ON POULTRY. 51 



awaken slothful man to the duties of the day. — As saith the 



quaint old legend — 



The Cock does crow, ifo let you know, 

 If y»ube wise what time to rise. 



The Committee are aware that there are some persons in 

 this community who say they can see no good likely to re- 

 sult from what they sarcastically term this " hen fever." 

 These are the conservative class, those worthippers of the past 

 who oppose all innovations. They are so intensely Native 

 American in their feelings that all their affections centre in 

 their dearly loved Dunghill. They are jealous of the influence 

 of foreign emigration and cannot endure such outlandish nara^is 

 as Shanghae, Hong Kong and Chittagong. Their patriotism 

 is alarmed lest the Gallic Cock of France shall taka the place 

 of the American Eagle as our national emblem, and our old 

 patriotic anthem of " Yankee Doodle " be supplanted by the 

 new one of " Cock-a-Doodle-do." Their absurd fears make 

 them turn pale at the sight of a White Dorking, and chicken 

 hearted in presence of a Spanish Game. They shudder at the 

 hissing of a Bremen Goose, stop their ears at the cackling of 

 a Guinea hen, and whenever they hear a Cock crow, they go 

 out and weep bitterly. 



It is hardly necessary to say that your Committee have no 

 sympathy with such fears. They have the most sanguine be- 

 lief that this dreaded " hen fever " is producing the best re- 

 sults. They may be seen in the exhibition this day of im- 

 proved races of fowls, and if it did not savor too much of 

 " counting chickens before they are hatched," we would con- 

 fidently predict a still better show another year. We would 

 even indulge the hope that the march of improvemement will 

 go on until it reaches the performance of that famous fowl we 

 read about, of whom it was said that — 



Every day she laid two eggs 

 And Sundays she laid three. 



F. POOLE, 



CHOATE BURNHAM, I ^ 

 A. D. WAIT ^ Committee. 



G. C. PEARCE, 



