Cultivation of Poultry on Farms. 91 



Such are some of the first lessons to be drawn from the French egg trade ; and by following 

 them up incalculable good might be done in many rural districts, and money put into the poor 

 labourer's pocket, with actual benefit to all his neighbours and to the nation also. But poultry and 

 eggs are also studied by farmers and other producers in France, to an extent which in England is 

 unknown, though there appears no foundation whatever for the reports of immense establishments 

 existing there which have appeared from time to time, and which have represented the fowls as 

 fed exclusively upon horseflesh, without any admixture of grain. M. Geyelin made a journey 

 specially to discover such an establishment, of which most specific accounts had appeared, and 

 proved conclusively that none such existed : but he did find a poultry-farm, conducted by 

 M. Manoury, in Picardy, where about 5,000 head per annum were raised ; and even this is far 

 beyond any English example which can be quoted. It is to be regretted that the inveterate 

 French habit of " romancing" in these matters makes it exceedingly difficult to determine what 

 really is done in France, and even an account of a very modest establishment for 1,200 fowls, 

 published under the official authority of the French Ministry of Agriculture — and which on that 

 authority we reproduced,* while finding fault with many of the details — there seems some reason to 

 believe had no foundation, though the recent war makes any positive conclusion now impossible, in 

 the absence of better evidence than we have been able to obtain. But what we have ascertained 

 beyond a doubt is, that there are large numbers of farmers in France who raise for market their 

 hundreds — a few their thousands — of poultry annually ; that this item of farm produce is regarded 

 by them as of the utmost importance, and all connected with it assiduously cared for and looked 

 after ; and that in many departments it forms a very large proportion of the whole agricultural 

 trade. Owing to the recent events which have convulsed the countiy, there are no reliable returns 

 of very recent date ; but in 1865 it was estimated that the total trade in poultry and eggs 

 throughout France could not possibly be less than ^^ 10,000,000 annually, and was probably much 

 more, Paris alone consuming to the amount of about ;£^i,400,000 sterling. 



The great contrast between this state of things and that existing in England demands attentive 

 consideration from the English farmer, who might in many cases add very greatly to the produce 

 of his land by thoughtfully developing this additional source of revenue. This truth has always 

 been seen by more advanced agriculturists, and the reasons for the bad opinion most farmers cherish 

 of poultry clearl}' enumerated. Mr. Mechi long ago pointed out perhaps the chief — that farmers 

 will not systematically feed th.e.\T fowls ; and instead of careful superintendence, just leave them to 

 themselves like " gutter children." He very pertinently says, for instance, that " a farmer will 

 readily turn a large flock of s/ucp to trample on, drag down, and devour a fine field of clover or 

 grass ; but he would be annoyed to see half an acre eaten by his wife's poultry. He will give his 

 pigs barley and beans by the sack ; but objects to the poultry helping thenlselves to kernels. A 

 farmer never grudges barley by the load for his pigs, and cake and corn for his other stock ; wh)' 

 should he regret feeding his poultry .' In some cases that I know of one of the farm hands receives 

 a pint of beer Vv'hen the governor is at market, to carry in a sack of barley on the sly for the 

 poultry, so as not to shock the farmer's excessive and unreasonable prejudices." (That this is no 

 fancy picture we happen to know ourselves.) He then goes on to show that the simple question 

 really is, what any given amount of food produces, and proves, as we have done in our earlier chapters, 

 that properly-managed poultry costs less to produce, weight for weight, than beef or mutton, while it 

 sells for considerably more ; but of course, he says, " )-our poultry-breeder must understand the 

 business, as must the breeder of other farm creatures." 



* " Practical I'oultry Keeper," p, 224. 



