67 
FARM POULTRY. 
Forty years ago the Koyal Agricultural Society offered a prize 
for the best essay on the rearing and management of farm 
poultry. This was awarded to' Mr. William Trotter, of Healey 
Mill, Hexham, for a very practical and useful article on the 
subject. Since the date of its publication a great impetus has 
been given to poultry keeping, by the establishment of compe- 
titive shows for fancy varieties. At these shows, however, 
useful properties have been almost entirely ignored, and prizes 
have been awarded for accuracy of marking in feather, symmetry 
of comb, and other fancy points having no reference whatever 
to the value of fowls as market or table poultry, or as egg- 
producers. In fact, it is hardly too strong an assertion to main- 
tain that every breed which has become a fancy or show variety 
has been deteriorated in practical value. The produce of eggs 
in particular has been utterly neglected, and many of the breeds 
which, before the era of poultry shows, were valued as large 
egg-producers, are now almost useless in that particular. 
Half a century since, Spanish fowls were commonly seen in 
many of the large stable and faimyards about London, being 
kept solely for their abundant production of large white eggs. 
They are now known as the worst layers of any non-incubating 
variety, and some of the hens that have figui-ed largely as prize- 
winners have never laid an egg. Amongst the incubating 
breeds Cochins were at one time regarded as the most prolific 
layers, being absolutely credited by some with the faculty of 
laying two or even three eggs per day. For the last forty years 
they have been bred solely for feather, and the result is that this 
breed, once possessed of certain useful properties, is now valueless 
except as a fancy fowl. Its introduction into our poultiy 
yards has in fact done more harm than good to our native 
breeds, inasmuch as, while it has lost its own prolificacy, its defi- 
ciency of flesh upon the breast has tended considerably to dejire- 
ciate the value of our table poultry with which it has been 
crossed. 
Since the introduction of fancy poultry the importation of 
eggs, more especially from France, has gone on increasing to an 
enormous extent, a fact which some persons seek to account for 
by the supposition of the existence of large aud extensive poultry 
farms in France. This belief is so thoroughly grounded in the 
mind of the public, that scarcely a year passes but poultry 
farms are started. These generally last but for a couple of 
F 2 
