultry has been consumed, 

 and when game is no longer in season. 



ENGLISH EXPERIENCE. 



The offer of prizes at the English poultry shows, for 

 chickens bred for quantity and quality of flesh, is attracting 

 attention in Great Britain to such experiments as those just 

 referred to ; and, judging from the tone of recent newspaper 

 articles on the subject, great advantage to those who raise 

 poultry for market will certainly result. 



The *' Field " of September 30 makes the following state- 

 ment : — 



*'The prizes for chickens, in which quality and quantity of 

 flesh, absence of waste or oflal, and smallness of bone, are 

 the leading characteristics, were in the first instance oflJ'ered 

 by the proprietors of the ' Field ' at the Crystal Palace 



