272 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[Marcu 2, 1895, 
fowls, then why is it that the English fatters send 
such inferior breeds to market? The only reply a 
that * fatten the best their higglers can buy a 
bring in here are many reasons for the belie! 
that. our poultry supply for table purposes has 
unite 
at 
wis; and again, the public are to blame 
ing in preference the coarser brown eggs of 
i se of the more delicate Earopean 
Thus it is these coarse breeds and their 
kept, forgetting at the same time the 
vour and quality of the egg d d much on what 
the fowl that lays it is fed. Pi for fore we 
delicious quality and flavour ar eggs 
that beat those of the game — neat not 
large, are generally of form, and of a 
tender buff Po on in shell, which is also smooth an 
even, They lay a fair quanti ity of eggs , beginning 
mostly about February ; it is these ia cit English 
game fowls that as table fowls are unsurpassed, while 
for their size, elegance of form, beauty of colours, 
pride of going,” vigour, strength of constitution, and 
general eee ge they may be deemed as rarely if 
ever equalled— never surpassed, 
There is * Titele doubt, if any, but that they 
by these 
people they were held in such estimation that certain 
birds of high rm em were buried with sepulchral 
ours; although it was most decidedly not the 
it as is clearly shown 8 e 8 — 
bi 
that has been not infrequently 
reasons 
„still it is not my 
os 8 
intention to go further oi gi] origin, but merely 
to show 
S 
o 
85 
8 
sup is ours of wigi bird 
for all good quate unmatched and unmatchable, 
and that it 
is valued, but also r truest forms 
and in every way 
e type of what is requisite, 
and should be mfi in our table fowls of the 
class, Amongst our domestic poultry 
it is the pattern to which we sh 
in the breeding and selection of our other kinds of 
“ home- 
hiatory,” the plain s 
“old English game“ T 
known as the “game,” with very 
legs, and an extremely small whip-like tail, a bird of 
inharmonious form, an ed ” more 
eee de, and if fashion still ne ae in the same 
ow 
atork-like 
direction that it has been moving, the i 
t — eculiar example will, ere ve laa have to 
walk (if its — legs will so permit), almost, if not 
quite, in a state of nudity ; so far goes “ the rage fi 
reduction of feathers. 
Bat to the ae old English ” em the 
bird “that has braved a thousand years, the battle 
and the breeze.” In ae it should be short, strong, 
and compact; but as the beautiful variety known as 
the Lord Derby’s bai b reds are considered, 
and justly so, as being those not only of the highest 
„but most suitable for table purposes, on 
N 
1s, 
account of their general paes and pure white 
legs and feet, it would ne a full and 
fair description of wha 
breasted red” should . like, both in form and 
colour. The natural weight is about 5 lb, or a 
little over, and it may be less f 
nd though o 
ms Ee it is light, or “pee is generally known as 
“ Daw-eyed.” The beak, thick at the base an 
curved, ge of brigh 1 single, thin, serrated, 
prigged e 7 — 5 inadmissible), 
t ture and small; the throat, 
bare of feathers ; ear-lobe small, ears eovered with 
wiry hair of a 5 ae clear of feathers 
pee red, (In are te — tana. d, the face 
is dark.) foe 2 full ger strong, neck-hackle 
rather long, but close, and wiry. Breast broad, 
prominent, and fully developed, indicative of great 
constitutional vigour; belly small, back short, strong, 
and close-feathered ; saddle-hackle clear and bright, 
good proportion to the thigh. Toes four on each 
foot, clean, long, even and flat on the ground, with 
long fine claws. Spurs clean and strong, and low on 
the leg. Wings carried rather low, very muscular, 
and strong, — — with hard quills, Tail long, 
large, fan-shaped, and well sickled, with 
lay-tuft of down at the base. General figure 
together, round full-bodied, tapering 
tail, with great breadth of shoulders, 
ponte elastic, yn yet firm 
and like a “ trampet call.” In colour, Mee cocks of this 
breed should have ee neck-hackle of a deep orange, 
ees hackle near Semin a deeper red colour ; 
saddle-hackle deep orange-red ; back as dragon’s-blood, 
aoa and thighs clear bright glossy black ; lesser 
maroon, greater wing coverts light 
oe s- blood, barred with steely blue-black at the 
extremities ; pri wing coverts, bay with black 
shafts; tail full, black, and glossed with gree 
eak, an i re 
oa 
© 
iv 
with the very faintest tint of pink, with not a dine 
of brown or any other colour; or dark toe-nails or 
spurs—which is much to be avoided, 
i 2 
FRUIT TREES AND a 
w present is a very proper e to mak 
ination of . in de 
regards the moi 
to 
enter it. The time having come last autumn for a 
large number of cordon Pear-trees growing on an east 
ifted—and 2 are — in this manner 
at intervals of three o 
amount of growth they 9 work was begun 
early in the month of October. The leaves were 
still e them, but to prevent any chance of a loss 
; next were lifted wi all, a 
wide trench oat around each ing 
work of undermining. The soil was found to be 
are although we 8 a dripping se . his 
r the 
small size of the fruit pan season, This b N had 
been regularly saturated with water by means of the 
hose during the summer, but owing to the mags of 
W one p. The soil, 
although mulched, had not retain moistur 
Seeing how dry the earth under the Pears was 
growing on a warmer =: ie which I foand to be 
equally dry, and that, too 
resting on gravel, and moisture soon passes away; 
but anyone would have thought that the trees would 
have suffered the most in the long drought of 1893, 
condition up to last October. I feel sure that in light 
soils many fruit trees have suffered from the dr 
of the soil in the same manner that our trees had, and 
veryone interested in fruit-culture 
useful it 
the trees, Where this in 
should be erer from 
dition of soil and a mulch may b 
— raising the land so that the moisture p 
way on the surface instead of entering the borders. 
p their fruit-tree 
borders close up to 
of its pe sg s should 2 pe the ground is 
clear, as it is at this 8 A e t the border as I 
have eise above. G. Wyt 
AGAVES AS TEXTILE AND 
DEFENSIVE PLANTS. 
ves, which T still confuse with Aloes, are 
erate, or tropical America, 
Th 
is the pert 3 
pg americana), which is used to en nelose e 
and 
since its leaves, armed with stout spines, ‘grow to 
50 C. to 60 c. (18 to 20 inches) in length, and thus 
een. a which is eee yearly y y by — E 
shoo t up from the s This use is im 
„ re it is too often 3 that these er s 
which more than double their length when the plan 
is fully grown, contain a great quantity of strong 
fibres, suitable for serp P: cordage, nets, 
and -pulp. The abundant sap which ace 
panies this fibre i 
perhaps, to the presence of saponine, 
to afford a field for interesting researches. 
drink of the 25 — a er li 
from as stems of va 
base 
almost the thickness of a man 
hardy as the former variety, i 
s textile industries, poe ed 
i not 
crcea, plants with narrower longer leaves, 
but little so, less succulent, and d with finer pps” 
suited for weaving. T are the Aloes 
commerce, and principally the Fourcroy® 
wn in many of the colonies ca old and 
m Fan world, ibe than on p es 
called the attention of colonists to the 
