Live Stock, 



338 



[April, 1912. 



a mongrel is composed of various breeds 

 so intermingled that its ancestry cannot 

 be stated. Of all the cross-breds there 

 are few to surpass the Minorca- Langshan, 

 bred from the black Minorca cock and 

 the black Langshan hen. This alliance 

 produces large, handsome, black chickens, 

 the pullets laying large eggs, many 

 brown in colour. This cross lays well 

 both in winter and summer, stands 

 confinement well, and though the 

 hens are generally sitters, they are 

 easily broken of the desire to in- 

 ' cubate. Another capital layer is pro- 

 duced by mating the'Andalusian with the 

 Langshan ; the eggs are large and mostly 

 coloured, and the fowls are usually black 

 and like the Minorca- Langshan in ap- 

 pearance. An excellent Langshan cross, 

 though not often seen, is that between 

 the Crevecceur cock and Langshan hen. 

 The chickens, thus bred, are large, black, 

 short- legged fowls, slightly crested, 

 maturing quickly and free layers of 

 various tinted eggs. They are excellent 

 table fowls, hardy and do well in a 

 limited space. A favourite and very 

 successful cross is the Dorking cock with 

 a Light Brahma hen. The chickens are 

 good layers of nice, sized eggs. The hens 

 are inclined to be frequently broody in 

 the warm weather, but are fairly easily 

 cured of their desire. A cross that is 

 often made is that of the Houdan- 

 Leehorn, the offspring being particularly 

 hardy, great layers of white eggs, and 

 doing well in a small run. The Houdan, 

 in fact, crosses satisfactorily with many 

 other fowls. For instance, a Houdan 

 cock mated with the Brahma, the Indian 

 Game, the Plymouth Rock, or the 

 Langshan will produce quick maturing, 

 large and heavy chickens. When big 

 meaty chickens for the table are required 

 it is not advisable to use male birds such 

 as the Leghorn and Minorca, or the 

 offspring will be narrow and deficient in 

 breast. For producing high-class table 

 chickens there is no better cross than 

 that between the Dorking and Indian 

 Game. The chickens are very large and 

 carry a lot of meat in the right place. 

 The Old English Game crossed with 

 Dorking hens result in chickens that are 



more tender in flesh than the Indian 

 Game cross, but are not so large. 



Acclimatising Poultry. 

 The influence of climate on domestic 

 animals of all kinds when transferred 

 from their usual habitat, to districts or 

 countries more or less remote, is well- 

 known to have a changing effect upon 

 them. The conditions of life in them 

 become completely revolutionised, and, 

 even to the superficial observer, are 

 seen to undergo a change, either for 

 better or worse ; usually the latter at least 

 for a time, whether of short or extended 

 duration. This applies to nearly if 

 not all forms of organic life, and plants 

 are no exception to the rule. The nature 

 and extent of climatic influence has 

 in the case of the larger domestic 

 animals received long and careful 

 study from men of practical and scienti- 

 fic attainments. Much valuable inform- 

 ation has been adduced by farmers 

 and others from their experiences and 

 researches in every country and in every 

 clime. Acclimatisation with them is a 

 subject that has become familiar, both 

 in theory and practice. Consequently, 

 cases from this cause in cattle, etc., while 

 still existing, are reduced to a minimum. 

 The domestic beast and fowl, being lower 

 in the scale than man, cannot command 

 his reasoning faculties, and so have to 

 submit to the inevitable, but nature steps 

 in to do what she can by causing a gra- 

 dual alteration in the constitution of the 

 animal to counteract the evil influences 

 of climate. Tne whole subject is so 

 interesting and yet so wide that we can- 

 not do justice to it in the space of a 

 single Note. We shall return to the sub- 

 ject later, and, in the meanwhile, we 

 hope that other writers to this journal 

 or other correspondents will bring their 

 experiences to bear upon this most intri- 

 cate question, experiences whether ele- 

 mentary or fragmentary. 



Cramp in Ducks. 

 Cramp in ducks, says a lady writing to 

 Farming World, may or may not be a 

 very serious ailment. A great deal must 

 depend on the kind of so-called cramp. 

 If it is only paralysis of the loins, in- 



