4IO 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



FRENCH BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



The enormous production of eggs and poultry in France, to which allusion has already been made, 

 and the fact that the breeds most esteemed by the French were very distinct from those varieties 

 which were formerly known to poultry-keepers, might naturally lead at first to the conclusion that 

 to the breeds in question was the great production due. This idea seems to have been in fact 

 entertained by the managers of the National Poultry Company mentioned in the earlier portion 

 of this work, who devoted much time, money, and energy to the dissemination in this country of 

 the French breeds of poultry, which, though already known, were previously to the Company's 

 existence very little kept. To a great extent these exertions succeeded ; but subsequent expe- 

 rience of the French breeds has not shown any such general or conclusive good qualities in them as 

 can account for the immense poultry crops of France, which appear rather, as we have already 

 said in the proper place, to be owing to the immense number of small proprietors, who for many 

 reasons — especially with a fine climate in their favour — are in the most favourable position for 

 poultry-keeping of any individuals in the world. All expectation that " French fowls " would give 

 French success has long since vanished ; but, nevertheless, some of the French races have been 

 found to possess truly valuable qualities, and one of them in particular — the Houdan — has formed 

 a most useful addition to our poultry-yards, and is becoming every year deservedly better known. 



The French breeds have all one point in common — every one of them is most delicious eating. 

 They, moreover, show in a very suggestive manner what may be done by a judicious system of 

 crossing, and subsequent selection, in the way of founding new breeds; since they are evidently 

 built upon the Polish fowl as a foundation, obtaining from this race the juicy flesh, excellent laying 

 properties, and absence of incubating instinct, whilst size has been added from foreign sources. 

 The Crevecoeur, as we remarked in our last chapter, is in fact a Polish fowl to all intents and 

 purposes, but increased in size ; and the same ancestry is shown by the delicate constitution which 

 characterises nearly all of the varieties. This fault, which is of little consequence in a climate like 

 that of France, becomes of serious importance in less favoured localities, and will probably interfere 

 with the extensive popularity of any French variety save the Houdan ; though the Creve appears 

 to have manifested of late symptoms of more satisfactory acclimatisation than at one time 

 appeared probable. Without further remark on these points, hoVever, we will proceed to consider 

 the breeds themselves in detail. 



HOUDANS. — This breed was vaguely described by Messrs. Wingficid and Johnson in 1853, 

 but the first authentic description of it in English was published in 1865 by Mr. Geyelin, in the 

 pamphlet embodying those views on wholesale poultry-keeping which, as we have before seen, 

 so signally failed. As it is always interesting to compare the earlier impressions of recently- 

 introduced varieties with the conclusions of more recent experience, we quote his description 

 entire. Of Houdans he writes : — 



