72 POULTRY. 



favorable results both in flesh and eggs as any foreign stock ever 

 imported. We do not mean to disparage the latter. There are 

 many excellent varieties and beautiful birds among them, and to 

 our thinking, none are before the Black Spanish, the English Dor- 

 kings and the Bolton Greys, of all which three varieties we had 

 capital samples at our Fair. These are all good layers, naturally 

 healthy, of tender and juicy and sweet flesh, and a valuable acqui- 

 sition. Cocks of these varieties introduced among the common 

 fowls of the farmyard, would greatly improve the stock. Indeed, a 

 crossing between any foreign cock and the Barndoor, (that is the 

 fowl, so called, not the Door, — " the thing of life," not the thing of 

 hinges,) — is manifestly much better than in-and-in-breeding. In 

 fact, it is this continual in-and-in-breeding that has caused the com- 

 mon fowls to deteriorate ; — and in this view, the efforts of the Fowl- 

 fancier are of great merit, because he provides the means of im- 

 proving the ordinary stock, and all attempts to establish good breeds, 

 at once hardy, white fleshed, quickly fattened and steady and 

 abundant layers, are entitled to praise. Yet our taste would hardly 

 lead us to discard the old stocks wholly, and substitute the new. 

 Specially would we not give them up for any of those huge, awk- 

 ward, ungainly, cowardly, gormandizing and insatiate gluttons, of 

 the Chittagong, Shanghae, Bramapootra, Cochin and Malay races. 



Were they Cocks of these hideous breeds that were consecrated to 

 Mars, Apollo and Mercury ? Was it their doleful groan that pre- 

 saged the victory of Themistocles over the Persians ? Was it a 

 short-winged Cock of these breeds, that flew up to the maintopsail 

 yard of the ship of the gallant Macdonough, and there crowed with 

 lusty lung and clarion voice, during the fury of the fight on Lake 

 Champlain ? No, no, it is your good old clear- toned, gallant Greek 

 and English Cock, that has the mettle for such daring. Why, — 

 there is but small courage or pluck in them, and "no comeliness 

 either before or behind, specially the latter. Their gait is awkward 

 and shuffling and laborious, and they waddle like an overfat drake, 

 yet with none of his small grace of motion. Neither is there a cock 

 among the whole of them, that knows how to crow, as a " cock of 

 the walk " ought to crow ! 



Whenever he attempts it, your ears are regaled with a doleful, 

 long-drawled, lugubrious, droning cadence, compound of the tones 

 of a cracked Chinese gong, a stuck calf, a battered fish horn, and 



