65 



THE POULTRY EXHIBITION AT MADRID. 



Among the many countries from which the United King- 

 dom obtains supplies of poultry produce Spain occupies a 

 very minor position. In the year 1900 less than ten 

 millions of eggs were received from Spain, or only about 

 one-half per cent, of the total foreign and colonial imports. 

 In 1899 these were fifty per cent, greater, and the reason 

 for such a decline has not been explained. Yet, we cannot 

 doubt that for centuries poultry-keeping has been followed 

 in the Peninsula, for we owe to that part of Europe breeds of 

 of fowls which have been notable as egg producers. The 

 Black Spanish, at one time popular by reason of its fecundity 

 and the large size of its eggs, appears to have originated in 

 Spain and found its way to this country by the Netherlands, 

 probably when Belgium and Holland were appanages of the 

 Spanish Crown. The Andalusian, formerly called the Blue 

 Spanish, and the Minorca were imported direct from South- 

 western Europe into Britain. When the Andalusian was 

 brought over we have no evidence, but the records show that 

 the Minorca was introduced into Devon by trading ships 

 about a hundred years ago, and its striking economic qualities, 

 both as regards size and number of eggs produced, won for 

 it the popularity it has attained. These three breeds 

 probably have the same ancestry, the present variations 

 being due to different ideals in breeding. Yet they are closely 

 related, and each excels in egg production. Taking all the 

 races of fowls at present known to us, no breed can equal 

 them in weight of eggs which an individual hen will lay, tor 

 these eggs are amongst the largest we obtain. Considering 

 these facts it is surprising that so little has been known re- 

 specting poultry-keeping in Spain, but it is generally 



E 



