180 On the Reavmg and Management of Poultry. 



valuable work on cookery, says that those fowls which have 

 black legs are the best for roasting, while those with white legs 

 are the best for boiling." 



Fowls for Laying. — For the purpose of laying, no breed of 

 fowls is better adapted than the Dutch every-day layers. Should 

 their eggs prove rather small, a cross with the Spanish will at once 

 remedy the defect. For our part we are satisfied that (although 

 the eggs are less than those laid by the larger varieties of fowls) 

 yet they are equal to those laid by the dunghill breed. That the 

 eggs of the Dutch are less nutritious, from their great number, is 

 merely speculative and without foundation. 



The black Polish is also notorious for the production of im- 

 mense numbers of eggs. Should its appearance be more in 

 accordance with the taste of the owner, I offer no objections 

 to it. 



How TO OBTAIN A GoOD BrEED OF POULTRY. 



Number of Hens to one Cock. — The next point we have to dis- 

 pose of is, Ought there to be any discretion used in proportion- 

 ing the number of hens to the number of cocks ? 



Dickson has acquitted himself better on this subject than any 

 author previous to his day whom I have consulted. His remarks 

 are ably followed up by the late H. D. Richardson, who goes on 

 to observe, " that the number of hens allowed to one cock should 

 vary with the object in view." 



" If the profit be from the production of eggs alone, one cock 

 may have as many as twenty-four hens. If the object be strong 

 and healthy chickens, he ought to be restricted to six, or at most 

 eight." So far I agree with the author quoted. 



If chickens are not wanted for sale, they are wanted to renew 

 the stock of hens. And as no one can deny the necessity of having 

 healthy chickens for consumption, surely no one will deny the 

 advantage of having healthy pullets to add yearly to the stock ; 

 which, be it remembered, should not be kept above three years 

 (unless of a valuable breed), after which they are almost useless, 

 even for household purposes. 



The stock of fowls in our poultry-yard is kept for the produc- 

 tion of eggs, and to keep it up a number of pullets is reared every 

 year. To have the pullets strong and healthy is of the utmost 

 importance. This object could not be obtained without either 

 keeping a great number of cocks, or keeping a small number of 

 hens and a cock in an enclosure. The latter method I have 

 adopted, and strongly recommend it to the notice of breeders of 

 fowls. -By it I am enabled to keep a less proportion of cocks 

 than I could else safely have done. Were it not for the received 

 opinion that hens do not lay so well when deprived of the com- 



