i<54 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



larger than the others in body, lay larger eggs, and, either 

 alone, or crossed with some breed that will increase the size of 

 the egg, such as any one of the Spanish varieties, will be found 

 profitable, if plenty of room can be given to them. Hamburghs 

 must have space ; if wired-in, a ten-foot fence is necessary 

 to restrain them ; but on farms where they are not at all 

 restricted they will do very well. It must, of course, be under- 

 stood that we are speaking of where they are kept in large 

 numbers, when we say that they must have room. A few 

 birds can easily be kept in a moderately confined place, as is 

 done in hundreds of instances, and some of the very best 

 birds bred every year, both in this and other varieties, are so 

 bred, in places where the fowls have little more than moving 

 room. When they have plenty of room most of the varieties 

 of Hamburghs are hardy, easy to rear, and, as they are non- 

 sitters, make most useful fowls, where the size of egg laid is 

 of less importance tban the number. 



As already stated, the blacks are the best for commercial 

 purposes, and the silver spangles come next in point of size 

 and hardiness. In selecting such birds for stock purposes, 

 mere show qualities, such as fineness of ear lobe and comb, 

 should be ignored, and size of body, good shape and liveliness 

 of carriage be looked for principally. The larger the fowl the 

 larger the egg, as a rule, and by selection both can very 

 materially be increased. There are other varieties besides 

 those named, such as red caps, creels and pheasants, which 

 lay good sized eggs, and can be recommended equally with 

 the blacks as useful fowls. 



Langshans. 



About the origin of this breed of fowls considerable con- 

 tention has taken place ; but we have no desire to enter here 

 into the controversy at all. It has only been a very few years 



