THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



many black feathers. It is said that they were 

 even faintly, but indistinctly, barred on neck 

 and saddle. They had single combs and clear 

 shanks, and often weighed from five to six 

 pounds. A few progressive farmers, wishing 

 to improve the laying quality of their hens, 

 following the old-time theory of like begetting 

 like, selected the best birds at their disposal 

 and mated them, and in time their descendants 

 became known as the " Dominick fowls " ; an 

 improvement on the old hawk-colored bird, 

 but still not satisfactory to this group of utili- 

 tarians. Brahmas, Cochins and Langshans, 

 which were at that time being imported to a 

 limited extent, were too slow and heavy to fill 

 their ideal; Leghorns and Minorcas too light, 

 excitable and difficult to control within a 

 limited space. Besides, the cold New Eng- 

 land winters were not conducive to the Medi- 

 terranean birds' productiveness. So a Mr. 

 Clark, who had some black Cochins, which 

 had been imported by a Mr. Giles, and a Mr. 

 Spalding who kept the hawk-colored fowls, 



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