90 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



for ci'cry six families in the nation. When it is considered that the French people themselves 

 are greater consumers of eggs than perhaps any other, so that it is computed every Parisian on 

 an average consumes about i6o eggs annually, the importance of the business as a branch 

 of national production will also be seen. 



Remembrance of the fact already stated, that this large French egg trade is the result almost 

 entirely of the collection by dealers throughout country districts, might open up a very wide field 

 for promoting more extensive production of this food in England. Such an object deserves attentive 

 consideration from all whose influence could be brought to bear upon it with effect, and we would 

 desire especially to call the attention of country clergymen, and others really interested in the 

 moral and temporal welfare of the poorer classes, to the good that might in this way be done, in 

 adding both to the food of the country and to the resources of the labouring man. The benefits 

 which have already been accomplished by the provision of allotments is universally acknowledged ; 

 but what we wish to point out is, that in many cases much greater return may be obtained from 

 the same piece of ground by keeping poultry than by raising crops. We say in many cases, 

 because the capacity to understand and carry out sound methods of management is by no means 

 universal, but is essential to success. This being granted, however, several advantages of thus 

 employing an allotment may be pointed out. In the first place, valuable manure will be provided 

 for other allotments, or for parts of the same still reserved for growing vegetables. Again, the 

 growing and caring for live stock both demands and creates a higher kind of intelligence than the 

 cultivation of ground, and would tend to encourage feelings of more humanity towards the lower 

 animals than notoriously exist at present amongst the labouring class. And finally, while 

 digging in a garden is exhausting toil, which, being of the saine character as the long day's work 

 already over, tends to exhaust that strength which should be given to the regular employment on 

 the following day, the attending to poultry would be both work of a light character, and a pleasant 

 change, beneficial alike to the miad and body of the labourer. For these and other reasons which 

 need not be pointed out, we would therefore seriously ask those who have at heart the real 

 welfare of their poorer brethren, to seek to encourage such a state of things. 



In the cultivation of poultry upon such village or country allotments, the system should differ 

 in several particulars from other management, on account of the special circumstances. It will be 

 best to overstock the ground, as it would be called, keeping the fowls in small yards, say of about 

 fifty square feet to each large bird, or thirty feet for smaller. The reasons are many, and will be 

 seen as soon as stated. It is labour which in this case is sought to be utilised ; and by daily 

 taking up as much as possible of the manure, perfect health may be maintained. Sufficient green 

 food can also be readily obtained from the refuse of neighbouring allotments, without the necessity 

 of having pens large enough to keep in grass. Most important of all, making the Avooden 

 houses on sills, so as to be movable, every two or three years the whole should be removed to and 

 exchanged with a neighbouring allotment which has been cultivated, thus giving rich ground to 

 the cultivator in exchange for fresh for the fowls. Should this be found inconvenient, the one 

 allotment should be divided, and one-third in regular rotation be cultivated with the spade : in 

 this way the largest possible return will be got from the ground. The other management will be 

 as before stated, and friendly oversight will be needed at first to ensure the three grand points of 

 early hatching of the pullets, judicious feeding, and regular killing of the stock before getting old ; 

 but by degrees knowledge of these essentials would spread, and self-interest would quickly find 

 out their importance. As a rule, egg-production would be found the best department to cultivate ; 

 and only when good markets are at hand should the raising of chickens form part of the regular 

 course of proceeding. 



