The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
”4 
of his breeding ; of the cost of the establishment, and the respective share taken by owner and 
man therein ; and who could intelligently compare his alleged objects with the plan of the yard 
built to carry them out,* smiled and shrugged their shoulders when they read his tirade. But we 
have nothing to do with such matters here; what really concerns us is to point out that his state- 
ments betray in themselves an ignorance of the whole subject, and a consequent ignorance and 
mis-statement of simple facts, which deserve to be called phenomenal, and are calculated to obscure 
the real force which did lie in part of the indictment, to say nothing of his denying any possibility 
of remedy, which it is desirable to seek. 
For every one of the great surgeon’s broader statements is simply a gross error — a sheer mis- 
take. The previous chapter will have made it clear that our importations from France have 
absolutely nothing to do with any inferiority in our races of poultry, but are due to quite other 
causes; while it is equally untrue to say that from the alleged (or any other) causes we “ produce 
races inferior to those of France.” Our fanciers have races, it is true, which are so (and which are 
also kept in France) ; but our races which are meant for eggs and flesh are as good as any in the 
world. The previous chapter will also have made it quite clear, from recorded experience, that the 
real hope for the farmer’s and cottager’s poultry does lie in those very “ pure breeds ” so abused by 
Sir Henry Thompson as detrimental to it ; and one of the most celebrated French feeders — 
Madame Ailleroit — informed us personally, after looking over the Dorkings at the Crystal Palace 
(just the regular class of exhibition Dorkings, remember), that they were “ perfection ! ” and that she 
would desire no better fowls to work upon. Again, if it is complained that English feeders do not 
equal the productions of the French feeders, one is constrained to ask how they should do so, in 
defmilt of French prices ? In France there is a demand for the choicest fatted poultry at from 12s. 
to 25s. each ; where and what is the demand for such in England ? Once insure our feeders even 
10s. for a fatted fowl, and how long will the English production be inferior to the French, or classes 
for table fowls fail to fill ? The utter neglect of such considerations as these proves that a man 
may be pre-eminent as a surgeon, and yet write very foolishly as a food economist. 
It is just as much a pure mistake to suppose that any alleged superiority in French poultry 
is owing to any difference in “judging” at French shows. For years past the Paris exhibitions 
have been attended by skilled Fnglish reporters of various schools, and they all agree that the 
one thing which characterises the judging there is the neglect of any real standard of excel- 
lence at all, and the substitution for it of the most unblushing personal favouritism. French 
exhibitors have lamented to us the absence of any conscientious attempt, such as they see 
in England, to distinguish the best fozvls irrespective of their owners, or to make the awards 
real “judging” rather than distribution of favours. The simple fact is, as hinted in the last 
chapter, that in France poultry largely takes the place which in England is taken by beef and 
mutton, lamb and veal ; and has, consequently, that general attention from the fanning class 
which in England is confined to the latter only. 
And this fact brings out at once into strong relief the great and real good which has been 
done by that “ poultry fancy ” which Sir Henry Thompson would so foolishly seek to destroy, 
founded though it be throughout upon judging by characteristics which at first sight may appear 
arbitrary. It never can, indeed, be otherwise; for when he and others make the specious demand 
that prizes shall be given to the “best layers,” the simple reply is that it cannot be done : there is 
no way of doing it. You cannot see which is the best layer, out of a row of birds in pens ; and to 
go by testimony would open the door to all sorts of abuses. We must judge by visible points of 
* A plan of it is given in “ The Practical Poultry Keeper,” 20th edition. 
