1862.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
350 
PRIZE FOWLS AT THE EXHIBITION f IN LONDON. 
(.Engraved for the American Agriculturist.) 
A few years ago, when the hen-fever was 
widely prevalent, the above engraving would 
have created no little excitement. We should 
have expected visits from fowl fanciers, letters 
from distant points, and no end of inquiries, as 
to where specimens and eggs might be pro¬ 
cured. Now they will merely be looked upon 
as curiosities, particularly the Japanese Bantams 
shown in the foreground. They are indeed sin¬ 
gular specimens of the feathered race. Their 
legs are not more than one or two inches long, 
and their feathers very curiously frizzled, re¬ 
sembling the style of dressing the hair, in Queen 
Elizabeth’s time. Of the particular value of 
these fowls for laying and breeding, we have no 
account. They have not long been introduced 
to England from their native country. Their 
tall companions, named the Crevecceur, are also 
a new importation from the East. In general 
characteristics they appear to resemble their 
Shanghai cousins, of which, in their primitive 
ugliness we have had more than enough. The 
above engravings are from prize specimens, 
shown at a recent poultry exhibition in London. 
Although many varieties of poultry more cu¬ 
rious than useful have been introduced, in con¬ 
sequence of the lien-fever, it has not been with¬ 
out beneficial results. Several breeds of superior 
excellence, which previously were almost un¬ 
known here, are now common, and our native 
stock has been much improved by various I 
crosses. The extra care, also, bestowed upon 
favorites for which high prices had been given, 
was so well repaid by iricrease in eggs and 
weight, that Olliers have taken the hint, and it 
is found profitable to give good care to poultry. 
It has been proved that with proper attention, a 
full supply of eggs the year round may be had 
from comparatively a small number of hens. 
The particulars of successful poultry raising 
have so often been noticed in our Calendar and 
elsewhere, that we need not now repeat them. 
•--*■ ^ —-WO P° ~ »■ -- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Keeping Horses in Winter. 
The first thing of importance is a good stable, 
which should be warm, light, dry and well ven¬ 
tilated. Each of these conditions must be ob¬ 
served to insure the health and comfort of the 
horse. The cold winds must not be permitted 
to blow upon him, nor damp, foul air fill the 
stable. Let a plentiful supply of pure air and 
light be admitted'through windows or blinds. 
The stalls should be 14 feet long and 51 wide; ' 
mangers for hay are preferable to racks, as the 
horses are less liable to waste their hay by get¬ 
ting it under their feet. The manger should be 
about 8| feet high next to the stall, and 6 inches 
higher in front; about 20 inches wide at the top, 
14 at the bottom, and extend to within 16 inch¬ 
es of the floor, which will leave room beneath 
for the bedding. The top piece on both sides 
of the manger should be 2 inches thick, of hard 
wood, to prevent the horse from gnawing. The 
feed box should be in the right hand end of the 
manger, and made of two inch hard wood plank; 
16 inches square is a good size. The partitions 
between the stalls should be about 8 feet long, 
and it is best to have them so high in front 
that the horses can not get their heads together. 
When the horse is idle, two quarts of oats 
given morning and evening, with plenty of good 
hay, will keep him in good condition. If corn 
is fed on the ear, two or three common sized 
ears will answer the same purpose, or three 
quarts of corn and cob meal per day. If at 
light or medium work, four quarts of oats, six 
ears of corn, or three quarts of corn and cob 
meal, should be given three times per day, with 
all the hay he will eat. If at hard labor, six 
quarts of oats, ten ears of corn, or four quarts of 
com a'nd cob meal, will be required. Whole corn 
is not economical food for horses, as much of it 
will pass through them undigested; but as it is 
used by many farmers, I give directions for 
feeding it. In feeding new corn, care must be 
taken not to give too much at first, as it is very 
liable to give horses the colic. Many, perhaps 
the majority of farm horses, in our part of the 
