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XI. — Essay on the Rearing and Management of Poultry. 

 By William Trotter. 



Prize Essay. 



Poultry is assuming that position in the agricultural world which 

 its importance demands. The prize offered by the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society of England for the best " essay on the rearing 

 and management of poultry " will undoubtedly be the means of 

 inducing many to turn their attention to this department of farming 

 — a department too lightly looked upon, and one from which, if 

 properly conducted, a good profit is derived. 



If this Society would, at its annual country exhibition, offer 

 prizes for the best of the various breeds of poultry, the exhibition 

 would not only be more interesting, but would bring before the 

 public, in almost every locality, specimens which are too little 

 known. In the district (Northumberland) from which we write, 

 the fowls are almost invariably of the dunghill breed, which is 

 not so profitable as many others, and which is kept in conse- 

 quence of the best varieties not being known; whereas, if the 

 different Agricultural Societies were to give prizes for poultry, 

 those varieties would soon be spread throughout the length and 

 breadth of the land, and, as a natural result, in the management 

 of which there would be more improvement, a great obstacle to 

 which is the want of sufficient accommodation. We shall, 

 therefore, in the first place, take into consideration the con- 

 struction of poultry-houses : for without sufficient accommo- 

 dation, not only will the time required in attendance be consi- 

 derably increased, but the profit will be greatly curtailed. I will 

 not lengthen my paper by describing the many buildings erected 

 for the purpose by resident landowners : however, I should deem 

 it an omission were 1 not to allude to that belonging to her 

 Majesty. 



The building is of a semi-Gothic style, situated in the Home 

 Park, Windsor, and consists of a central pavilion for feeding, 

 and from whence the fowls can be inspected. This pavilion is 

 flanked by roosting, feeding, and setting-houses, a hospital for the 

 diseased and lamed. In front is a large court, divided by slight 

 wire fences into compartments as walks for the daily exercise of 

 the fowls. Each compartment consists of grass-plots surrounded 

 by gravel walks. In constructing the building, the natural habits 

 of the birds have been constantly kept in view ; the apartments 

 are large and airy, the temperature of which is at the command 

 of the attendants. The laying-nests are (copied from such as the 



VOL. Xil. M 



