48 



THE CAMPINES 



and counted them. I had just 112 chicks. That proves 

 they are easily raised. I have about 500 young chicks 

 and two incubators to hatch yet. I had just tested out 

 one machine of 180 eggs and cut out six eggs. This is 

 June 2nd. Pretty good for fertility from birds that laid 

 all winter and they are still laying. Just as well as they 

 have at any time. Last fall they laid splendidly up to 

 moulting time until they were about naked. 



We have a good climate for poultry here in Ne- 

 braska. We get lots of sunshine, not many cloudy days 

 but just about rain enough to get good crops. We get 

 some heavy storrps in winter and it is pretty cold at 



times, but it only lasts a day or two at a time, then 

 the sun comes out and warms up clear. We also nave 

 cheap feed, as we are in the winter wheat and corn 

 belt, and Omaha is a good market just about like Chi- 

 cago, according to the market reports. 



My laying houses are partly on the open front order, 

 but not to the extreme. Our wind is pretty thin and 

 cold and it penetrates in the winter. I have tried tne 

 Campines three winters now under confinement as win- 

 ter layers, and I find them the equal of the Buff Orping- 

 tons. After they are housed a week they do fine. They 

 are easily handled and become quite tame. 



Crystal Palace, London, where the greatest English Poultry Shows are held. 



The History of the English Campine 



This Article, Reprinted From **The Illnstrated Poultry Record," London, Deals With the Early History of 

 the English Type — The Important Question of Hamburg Crossing Discussed 



By William W. Broomhead, England 



THERE can be little doubt that the Campine is 

 once more on the boom; and as a result there 

 appears to be some friction among those fanciers 

 who are keenly interested in it. Therefore, it behooves 

 admirers of this charming breed to look carefully into 

 matters. It will be remembered that in the March issue 

 of "The Illustrated Poultry Record" I gave one side 

 of the question by quoting from some remarks on the 

 Campines exhibited at last year's Crystal Palace Show. 

 It was a criticism on the English type that appeared 

 in Chasse et Peche, from the pen of a Belgian expert, 

 one Mr. Pulinckx-Eeman, who among other things, 

 stated that he noticed "the introduction of Leghorn and 

 Hamburg blood" into our strains. Hence in fairness to 

 those English fanciers who have the welfare of the bird 

 at heart, it will be as well if the other side is placed be- 

 fore readers. From correspondence I have had with the 

 honorable secretary of the Campine Club, I cannot help 

 arriving at his conclusion that the Belgian attack was 

 nothing short of an advertising dodge. The crux is, the 

 Campine is being taken up again with renewed vigor in 

 America, and the Belgian breeders want the American 

 fanciers to apply direct for birds. Reading between the 

 lines it is not difficult to see that the continental breed- 

 ers are jealous of our success, and being no fancy breed- 



ers they cannot appreciate why the English type suc- 

 ceeds in the show pen while the Belgian is an utter fail- 

 ure. The authority in question calmly puts it down to 

 the solidity of the English speaking races, and while 

 willingly handing America and England over to us, he 

 urges his fellow countrymen to be in other lands be- 

 fore the English get a foothold. Apparently he thinks 

 it impertinence of English fanciers to alter the breed, 

 and so he with others has determined to make a serious 

 attack on the breed in order to see if the Belgian type 

 cannot take the place of ours, although at the same 

 time continental breeders are covertly following our 

 lead. This may be putting the English side of the ques- 

 tion in strong light. Nevertheless, I think that occa- 

 sion demands it. 



In the Way of History 



In England the Campine was introduced in 1898 or 

 1899 and it immediately became very popular; but a 

 decline set in about 1903 or 1904, so that in 190S the 

 membership' of the club had fallen from seventy odd to 

 fifteen or sixteen. The history of the breed in Amer- 

 ica may be briefly stated. The Campine was admitted 

 to the standards of the American Poultry Association 

 about 1893— but at the next revision, five years after— 



