170 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BRAHMA POOTRA FOWLS, 



Mr. Editor : — Having been a constant reader 

 of your valuable paper for some time, I have seen 

 but few articles in relation to the different breeds 

 of fowls and modes of keeping them. I should 

 like to hear from your correspondents oftener up- 

 on that subject. Our farmers are often neglect- 

 ful in the management of this valuable portion of 

 their farm stock. We cannot derive much infor- 

 mation from books, as they treat more particular- 

 ly upon fancy breeds than upon those rpally suit- 

 ed for the farm-yard. We want a fowl to be a 

 good layer, good for the market, to fatten easily, 

 hardy and of domestic nature, and such fowls, 

 with proper care, can be made more profitable 

 than any other farm stock, that can be kept. 



Many think that, by throwing to ihe hens as 

 much corn as they need once or twice a day, and 

 allow them their liberty, they are well kept. This 

 may do in the summer, when vegetable matter 

 can be found about the farm, but not in the win- 

 ter season, as they need, like all animals, a varie- 

 ty of food. Corn and other grains are all very 

 good for laying hens if fed together, "that is 

 mixed grain,'" but to feed upon any one article of 

 food in the winter season will not answer. 



I have kept upwards of thirty different breeds 

 of fowls, but have never, until this winter, found 

 the breed that com.es up to my idea of a perfect 

 farm fowl, viz : the pure Brahma Pootra, which 

 seems to possess all the good qualities requisite 

 to a perfect breed of fowls. They are very large, 

 yet well proportioned, the hens weighing from 8 

 to 12 pounds ; legs yellow, flesh fine, yellow and 

 tender ; very domestic ; cannot fly upwards of 

 three feet, therefore are not troublesome by roost- 

 ing about the premises, to the great annoyance of 

 the animals, and all who may visit the barn. A 

 farmer in Danvers who has taken the first premi- 

 um at the Essex County Agricultural Society for 

 the last three years, for this breed of fowls, has 

 now 30 of them ; they have laid all winter ; he 

 has obtained some days 2 dozen eggs from them ; 

 they are kept in summer in a field enclosed by a 

 common stone wall. I obtained of him the first 

 of November last, 9 of these hens, and kept an 

 account of their eggs, which is as follows : 



November, 12.^ doz. eggg, sold at 30c $3,75 



December, 11.^ doz. ef,'j;3, sold at 2Sc 3,29 



January, 10^ doz. eggs, sold at 30c 3,02 



From 9 hens, 3 months, 34J doz. eggs $10,06 



Expense op Keeping. 

 1 bushel corn 00c, 1 bush, meal 80c, meat 40c $2,10 



Net profit $7,96 



They were fed regularly in the following man- 

 ner : in the morning, corn, barley and meal scald- 

 ed together ; at noon, the contents of the family 

 swill-pail ; at night, 2 quarts of chopped carrots. 

 \ have not charged the carrots, as the manure 

 from the hens will more than ofl'set that account. 

 Meat was given them twice a week. One great 

 mistake our farmers make is keeping too many 

 fows in a small enclosure, and not taking proper 

 care of them. More eggs can be produced in the 

 winter season from 12 good hens, well kept, than 

 from 100 fowls allowed to roam in all weather by 

 day, and roost about in cold and cx])0sed places, 

 or crowded into a small, poorly ventilated coop 



at night. Although they do not need a very warm 

 coop, j-et they require a dry, light and well ven- 

 tilated house. Meat and vegetables chopped fine, 

 ivifhout cooking, are very necessary in the produc- 

 tion of eggs, and for the health of fowls in the 

 winter season, when they are unable to obtain 

 vegetable matter from the earth. 



Salem, 1861. JouN S. Ives. 



Remarks. — It is not long since we published 

 two or three articles on this subject. 



For the Netc Eiigland Farmer. 

 THE BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND— No. 11. 



TURUSnES. 

 American Robin — Wood Thrush — Hermit Thrush— Olive- 

 backed Thrush. 



The Thrushes, (constituting the family Meru- 

 lidce of Vigors and Swainson, the Turdidce of 

 various other authors,) are generally inoffensive 

 and favorite birds, distributed in all countries and 

 climates ; about eight species may be reckoned 

 as common to New England. The Thrushes feed 

 much, and at some seasons wholly upon insects, 

 destroying immense numbers of grubs and nox- 

 ious insects, but towards autumn also subsist 

 largely upon wild berries and small fruits, occa- 

 sionally upon those cultivated ; on which account 

 many unscrupulous persons persist in destroying 

 them, ignoring their valuable services in the de- 

 struction of insects, and their cheering songs. 

 Some species are much sought after as food, par- 

 ticularly in some of the countries in the south of 

 Europe, as also in the Middle, and some of the 

 Southern States of our own country, where, in 

 winter, the Robins are often sacrificed in great 

 numbers for the tables of epicures. Many of the 

 most noted song birds belong to this family, and 

 nearly all our New England Thrushes are emi- 

 nent songsters. They rank in the typical sub- 

 family (Merulincc) of this group, or among the 

 true Thrushes. 



The American Robin or The Robin, {Turdns 

 migratorius, Linn. ; Menda migrator ia, of Swain.,) 

 one of our best known, familiar and v/elcome spe- 

 cies, is said to inhabit the whole continent of 

 North America, and over the greater part of this 

 extensive region it is known to rear its young. 

 It comes to us from the south early in spring, be- 

 ing in fact one of our earliest spring visitants, 

 and its presence and cheerful notes are welcomed 

 by all as being the precursors of genial weather 

 and opening buds. While the fields are yet dap- 

 pled with snow early in April, or even sometimes 

 in March, his thrilling notes uttered but occa- 

 sionally, awaken within the soul those peculiar 

 emotions of pleasure that are the concomitants 

 of the return of the vernal season. Indeed, the 

 Robin does not retire far southward to si)end the 

 winter, a few being seen even in New England, 

 in sertain sheltered localities, where their favorite 

 cedar and other berri^^s abound, throughout that 

 inclement season ; while in Pennsylvania, and in 

 many of the Southern States they are said to 

 swarm in immense numbers. In summer they 

 are found far to the north, being frequent at Hud- 

 son's Bay, in latitude GJ°, where, according to 

 Dr. Richardson, "the male is one of the loudest 

 and most assiduous of the songsters that frequent 

 the fur countries." 



