19S 



JOUKNAIi OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ September 5, 1872. 



Names of Plants (Aurora). — Sonerila raargaritacea, a native of India, 

 requiring a stove temperature. (Sigma). — It is Ha?mantlius puniceusj or 

 Waved-leaved Bloodflower. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and was 

 first cultivated in this country a full century and a half since by Dr. Sherard. 

 (Downie). — If yon "will send another specimen we "will name it. We know of 

 no such, treatise. (B. S.). — Clethra arborea. (Lady Kingi. — JEsculus parvi- 

 flora, Walt., also known, as Pavia macrostaehya. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OEROMTOLE. 



ON THE INCREASE OP EGG-PRODUCTION IN 

 FOWLS. 



Some time since I made a few remarks upon this head, and 

 was corroborated by a friend, who gave a practical assistance to 

 Confirm my assertion that, with a little care in selecting the 

 best layers only to breed from, we might very speedily get hens 

 which would yield over two hundred eggs per annum. The 

 subject has since awakened considerable interest among our 

 friends on the other side of the herring-pond, and in the last 

 number of the " Poultry World" Mr. I. K. Felch has some re- 

 marks to which I desire to draw attention. 



I observed that the tendency of breeding for show was al- 

 most necessarily to deteriorate a breed in egg-production, and 

 it may be well to explain how this comes to pass. It is very 

 simple. Whatever points a breeder selects his stock for will 

 acquire increased development year by year. If he breeds every 

 year from his longest-tailed birds he will get a strain with long 

 tails ; if he breeds from the largest combs he will increase the 

 size of these ; if he breeds from the nearest approach to an ideal 

 standard of colour or feather he will get nearer and nearer to 

 that. Now, it is possible that the most perfect bird he has in 

 point of feather may be also the best layer, and if so her 

 progeny might show no deterioration in that useful quality; 

 but there are many chances against this happening except in 

 veiy rare instances, and hence here alone we get a cause which 

 hinders any very great development of laying in a fancier's 

 yard. But, still further, in order to show his chickens in the 

 height of condition at Bu-mingham or elsewhere,' the fancier 

 positively retards their laying as long as he can, and usually 

 succeeds in preventing it till the age of seven or eight months, 

 in order to prevent the bird losing condition, and injuring the 

 plumage by going to the nest. The effect of this repeated 

 through successive years is very great in postponing the average 

 commencement of laying; but further still, the size which in 

 many breeds is sought, combined with the plump condition of 

 show fowls, has a direct tendency to check the production of 

 eggs in any individual bird, nature being unable to provide 

 abundant material in both directions at once. This, again, 

 repeated through many generations operates on the egg-pro- 

 duction of a breed, and the effect of these causes is clearly shown 

 by comparing at the present day the Dark and Light Brahmas. 

 Originally precisely similar and equal in qualities, the Dark 

 breed has required much more rigid breeding for feather, and 

 in this country has-on the average been bred to greater size ; the 

 consequence is, that it now lays a less average number of eggs 

 than the Light. 



In an article which (after the American fashion) talks a great 

 deal about " my strain," but is, nevertheless, interesting and to 

 the point, Mr. Felch says that so late as 1867 he could guarantee 

 his hens to lay an average of 160 eggs per annum, besides rearing 

 a brood of chickens. In 1864 he kept an account, and found 

 that eight Light Brahma hens in one run, on the average be- 

 tween them, laid 192 eggs each, and reared eight chickens, but 

 these eight hens only weighed from 7£lbs. to 8 lbs. each, and 

 his average experience taught him that hens of that weight 

 usually surpassed any others in the production of eggs. In the 

 year 1868, however, he affirms that all American fanciers and 

 judges "ran riot" for large birds, and hens of lOlbs. to 12 lbs. 

 weight had to be bred. The consequence was, a not-excessive 

 but steady and perceptible diminution of laving, and he now 

 finds it impossible to guarantee more than 150 eggs per annum 

 from his strain of birds. In England, where competition has 

 been keener, I doubt if even this average could be obtained by 

 many of our fanciers. 



Mr. Felch does not, however, consider that size cannot be ob- 

 tained without sacrificing eggs. In 1870 he sold a hen which 

 turned out an exceptionally good layer, though she attained the 

 weight of over 12 lbs., and like the case mentioned by me of a 

 Dark Brahma, the quality descended to her progeny. But Mr. 

 Felch notes the fact that this bird as a pullet did not exceed 

 8 lbs. , and laid early, making her weight later ; and the conclusion 

 he draws is, that if it be desired to combine great size with 

 prolific laying, the size must not be sought by undue forcing or 

 by breeding from the largest birds only, but by selecting those 

 of the best layers which also under ordinary regimen have at- 

 tained the. largest size. 



I do not wish or expect by these remarks to induce fanciers 

 to cultivate the production of eggs. Anyone who "shows" 



has such a direct interest in winning if he can, that he will 

 seek what bears upon that before any other objects. Such 

 pursuits are by no means the useless hobbies many suppose, for 

 the "practical" breeders bred very few fowls worth speaking 

 of till " fanciers " came to the rescue. What I wish is to show 

 how the conclusions I before pointed out are corroborated by in- 

 dependent testimony, and thus again to draw attention to the 

 important fact that those who do breed poultry simply for eggs 

 may, just as the fancier does, increase the point they desire in 

 the same way as the fancier does his — by selecting for sitting, 

 eggs from the hens which show laying qualities in the greatest 

 degree. No recondite knowledge whatever is required, it is 

 simply to sit only the eggs from hens which laid the earliest 

 and have continued to lay the best. Cockerels also should only 

 be preserved which are bred from the best laying hens, and in 

 this way in a very few years the production may be increased 

 enormously. 



I may add, that I am more and more convinced of the great 

 laying qualities of Leghorns, which, considering their hardiness 

 and the fair size of their eggs, I think the best laying breed yet 

 known. When I have tested them a little further I hope to 

 say a little concerning a variety of this breed not at present 

 known in this country. — L. Weight. 



HALIFAX AND CALDER VALE POULTRY SHOW. 



Although in its old days no society enjoyed greater confi- 

 dence on the part of exhibitors, there have been no poultry nor 

 Pigeons shown at the annual gatherings for several years past. 

 The schedule for the Show of August 31st did not offer the same 

 attractions as those of some of the neighbouring societies, and 

 yet the entries were good. The pens were as of old, and they 

 were the only things to which exception could be taken. We 

 would strongly advise that pens of modern construction should 

 be adopted for the future. 



Spanish headed the list, both old and young birds being of 

 fair quality, and in good plumage for the time of year. Dor- 

 kings were also pretty good in both classes, and in the adult 

 Cochins Partridge were first and Buffs second. In chickens the 

 first prize went to Buffs, which took the cup for the best pen in 

 the Show. The adult Brahmas were sadly out of feather, and 

 the chicken class only of moderate quality. Adult Game were 

 poor, but the first-prize Brown Bed chickens were very good. 

 In Polands the quality was exceedingly high, but the birds were 

 fast failing in feather, though the young birds compensated in 

 this respect, and two fine pens of Silvers were first and second ; 

 the two highly commended pens of White-crested Blacks were 

 also of good quality, but young. The entries in the Hamburgh 

 classes were not large, and, although there were some good 

 chickens, many of the prizes were carried off by the bloom and 

 freshness of the birds. The old birds were both good and in 

 marvellous feather for the time of year - . In Game Bantams we 

 did not consider the birds of the highest merit, but the two 

 winning pens of Blacks in the next class were very good. Ayles- 

 bury Ducks were a splendid lot ; and the winning Geese, which 

 were G-rey, were a sight to be remembered. 



In Pigeons the Yorkshire champions were overthrown by the 

 presence of that awe-inspiring Scotchman who carried away the 

 lion's share of honours to grace the loft in Brockley Boad ; yet 

 even they must have been well satisfied by the sight of so many 

 first-rate specimens as were brought together. In Pouter cocks 

 a most beautiful Yellow stood first, which for symmetry and 

 style will not be easily beaten, and an immense Blue, but want- 

 ing in style, was second. In hens a grand Blue was first, and 

 White second, the latter being capital in girth, but not in 

 the best show. Carrier cocks came next, the first-prize bird 

 being a grand fellow, and the embodiment of all that can be 

 required in this variety ; the second a much younger bird with 

 a very large eye wattle, but not so well developed in beak 

 wattle. The whole class was commended. Carrier hens were 

 not so good as the cocks, but the winners were fine specimens. 

 The first-prize bird was exceedingly good in all points ; the 

 second-prize bird large, and large in head, but a little over- 

 trinrmed round the eye. In Almond Tumblers the competition 

 was very close, but the first-prize pair were perfect in all points, 

 and a capital match, the colour of the hen being quite equal to 

 that of the cock. For Any other variety of Tumblers a pair of 

 Bed Splashes were first, and Bed Mottles second. Dragoons 

 were a fair lot, the winners very good, hut many of the birds out 

 of feather. Trumpeters produced the most extraordinary pair 

 of Black Mottles that has ever been seen. These were very 

 large, the hood being well defined, and the rose of great size. 

 The cup for the best pen in the Show was awarded to them. 

 Owls were numerous and good, and the race very close ; the first 

 went to Whites, and the second to Blues. Turbits were a faulty 

 lot of birds, and Jacobins of fair quality, Beds being first, and 

 Yellows second. As the pens were small Fantails did not show 

 to advantage, and several of the best birds were a little soiled. 

 Barbs were of great merit, but some of the best entirely worn 

 out ; Blacks were first, and Beds second. In Magpies Beds were 



