REPOtrr ON POULTRY. 



Your committee beg leave to submit the following : — 



There were fiftj^-four entries in this class, including some very fine 

 specimens of pure Ijred fowls, nearly- all of which were a credit to 

 the exhibitor. Four entered for best display, and as there was but 

 one premium, this was awarded to Thomas Smith of Belchertown, 

 who exhibited ten coops, including geese, turkeys, ducks, leghorns, 

 brahmas, cochins, hamburgs and bantams. The other premiums we 

 will not take space to enumerate here as they will be found in the list, 

 but just a word in regard to breed. 



Every breed has its fanciers and all breeds are good in their place, 

 but the question here is which is best, all things considered, for the 

 farmer to raise ; it is desirable of course to have good layers and 

 also good fowls for market. Leghorns, both brown and white, are 

 remarkably good layers, but too small for a profitable market fowl ; 

 on the other hand, large breeds like Brahmas and Plymouth Rocks, 

 although nice market fowls, are only ordinary layers ; it is easy to 

 obtain by crossing, fowls which will have some characteristics of 

 both parent breeds, then if your flock are Brahmas, replace the cocks 

 with pure-bred Leghorns, and the chicks will be apt to be good lay- 

 ers, larger than Leghorns, and will make, when dressed for market, 

 handsome poultry. Any farmer can improve his flock b}' getting a 

 pure-bred cock from some breed having the qualities which his hens 

 seem to lack. 



We miglit occupy several pages in treating the subject of food and 

 care of poultry. Indeed, this subject forms a department of most 



