302 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Edited by Joseph Brcck< 



Boston, Wednesday, March £0, 1844. 



TENTH (AND LAST) AGRICULTURAI, MEET- 

 ING AT THE STATE HOUSE— March 12. 



Hon. Josiah Qiiincy, jr. presided. The subject under 

 discussion, " Pouliry." Mr Cole, of the Cultivator, 

 opened tin? discussion with the following remarks, which 

 we copy from his paper : 



*' He said the subject is of great importancej though 

 some regard it as of Jitlla consequence, and never attend 

 to poultry till it is before them on the table. Some fam- 

 ilies in the interior supply themselves wliolly with 

 feathers from their fowls : eggs are used to considerable 

 extent in all families, and they are an important article 

 of food ; and the meat of fowls is a considerable item. 

 According to the returns at the last census, the value of 

 poultry in the United Slates was $1'3,000,000. In four 

 of the Now England Slates the value of poultry was 

 more than that of swine. Fowls aro as important as 

 Iiogs, and should receive more attention. Our Agricul- 

 tural Societies should offer premiums for the best breeds. 



layers, eggs laroe ; ihcy aro good sitters and good nurses, 

 and iheir flush i:f e.xcellent. For all the various purpos- 

 es, they are supposed to bo the best breed in the coun- 

 try. The Siberian or Russi.m fowl is very singular in 

 appearance, having a beard like a Jew. They are high- 

 ly esteemed as great layeis in Scotland. There are yet 

 but few in this country. Among our common hens are 

 some excellent kinds, and by selecting the best— pre- 

 ferring the yellow legs, if we raise for the market— we 

 can have a good breed. 



" He then introduced a number of subjects for con- 

 sideralion. Farmers should have yards to confine hens 

 in when they injure vegetation, and warm houses in 

 winter. Corn, oats, rye, wheat, buckwheat, rice, mil- 

 let, are good food, and they should have several kinds, 

 and may be fed mostly on those that are the cheapest. 

 In winter and when confined in summer, thc-y should 

 have gravel, meat, old lime, mortar, chalk, pounded 

 bones, bricks, oyster shells, charcoal, Ac, and thry 

 should have green food, such as raw cabb.iges, potatoes, 

 apples and turnips, woen they cannot get grass. 



MAKCH »0, 184 



and the best management, showing the largest produc 

 tion in proportion to expense. 



" He said that he would speak of hens : and first of 

 the different breeds that are now in this country. The 

 Bantams are very small, possessing no excellencies, but 

 «re kept as a curiosity. The Frizzled fowl has no su- 

 perior qualities, but as tije feathers run forward, they 

 cannot go among grain, and on this account some far- 

 mers keep them. The Game breed is common in our 

 country. They are good layers, and very hardy, and 

 their flesh is excellent, equal to any breed, but as they 

 have black legs, they will not sell so well ; and as they 

 are inclined to fight, tlie chickens often injure or de- 

 stroy each other. The Guinea hen resembles the tur- 

 key in its rambling propensity. It is restless and shy, 

 laying abroad, and giving no indications of laying or sit- 

 ting. But it is a good layer, the eggs are excellent, and 

 the meat is very fine, tiiough dark colored. Tliey sell 

 well in the New Yoik market, but they do not here. 

 The Malays are the largest hens in this country. They 

 are brown, mixed with yellow and red. Lay tolerably 

 well, and the eggs of good size, but their flesh is tough 

 and coarse. The Bucks Coun'y breed is very common 

 in Pennsylvania, ami many are brought from that sec- 

 tion to this market, some of which have weighed 17 lbs. 

 a pair, when dressed, and have sold at a shilling a pound. 

 Some capons of this breed have been recently sold here 

 for $3 a pair, weighing 18 and 19 lbs. a pair. (Capon- 

 izing improves fowls very much, both in quality and 

 «ize. Every farmer knows that the ox is generally 

 larger than the bull, and the beef better.) This is doubt- 

 less a mixture of the Malay with some other breed 

 They are not good layers, and their eggs are small for 

 their size, and their flesh is coarse and not so good as 

 other breeds : they are long in coming lo maturity. But 

 from their large size, they sell well in the market. The 

 iJoobies have been recommended highly, hut he found 

 them very tender, and they lay a small egg for their 

 gize. They are not inclined lo sit Some speak well 

 of the Creole, others do not. The Poland, or Topknots, 

 are of middling size — shining black, except a large tuft 

 of while feathers on the crown of the head. They are 

 a mild, peaceable fowl, bear confinement well, are great 

 layers, and not Inclined lo sil. Their flesh is excellent, 

 but they have black legs. The Dorkings are remarka- 

 ble for having five toes. They are of good size, great 



Diseases. For colds affecting the head and throat, 

 he found cayenne and other Thomsonian medicines 

 best. Lice are destructive. Rats destroy young chick- 

 ens and ducks. What is the best food for chickens .' 

 Do hens lay best with or without a protector ? Some 

 say if they have no male with them they will lay bet- 

 ter and are not inclined to sit. He observed this in one 

 case. How old are eggs when too old lo hatch ? How 

 long may a hen be off and yet the eggs hatch ? Long, 

 pointed eggs produce males, and round ones females." 



Mr Stone, of Beverly, said as no one else seemed 

 ready to come up to the "scratch," he would make a 

 few remarks. He made some general observations rela- 

 tive to the subject ; said he had but little experience 

 himself: he related what had been told him by those 

 who had. He recommended lamp oil to cure the pip. 

 ducking lo cure any inclination to sil— and advised not 

 to give salt food. 



Mr Cook, of Berkshire, said the subject had attracted 

 much attention since the taking of the census. He had 

 consulted with some of the gentlemen that were en- 

 g.aged in taking it, who thought that part of ii relative 

 to poultry was done in rather a loose manner. He did 

 not agree in all the statemenis made by the gentlemen 

 who had preceded him. He tlioughl it did not make 

 much difference with the hens, whether they had the 

 company of ihe male or not. He found they were as 

 much inclined to sit when not attended by the male as 

 otherwise. As to the number of hens a farmer should 

 keep, he should be governed by circumstances. A 

 larger number may be kept where there is a great quan- 

 tity ofgrain raised, than where there is but little. In 

 western New York they keep 100 hens with as much 

 economy in proportion to the number, as our common 

 fanners here keep 10 or 15. From the remarks made 

 by gentlemen this evening, it appeared that ihey were 

 of opinion that from fowls which had their freedom, 

 with proper feed, a greater return of eggs may be ex- 

 pected. In addition to common food, fowls require 

 something more stimulating— animal food of .some kind. 

 He said there was no creature that parted with so 

 much value in comparison with its cost as the hen. 

 There was nothing belter or more stimulating to them 

 than angle-worms, of which they were exceedingly fond. 

 The President stated tlial there was a complaint that 

 Col. Thayer, of Braiiilree, was too much inclined lo sit. 

 This hint called up the Colonel, who staled that he 

 had kept poultry of all sorts for 40 years. In regard lo 

 hens, there was a great variety, some good and some 

 bad. He has had some experience with the Dorking 

 fowls, and thinl.s them a superior breed. They will lay 



continually through the season, beginning in Febru 

 without a disposition to sit. With regard lo the n 

 her that can be economically kept on a farm, depei 

 upon circumstances: 100 would do as w.-ll as 10 \. 

 proportionate range. Sail is injurious to them, jj 

 of some kind is absolutely necessary : when fed on n 

 alone they would die. Corn damaged by salt w; 

 was bad for them, but that damaged by fresh water ■ 

 not injure them, though not so good as that not daina. 

 He finds hens lay bettei without the cock, but no d 

 rence in their disposition to sit. It is nece..i8ary lo ; 

 water. They do better to have a rarge than to be ( 

 fined. He has an acre of ground fenced off for his p 

 try, and they are admitted into his stable. They 

 not like sheep, which, when kept in l.irge numbers, c; 

 disease from each other ; as they have no disease! 

 communicate ; but where there are many hens, I 

 have not generally so good allention. He thinks 6 h 

 as profitable as a cow. When eggs are cheap, they | 

 be kept, by a method he had, until ihey would brin 

 high price. A neighbor of his besan with a few h<j 

 and by his skill and management, has made himself 

 dependent. One branch of his business was to purch 

 eggs when they were quite low, and keep them u 

 they became dear. The system which this neigh 

 pursued was kept secret f,ir a long time, but it is n 

 known lo be a very simple plan. He used nothing 

 lime and salt, in proportion of 4 quarts of lime and 1 

 salt: these were dissolved in water, and made of 

 consistency of cream. 



Col. T. said he had kept geese. He had crossed : 

 native goose with the wild gander, and has made i 

 businessof raising them profitable. Ho has somelin 

 made them weigh 18 lbs., and sold them as high as i> 

 They are in high repute among epicures, and he thir 

 they are the best bird in existence for eating, except I 

 canvass-back duck. His geese are kept cheap. Th 

 'n a pasture and eat grass like a sheep. The Bi 

 n geese are very large, but they hatch too early, a 

 the goslings are apt to die from the cold. He was gl 

 to see that more attention was paid to poultry. It w 

 a business of profit. His bens lay in v\'inler. He hat 

 tight hen-house, so warm that water will not freeze 

 the coldest weather, though the door is always open f 

 them to go in and out. 



Ducks he thought unprofitable, unless they have tl 

 advantage of a river or salt water. 



Mr Merriam, of Auburn, said he would like to inquH 

 about the turkey, whether ihey can be made profitabi 

 He said ihey were in the habit of wanderinj, and woul 

 not do well when confined. He gave sour skim-milk i 

 his young fowls. He said a neighbor of his had a sic 

 hen and supposed she would die, but iliought he woul 

 try an experiment, and gave her one of Brandreth'spill 

 but without effect. He then gave another, which opi 

 rated, and cured the hen. He had thought of puhlist 

 ing in the papers this wonderful cure, for the benefit c 

 the discoverer, but he had not done it. 

 (Remainder in our next) 



go 1 

 me 



O-The communications of F. P. A., Levi Barilell 

 Esq., B., and Josiah Lovelt, 2d, Esq. must be deforre 

 until next week for want of room. We are undergrea 

 obligations to these gentlemen for their favors, and hop 

 to hear from them ofien. 



Jj»Thur3day, April 4ih, has been appointed by th. 

 Governor and Council fur a day of Fasting and Prayed 

 in the Commonwealth of iMassachusells. 



(Jj'We would direct attention to the adverlisement o 

 Nitrjte of Soda on another page. 



