1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



85 



PLYMOUTH ROCK FOWLS. 



Our cuts illustrate the "Sliiiiiiarcll'lynioulli 

 Eooks." Tliey are larifi! ami of f^oixl shape, 

 viTV iiluni|) bodii'd with lull lircasts. Tlicy 

 iiiatiuT early aiul make larjje V)r()ilers for early 

 sininjj uiarliel. They are very .suiierior lalile 

 fowls, havhifialso brif^ht yellow lej?s, free from 

 feathers. They are t;ood layei's, aud combin- 

 ing as they do, in a wonderful degree, the 

 economies of large size, iirnlilie laying and 

 superior sitting (lualitie.s, we do not hestitale 

 to recommend them as a fowl for utility and 

 profit. 



These fowls are an out-and-out American 

 breed, having been originated and perfected 

 here. And they are a production of which 

 American fanciers may well be proud; for of all 

 the favorites known in the fowl category thi'se 

 are more than others entitled to be called 

 "The Farmers' Fowl." 



Moore's liiiru! Nero Yorker — which ought to 

 be good testimony, if age and experience are 

 of any value — says: ''Among the many line 

 breeds of fowls originated or introduced from 

 abroad during the past half century the 

 Plymouth Itocks appear to hold a very promi- 

 nent position, or to put it in the language of 

 one of our noted breeders, 

 " They are just now roosting 

 on the topmost wave of gen- 

 eral popularity." 



They are an American breed, 

 having originated by crossing 

 the old, short-legged Domi- 

 ni(iues with some variety of 

 the Asiatics ; the color, hardi- 

 ness and other good qualities 

 of the former being preserved 

 wil'h important addition of an 

 increase in size. 



The Plymouth Rocks may 

 be considered a " general-i)ur- 

 lio.se breed," the hens being 

 excellent layers and gooil i 

 I'nothers. In their case, there- i 

 fore, there is no necessitj' |^^ 

 in keeping two breeds on' 

 a place in order to ob- 

 tain both eggs and chickens, 

 as must be done when only 

 the non-sitting varieties are 

 keiit, thereby increasing thi g 

 clian<'esof intrnducing im)iuri 

 Vil(n)d into one's tlock. Tlie> 

 are also a clean-legged lireed. ~_ 

 thei'c being no feathers on b^-^^ „ '. 

 their feet and lower part of- -^- 

 the leg, to dabble in the snow^^-^ _ ,,_ 

 and mud, and in this way fur- ^^&^^rr^'-7 

 nish a congeni.al harbor for ---s^Sfc: 

 parasites, which cause a disease known as the 

 "scurvy-leg." The combs and wattles are 

 also of moderate size, and not likely, there- 

 fore, to become frozen in cold weather, as iu 

 breeds which have these almost useless, but 

 orn;imeutal apjiendages more largely de- 

 veloped. 



The general color of these birds i? gray, or 

 what would be genernlly denominated a hawk- 

 color, each feather beimr distinctly penciled 

 across with dark bars. The beak is a bright 

 yellow, short, stout at base, and with a line 

 curved point. Eyes large, cleai' and bright. 

 Comb red, single, uin-ight and .straight. Wat- 

 tles and ear-lolies bright red and of medium 

 size. Neck of the cock of medium length 

 with abundant hackle. .(;olor bluish gray, and 

 fiee from white or black feathers, and wlien 

 these occur they should lie considered a dis- 

 (pialhication. Legs large and sti'ong. of medi- 

 mn length, and tlie skin of a yellowish color. 

 Disposition quiet, not much given to roaming 

 far, or attempting to tly, for their wings arc 

 too .small and their bodies too heavy to admit 

 of much progress in llight. 



Messrs. W. A. Birpep: & Co., of Philadel- 

 phia, (to whom we arc indebted for the above 

 illustrations,) who have a choice stock of these 

 fowls for sale, state, that '' If a better breed 

 for the farmer who desires both eggs and meat 

 exists, they have failed to find it, although by 

 some they may have been tried and ' found 

 wanting.'" 



SCURVY UEGS IN FOWLS. 



White legs and scurvy legs are synonymous ; 

 that is, blanching of the shanks generally pre- 

 cedes the scurvy. Ulanched legs, aud the un- 

 sightly scurviness generally proceeds from low 

 cou<liiion of the bird alTccied. AVhen the fowl 

 is in high condition the plumage is rich and 

 glo.s.sy, every joint is better develoited, the 

 comb and wattles are of a brighter red, and 

 the skin of the legs (of yellow legged breeds) 

 will be a good orange. A tawny color in the 

 shanks denotes impurity of l)lood. Of the two 

 JjCghorns — the IJrown and White — the Ihowns 

 have the richest color of leg,' being in both 

 cock and hen a briglit orange, beside which 

 the lemon yellow of the White Leghorns is 

 tanie. The spotless purity of plumage in the 

 Whites causes the color of the leg to stand out 

 in bold relief, and oftentimes appear darker 

 and richer than it really is, both iu the legs 

 and beak. There is also the same diU'erence 

 observable between llie P. Cochins and L. 

 Brahmas. The coloruig of the Cochins is al- 

 most exactly the same as that of the Brown 

 Leghorn. Their skin also is of a richer, rarer 

 yellow. No white, or entirely black fowl, ever 

 bears so yellow a skin as a brown or Domi- 



I 



m liTiiiK 



■g^^ 



nique-colored one. Frequently those breeds | 

 whose standard demands their shanks to be i 

 yellow will throw chicks with white or a very : 

 pale .shade of yellow legs. Such should bo 

 guarded against and never be allowed to I 

 breed. "When first hatched, and before any I 

 exposure to the air or sun, the legs of all 

 chicks are apt to be white, but after a day or 

 two they wUl come to their color and be bright 

 and clear. Oftentimes they will grow up and 

 remain still pale in color, and slender and 

 weakly in appearance. Such a bird has a deli- 

 cate, sickly constitution, and in reaching ma- 1 

 turity should never be allowed to enter the ' 

 breeding pen. If a cock, make a broiler of 

 him, aud if a pullet, throw her out to lay eggs ! 

 for culinary purposes. Such not infrequently j 

 hapiiPiis to be the case, even from imrc- 

 blooded jiarents, and when all the mates may 

 be perfect birds too. Some default, or un- 

 probed weakness in either one parent or the 

 othei-, that may be of oidy temiiorary dura- 

 tion mav for a short period manifest itself and 

 be inherited by the otTspring. This fault may 

 arise from some neglect in feeding, or a lack 

 of the proper exercise which is necessary to 

 keep the body in perfect working order — the 

 digestive as well as all the generative organs. 

 In yellow-legged breeds, that are bred pure, 

 any approach to blending or blanching denotes 

 a low condition of the birds in which it makes 

 its appearance. 'The fading out of the color 



from the leg is almost always foll(jwed by the 

 mealy appearance of scurf that accumulates 

 sU)wly until the shanks are filled with bunches, 

 and the scales are distorted, swollen and 

 warty. This is brought abmit lij' the presence 

 of mites; vermin so small that they cannot 

 be discovered by the naked eye, which liave 

 gradually increased until they are nnllionBin 

 number. 



We fre(piently meet with recipes in poultry 

 hooks and papers to cure this unsightly dis- 

 order. The majority of them arc heartless 

 aud cruel in the extreme. The birds thus 

 alllicted are in nearly every ca.sc out of order 

 aud sullering from disea.se. They are thin in 

 llesh, with poor appetiti's, and generally pre- 

 fer to roost a good portion of the lime. t)ne 

 recipe recommends kero.sene oil as a cure. 

 Now this is the very worst remedv that can 

 be applied. Better cut the bird's head oil in 

 the commencement, aud relieve much misery 

 that will surely fi)llow an application of this 

 dangerous remedy— ])oison it might he called. 

 It removes all the skin from the leg, and ren- 

 ders the tendons and sinews extremely sore. 

 In this case the n-medy is far worse tlian the 

 disease. The first thing to dn is to tone up 

 the system. The bird perhajis is alllicted with 

 vermin on the body, and it 

 would be strange if this were 

 not the case. The application 

 of grease of any description 

 to a fowl for vermin is cruel, 

 esjiecially if the bird be com- 

 plaining" a little. It causes 

 the feathers to he wet, and 

 consequently heavy, and to 

 stick close to the l)ody. Be- 

 sides, a wetting of grease is 

 apt to give the bird cold. In- 

 stead, a gentle batii of finely 

 sifted wood ashes is t» be iire- 

 ferred, which acts as a stimu- 

 lant and causes many of the 

 vermin to let go their hold 

 and drop off. 



All sick birds should be 

 moved slowly and handled 

 carpfully. Give soft food of 

 some description that will 

 L ti'mjit the appetite, and bathe 

 tlie legs with a pretty strong 

 ■1 .coction of carbolic soap, 

 literward applying a thin 

 ■ating of ointment, or sweet 

 il. Vicing careful not to 

 imide or soil the feathers. 

 lowls are chary of their 

 ! athei-s, and dislike wet or 

 J I ease on them. If the bird 

 ._ __ an be coaxed to eat often a 



recovery is certain. When a hen desires to 

 sit it is the greatest benefit iiossible to allow 

 her to brood the usual period, and then after- 

 wards run with the chicks. 



^^"■^ 



WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO HAR- 

 VEST WHEAT?* 



Mr. Presidtiit andOentlenun: The question 

 you have assigned me is one as full of interest 

 as a perfect head of wheat is full of grains. 

 The gain or loss reached, both in quantity 

 and (luality, depends very much upon the 

 time and manner of harvesting. Wheat con- 

 stitutes one of the iirincipal mercantile com- 

 nifidities, both domestic and foreign : yielding 

 an immense revenue to the producer and to 

 the consumer. It is the princijial food of all 

 cla,sscs, and is the "staff of life;" therefore, 

 a proper knowledge of its culture, and the 

 best time to gather it, becomes an important 

 issue. 



Like on all other great questions, there is a 

 variety of opinions as to when Is the best time 

 to harvest wheat. I am aware that among 

 those jiresent there are gentlemen who have 

 given this subject much attention, and have 

 arrived at conclusions which no opinion of 

 mine can change; but. as I understand the 

 object of this organization to be the inter- 

 change of opinions, in order that we may 



•Read before the Lancaster County Agricultural and 

 Horticuimral Society Jane 3, 1878, by Peter 8. Rciet. 



