THE CAMPINES 



23 



Golden barred Rocks had been attempted for years, but 

 only a golden and white barring could be produced. 

 There is something mysterious about the history of this 

 variety of the Campines in England. It was recognized 

 by the Poultry Club Standard before a single specimen 

 had ever been produced. The English type Golden Cam- 

 pine was also pictured and painted before its arrival. 

 Fact is: The variety is of very recent origin — the first 

 true type birds being shown in England and America 

 the same season — 1911. It is a beautiful fowl, if anything 

 larger and sturdier thai\ the Silver variety; but with the 

 exception of the strain of M.R. Jacobus, is more in- 

 clined to lay tinted eggs than is the Silver Campine. 



There can be no doubt that the Campines have had 

 a boom in the United States. This is partly due to their 

 unique features, also to unusual publicity, and possibly to 

 the fact that they were "imported." The great demand 

 has resulted in wholesale importing. When the rage 

 first started. Rev. Jones wrote us: "Americans are so 

 keen now buying Campines that all sorts of rubbish is 

 being sent out at prices from $50 upward." Let us say 

 here in all fairness to our personal friends of the Eng- 

 lish fancy, and yet in equal fairness to Americans, ■ that 

 imported Campines do not stand up in our climate as 

 well as birds grown in our climate. Had it not been for 

 the tremendous vigor of the breed's early promoters, it is 

 quite possible that the English Campine would have 

 "died a horning" in America. Fertility was low, mortality 

 high, while the imported stock was subject to roup. Geo. 

 Urban, Jr., first president of the American Campine Club, 

 in a letter to one of his customers wrote: "We think all 

 the Campine needs is a few years of American breeding 

 as all our trouble has been with imported Silvers, but 

 they are getting acclimated now to their general im- 

 provement." 



In Belgium the demand for the common stock was 

 equally great in the years 1910, 1911 and 1912. There tne 

 stock of the peasants in both the districts of Flanders, 

 where the Braekel is bred, and the Campine country was 

 eagerly purchased and exported for utility purposes. In 

 the summer of 1911, Madame Van Schelle introduced us 

 to the secretary of the Belgian Campine Club, who told 

 us of a French buyer who was coming into the Campine 

 country and who had forewarned him that he wished to 

 purchase 2,000 pullets. How in the world he could find 

 that many is more than we know, as the Leghorn is 

 already making inroads on the native egg laying fowls 

 of Belgium. 



Campines and Braekels, however, are being contin- 

 ually exported to France and England, also Switzerland 

 and the egg producing section of northern Italy. Bel- 

 gium is losing her fine fowls through extensive exporta- 

 tions. Rev. Jones states that in 1910 he was actually un- 

 able to buy a shipment of pullets in all Belgium, as the 

 French buyers had preceded him. 



Tliere is no doubt about the utility qualities of the 

 fowls. They lay a white shelled, heavy egg. The shell 

 IS not as large as that of the Minorca, but the substance 

 IS weighty. At the Boston Show of 1911, eggs from Mr. 

 Jacobus' Silver Campines won the first prize for the 

 "best dozen of white shelled eggs," also first for the 

 "whitest dozen." It was the first time in fifteen years 

 that I he Leghorn eggs failed to win these best prizes. 

 The Campine eggs repeated this winning at the Boston 

 Show of January, 1912^ and in addition won first for the 

 "handsomest display." There were twelve dozen Cam- 

 pine eggs in the form of a great star which won this prize. 

 As great layers, the claim of 300 eggs a year per hen 

 has been made for them. However, an egg every day 

 for three hundred days, with a vacation of sixty-five 

 days, may appear reasonable to the city man who has 

 to work like the mischief and whose vacation in summer 

 barely covers a fort-night, but records of 300 eggs per 

 annum or even 250 for a flock "sweeps all the glory and 

 practical utility out of sight," and we trust that no one 

 will anticipate his profits on this basis of production. 



When the Campines first attracted attention in 

 America the extravagant 300-egg assertion was made. One 

 of the critics of this claiih wrote an article which ap- 

 peared in R. P. J. for April, 1894, and what he said is 

 pertinent now. 



"I am glad our people have the enterprise to get 

 men interested in things new and good, to get us out 

 of the ruts and teach us that this is a new era and 

 though grandpa may have been a good man. in every re- 

 spect, our thoughts, methods, happiness and ideals call 

 for something never dreamed of in the good old times. 



"However, any intelligent breeder knows that no hen 

 yet invented has made such a record in the States. The 

 people of America would be glad to own such prolific 

 stock. Half the fowls now kept would then do the 

 work. Every one is anxious to own the best and should 

 a better fowl be produced than our best now at hand, 

 merit will win and sales will be easily made. That is 

 all I can see in a big record — future sales at enormous 

 prices.'' 



