THE HEN FEVER. 81 



No. 20. 



My Dear Sir : 



I hardly know what to write you about the stock I 

 had of you, six months ago, for " Cochin- Chinas." That 

 they are not Cochins I feel positive, however; for one 

 half the chickens came smooth-legged, and the' rest are 

 heavily-feathered on the legs ! ! I consider them only 

 Shanghacs, and now I want to know if you can send me a 

 trio of pure Uoods, that you know to be Cochins. If so, 

 I care nothing about price. I want blood. " Blood tells," 

 you know. Let me hear from you, and state your own 

 views in this matter. I will be governed by your advice. 

 Enclosed is ten dollars for a dozen of your " Cochin " eggs 

 — pure, you know. In haste. 



Yours truly, . 



Ko. 21. 



Mr. Burnham. 



Sir : Do you call yourself a man of honor ? I bought 

 one doz. Cochin-China eggs of you, for which I paid 

 you six dollars^ cash. I set them, and I got but ten 

 chickens outo/tbem (two eggs I found rotten, in the nest). 

 Every one of these chicks are cocks, sir — cocks ! Now, 

 what the devil can / do, do you imagine, with ton cocks ? 

 I want to breed fowls. That is what I bought the eggs 

 for ; to begin right. You must have known better than 

 this. Anybody could have seen that these were all male 



