276 
GENERAL MANAGEMENT 
experiments in tlie cross-breeding of fowls, and it may be 
some satisfaction to know the results of my experience. 
In the first place, let iis clearly understand what are the 
qualities necessary to constitute a good fowl for the fai'm, 
because, in this case, they are not wanted for fancy, but for 
profit. Well then, to be profitable, they should be good 
foragers, good layers, good sitters, good mothers, and good 
large chickens for the table. These are the qualifications 
necessary to constitute a good profitable fowl for farmers' 
■wives and daughters. 
Fancy Fowls, 
In the course of my experience I found none of the fancy 
"fowls (either Hamburgs, Polish, Malay, Spanish, or Game) 
possessing the number of points necessary for perfection ; and. 
as for Cochin China, whether half-bred or whole bred, 
whatever you do, avoid them, for they are dear at a gift. 
They may be just the thing for the Slave States of 
America, where each fowl can have a little black boy to wait 
upon it ; for unless the food be brought to the bird, or the 
'bird be carried to the food, it wdll do without it, and will 
scarce deign to move, even v/hen pinched by the fangs of 
liunger. It is a perfect drone in all its actions ; and when 
it crows, it is just about as musical as a donkey braying 
through a speaking-trumpet, or a cow-boy calling up the 
cattle with a cow's horn. They appear huge birds ; but 
when you lay hold of them they feel as if they were made of 
cork, and you have to grope about after the body, being 
nothing but skin, bone, and feathers. When they are killed 
and plucked, they are one of the sorriest spectacles imagina- 
ble. In this respect the Cochin fowl and the barn owl 
ought to go together ; for one looks quite as tempting as the 
other. All that ever came in my way looked as hollow, 
flat, and skinny as so many half-starved ducks, and had 
scarcely an ounce of eatable flesh upon them ; and even 
that was, comparatively speaking, as coarse and tough as 
Buflalo beef. The result is, that in no shape or form what- 
ever are they a fowl for the farm. They may do very well 
for gentlemen's lawns, because they never fight or break 
down the shrubs ; or for citizens of London, who turn a back 
