324 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
was at once apparent that, instead of grow¬ 
ing on the wheat stalk, the branch of chess 
had either been caught in the wheat head 
and its stem been broken by the waving of 
the grain, or become entangled in some other 
manner. We presume many people have 
been deceived by similar apparent unions of 
wheat and chess, and therefore chronicle this 
instance of the utter unreliability of appear¬ 
ances. — Rural New-Yorker. 
FARM-YARD POULTRY. 
From time to time the columns of the 
“ Poultry Chronicle ” have urged the neces¬ 
sity of increased care and attention to farm¬ 
yard stock. It must be apparent to any per¬ 
son conversant with the amount of poultry 
and eggs annually required in the United 
Kingdom, and the large quantity of breeding 
poultry kept on farms, that the produce is 
not equal to the demand, nor does it reach 
the amount which it ought to do ; this arises 
chiefly from farmers keeping bad small stock, 
breeding in, and retaining old and useless 
birds. It is difficult, indeed impossible, to 
obtain any correct amount of the enormous 
importation of poultry and eggs from abroad. 
A recent article in the “ Quarterly Review ” 
gives some useful information on this point, 
but the writer confines his observation to 
London alone. 
There can be no doubt that the trade is a 
most valuable one, and it is much to be re¬ 
gretted that our own farmers (who by keep¬ 
ing poultry admit the necessity of such stock 
on a farm) should throw away so great a 
source of profit. The following figures will 
show that the trade is very considerable, 
they refer only to the quantities brought 
into two of the principal London markets, 
and are as follows : 
Eggs. 
.75,000,000 
Fowls. 
. 2,000,000 
Pigeons. 
. 400,000 
Turkeys. 
. 100,000 
Geese. 
. 100,000 
Ducks. 
. 300,000 
In addition to these quantities, the vast 
amount sent to poulterers and private 
houses must be considered. It is difficult to 
say what proportion of this comes from 
abroad, but the fact that sixty million eggs 
are imported annually from France, and that 
the Brighton Railway alone carries yearly 
about 2,600 tuns of eggs brought from Bel¬ 
gium and France, are fair indications as to 
the rest. 
If this very large trade is so valuable to 
foreigners, it must be apparent to any poul¬ 
try keeper that the British producers should 
take steps to secure it for themselves. 
It is notorious that this year there has 
been a great want of poultry, not only in 
London, but in every poulterer’s shop 
throughout the kingdom, and it is equally 
well known that, except in London or some 
of the largest towns, a good plump well-fed 
fowl is never found. This is the result of 
the present farm-yard system, if such care¬ 
lessness can be called a system. The little 
fowls produce little chickens, and after hav- 
ing given as much trouble and eaten as much 
food as a good bird would have, they are sent 
to the local market, and bring such small 
prices as to be quite unremunerative. Had 
these birds been the produce of really good 
stock, and received a little extra care 
to make them plump, they would, without 
increase of trouble or expense, have realized 
such a sum as would have perceptibly in¬ 
creased the year’s receipts. These observ¬ 
ations are not made to those who are pre¬ 
judiced against, and do not keep fowls, but 
to those who at present keep bad ones with 
a view to encouraging them to get good 
ones. Nothing is more easy, thanks to the 
numerous exhibitions ; there is scarcely a 
neighborhood that has not one or more 
breeders of good stock, generally willing to 
part with some of their surplus birds at 
moderate prices. 
It can scarcely be doubted that the best 
stock for table purposes is the Dorking ; the 
varieties have been mentioned before in these 
pages. Those who wish to breed a very 
large bird should procure the light grey or 
speckled kinds ; those who wish to have a 
moderate plump bird may get the Silver Grey 
variety, sometimes known as “ Lord Hill’s 
breed.” These .birds are to their larger 
brethren what the Southdown sheep is to 
the Leicester, and other larger varieties, and 
they have one advantage to the fancier, viz., 
that they breed true to color, which the larg¬ 
er birds do not, and there are few things 
more agreeable in poultry keeping than .a 
yard filled with evenly-marked birds, all 
alike ; but whatever breeding stock may be 
decided upon, no poultry keeper who wants 
eggs should be without Cochin or Brahma 
pullets: as winter layers they are invaluable, 
and produce a constant supply when fresh 
eggs command a high price. If Ducks are 
kept, the Rouen or Aylesbury will answer 
best; and if Turkeys are required, the Nor¬ 
folk or Cambridge birds will make as fine 
meat as need be wished. 
THE COMIC POULTRY-GUIDE- 
In many situations of life we require 
guides, and no class is exempt from this 
want. The imperial purple cannot dispense 
with them—nay, it wants more than ordi¬ 
nary people. Witness the band of Napo¬ 
leon’s regiment ol them, that created such a 
sensation at the Crystal Palace. They are 
also necessary when aspiring individuals de¬ 
termine to ascend Mont Blanc, and many a 
little screamer is familiar with the name in 
connection with a bathing machine at Mar¬ 
gate or Brighton. A person about to com¬ 
mence poultry-keeping may be compared to 
one just landed in a foreign city. Ignorant 
of every thing, he asks for a trustworthy 
guide. We will recommend a cheap and 
infallible one. It is nature. Choose then 
your stock well formed, healthy and young ; 
but as in most well-assorted unions, the 
male should be older than his partners. 
Seeing there are no laws against polygamy, 
we will mention the number of wives, which 
should be six. Following our guide, we say, 
let them take their own course. Let your 
hens enjoy all the honors of maternity, let 
them be blessed with those “ sweet cares, all 
other joys so far above,” that attend a moth¬ 
er’s life. As you can not eat your pudding 
and have it too, so you can not compel a hen 
to do more than she is naturally fitted to ac¬ 
complish ; and she must rest. Strange to 
say, the period of sitting, and the infancy of 
her progeny, are the rest of the hen, and 
cause her no sleepless nights. But if in de¬ 
fiance of this sound provision, you prevent 
her from sitting, while it is true you will 
cause her to lay again, you will only be a 
temporary gainer, as the strain on the sys¬ 
tem will wear it out prematurely. She 
would have fulfilled her duties punctually, 
and to the last have been useful in her voca¬ 
tion ; but being forced to unhealthy exertion 
when young, her old age will be sterile and 
premature. Thus thoughtless orphans, heed¬ 
less of their trustees, devour before they 
are of age, the property that should keep 
them through life. 
The cure for the gout is said to be to live 
on lialf-a-crown per day, and to earn it. Ex¬ 
ercise produces or sharpens appetite, and 
imparts a relish to the plainest food. We 
never know whether to laugh or to be angry, 
when we see an obese dog, slowly moving 
at the most snail-like pace, following, or ra¬ 
ther hindering, the progress of a good old 
gentleman or lady. They like to see the 
dear thing fat, and even cookery is taxed to 
please the poor thing's palate. How often 
have we seen the walking-stick of the one, 
or the parasol of the other, brought into re¬ 
quisition to defend the poor useless being 
from the approach of some other dog,-whose 
only advantage was, that he was sparingly 
and properly fed; consequently it was 
cheerful, and full of health and spirits. We 
have seen an old lady almost as fat as her 
pet, perform marvels of agility in preventing 
another from playing with it, and at last 
fairly take up the poor wheezing creature. 
Now fowls improperly fed, are in the 
same predicament. They become over fat, 
indifferent to exercise, and useless. Their 
food should be simple and regular, and keep¬ 
ing our guide in view, it should be so given 
as to approach as near as possible to a state 
of nature. Let it be scattered about, so that 
they shall be unable to fill their crops in a 
few minutes. A meal to be healthy should 
be moderate in quantity, and eaten slowly. 
Follow this out with your fowls, and do not 
by unnatural temptations and indulgences 
make them “ dear fat lazy things.” Let 
them leave oft' with an appetite.— Poultry 
Chronicle. 
ENGLISH LARKS ON LONG-ISLAND. 
We have received a very welcome note 
from a friend, informing us that the English 
sky-lark had become domesticated upon our 
Long-Island shores. We think it will be of 
interest to many to learn the facts, and we 
therefore take the liberty of publishing the 
letter, though not meant for publication : 
“ Dear Sir : 1 have just read in your new 
book entitled ‘ Star Papers,’ of your high- 
wrought enthusiasm at hearing the English 
sky-lark, as he rose from the dewy grass 
singing up to heaven. I think, sir, that I 
can sympathize with you in your admiration 
for this world-renowned songster, for I have 
often greeted the sun at his rising, that I 
might have a morning song before resuming 
my daily studies. But I heard him on Long- 
Island. The veritable English sky-lark is 
now acclimated, civilized, and naturalized as 
an adopted American citizen, and is to be 
found in the neighboorhod where they were 
first placed in quite large numbers. About 
ten years ago a wealthy Englishman, living 
at East New-York, L. I., set a pair of valua¬ 
ble larks free, for the very purpose of intro¬ 
ducing them into this country. He has suc¬ 
ceeded admirably, and deserves the com¬ 
mendation of all lovers of birds and song. 
Though I have spent my life in the same 
neighborhood, I regret to say that I can not 
now recall the name of this public benefac¬ 
tor. If, sir, you should ever wish to hear the 
cause of one burst of your eloquence in your 
‘ Star Papers,’ take an early ride to East 
New-York, inquire for Mr. Simmons, who 
will direct you where you may often go to 
hear your favorite bird.” 
We mean to take an early opportunity of 
hearing these foreign singers. W'e have 
heard, for the firsttime this year, in Brook¬ 
lyn, a singing bird, among the trees between 
Hicks and W’illow-sts., that is unlike any of 
our native songsters, and so much resembles 
the sky-lark that we remarked the fact to 
friends before receiving this letter. It was 
between 4 and 5 o’clock in the morning that 
we heard it, on several successive days. If 
these gracious warblers have taken a fancy 
to Brooklyn trees, we give them a cordial 
welcome, and pledge ourselves to stand be¬ 
tween them and any native American pre¬ 
judices on the part of home birds. We have 
perceived some tokens of jealousy on the 
part of one fellow, to the manor born—a 
