FLESH FOOD FURNISHED BY THE FEATHERED TRIBES. 151 



The number of fowls in Austria is very difficult to be 

 ascertained, but official authorities state that there may 

 safely be quoted an average number of 60 millions, 

 valued at 10 million florins. Those annually consumed 

 are replaced, and 2,400 million eggs are supplied, 

 representing a value of 4 millions sterling. They are 

 chiefly consumed in Vienna, Prague, Steyer, and other 

 large towns. 



In Roumania the domestic poultry are reckoned at 

 about 14,000,000, of which half are consumed yearly. 



Thirty years ago the poultry in the United States were 

 valued at £4,000,000. The statistics of poultry and eggs 

 in the States were gathered for the first time by the 

 census of 1880. The number of barnyard fowl reported, 

 exclusive of spring-hatching, was 102,272,135 ; of other 

 fowl, 23,235,187; the number of dozens of eggs, 

 456,910,916. At 12 cents. (6d.) a dozen, certainly a 

 moderate estimate, the annual value of the egg product 

 to the farmers would reach nearly £11,000,000 ; while 

 we may suppose 150,000,000 to 180,000,000 pounds of 

 meat sold annually out of the stock of fowls reported. 

 There were twenty-seven States which reported more 

 than 1,000,000 of barn-yard fowls each ; seventeen 

 which report more than 2,000,000 each; thirteen 

 which report more than 5,000,000 each. 



Not much can be said in praise of the poultry of the 

 United States, with the exception of the turkeys, which 

 are generally good, and are raised without much 

 difficulty. They do not, however, appear to reach the 

 great weight of our English birds, being of a slighter 

 form, approaching that of the wild stock. 



The fowls are exceptionally badly bred. If it may be 

 said of the Texan cattle that they are all " legs and 

 horns," the American fowl may be described as all "legs 

 and elbows," and when plucked presents with his bright 

 yellow skin a most uninviting appearance. They are, 

 however, in request for a change from the pei-petual 

 repetition of tender loin and fillet of beef. In Detroit 

 market ducks sell at about Is. each, fowls lOd., and 



