14 



THE CAM PINES 



each habitation. It is from these innumerable small 

 flocks that we receive these great quantities of eggs sold 

 on the markets of Belgium.) "In the district of Malines 

 few eggs are taken to the market, for nine out of every 

 ten are very likely placed under the hen for the produc- 

 tion of the fine table poultry, which is the specialty of 

 that district. At .Sottegem, it is the contrary, almost all 

 of the eggs are taken to the market and few are used 

 for breeding." 



(Here the kind of hens is just as much a specialty as 

 the Coucou de Malines is in that town. Here it is the 

 Braekel. This species is almost identical to the Cam- 

 pine, and has probably the same origin, but it is a bit 

 larger, less of a vagabond, and lays eggs remarkably 

 larger. The difference between the two breeds could 

 easily have been brought about by the selection of large 

 eggs and in discouraging the propensity of running far. 

 As nobody keeps a report of the number of eggs ob- 

 tained, it is impossible to know anything more than an 

 estimation of the production. They have counted on 

 nine francs ($1.75) profit per hen (this is the estimate 

 of Mr. Louis Limbosch, who had Braekels at Esscheme, 

 Dutch boundary). This would be about the total produc- 

 tion of the hen, for the flock finds for itself its feed 

 except when it is bad weather; hence eggs give but a 

 small profit. The price of the best (the largest) was at 

 S.2S francs the hundred at the time of our visit; at the 

 time of their great scarcity it climbs up to 15.00 francs." 

 This was taking place in 1897 — within six years the price 

 increased one franc.) "It is to be remarked that this is 

 about the price in New England and the Middle States. 

 If we estimate at two cents as the medium price the 

 year round this annual profit of nine francs would be 

 for 90 eggs sold annually at the market. If we allow 30 

 eggs per hen for breeding and for consumption in fam- 

 ilies we shall arrive at 120 eggs per hen, which is all you 

 can expect from hens that seek their own food. 



"Compare this with the 186 eggs laid by about 200 

 hens kept according to the system of semi-liberty, and 

 we think that the advantage is entirely in favor of the 

 American system. I firmly believe we shall attain the 

 200 eggs a year for each hen, by selection and careful 

 breeding, and then there will be no more question of 

 the system of semi-liberty. However,' this question 

 must not be discussed now. We shall come back to it 

 later. 



"Everywhere I go here I hear the country people 

 talk in favor of breeding along the lines of race amelio- 

 ration. The peasants and the farmers are breeding by 

 nature; they have the instinct of breeding transmitted 

 since centuries. They review the ancient breeds, they 

 perfect them by selection and by care. There is a lot 

 to be done. Italian (Leghorn) blood got infused in 

 nearly every flock. There results a yellow coloration of 

 legs and skin and a diminution in the size of eggs. The 

 tendency towards reversion is a great help for the re- 

 constitution of the Campine and the Braekel and breed- 

 ers expect from it great profit. In the country, the gen- 

 eral habit is to go the "estaminets" and during the eve- 



ning while taking a glass of beer peasants speak of the 

 experiments and exchange their ideas. There are also 

 guilds (or societies) and the result of all this is to trans- 

 mit to youth knowledge acquired by the elders and the 

 best established principles of breeding are transmitted 

 by the passing generation to those who follow in their 

 footsteps. One of their elementary principles is that the 

 first pullet (the precocious ones) are not good egg lay- 

 ers. They arrive too early at maturity and then after 

 laying a few eggs, want to brood and it is difficult to 

 prevent them from doing so. The moral of all this is, 

 that you must sell the precocious pullets as 'poulets de 

 grain' (petits poussins or squab broilers, that is chicks 

 as big as squabs as we call them in the United States) 

 and keep the next brood for egg layers. 



"The Campine and Braekel have been named every- 

 day layers. A hen was brought to us that was said to be 

 a specimen of a layer of fine big eggs; she resembled 

 very nearly the Bolton Gray such a^ it was 40 years 

 ago. The dark gray with some traces of spangled (half 

 moon) cream, white neck hackles; the wing when open 

 very dark with several flight feathers almost black; the 

 eyes and eyelids black; beak and legs blue, ear-lobes 

 bluish white, crest hanging and resembling greatly that 

 of the Leghorns and Minorcas. She was remarkably long 

 in body and almost as heavy as a game hen. We were told 

 that when these hens ceased to lay they have naturally 

 become fat, weighing six to seven pounds apiece, and 

 are sold then at the market at three to three and a half 

 francs each. 



"A great encouragement to the amelioration of 

 breeding stock here is the high price paid for eggs uni- 

 formly large. The breeder appreciates the strength of 

 this argument. When he sees "Ricus" obtain for large 

 eggs 16 sous a dozen, whereas "Boone" gets only 14, he 

 begins to reason and makes the resolution to breed only 

 such hens as lay eggs that can be sold at the highest 

 prices. 'Utility' is their motto, they don't care for fancy 

 poultry nor for the breeder who puts plumage, crest or 

 earlobes and shape before the eggs. 'Utility' and the 

 points for a fancier are always conflicting a Flemish 

 man told me in a conversation that I had with him in 

 Sottegem. Fancy breeders spoil the races from the egg- 

 laying and practical standpoint, because they always 

 breed by selection according to the selection of beauty 

 of feather. We leave them the Bantams, the Cochins, 

 the Brahmas, also if they like; they are. not 'practical' 

 races, but they should leave alone our Braekels and our 

 Campines — and common sense would say that our Flem- 

 ish friend is right." 



During the time that has elapsed since this sensa- 

 tional article was inspired here and written and pub- 

 lished in America, enormous progress has been real- 

 ized. We shall not say in one, but in every respect. 

 The Braekel in the beginning of the new century has 

 succeeded in beating the record of the world. And 

 chance enables me to prove that this record can be es- 

 tablished and recorded in round figures. 



