402 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
and where they can be referred to at once, 
and save the voluminous and laborious writ¬ 
ing now required in stating them, when one 
wishes to know how an animal is bred. 
THE HAMBURG FOWLS. 
Whence this breed originated is not defi¬ 
nitely known, some assigning its origin to 
Hamburg or vicinity, others to Holland. 
Those places at the present time furnish 
the best specimens of these fowls, and we 
may, therefore, properly infer, that if not 
originating, they have at least long been 
bred there, and brought to a high state of 
perfection. 
They are divided into two distinct varities ; 
these being again subdivided into two each, 
distinguished by the ground color of their 
plumage. The first division is into Penciled 
and Spangled fowls ; the next into Golden 
and Silver Penciled, and Golden and Silver 
Spangled. 
The Silver Penciled, or Bolton Grays, are 
by many considered the most beautiful, al¬ 
though probably no better layers than any of 
the other varieties. Their imperative points, 
and these also apply to other well-bred Ham- 
burgs, are a full rose comb, slate colored 
legs and white ear lobes. These are indis- 
pensible requisites for the pure breed, and 
birds without them we should not consider 
worth breeding from. The ground color is 
a pure white. On the cock very little black 
is seen, and it is generally conceded that the 
wings and tail are the only parts that should 
be of that color. The hackles of the hen 
are a silvery white, with no marking what¬ 
ever; the rest of her body is distinctly pen¬ 
ciled with several lines of black on each 
feather. 
The Golden Penciled are similar in every 
respect to the Silver Penciled fowls, except 
in ground color. This, as their name—Bol¬ 
ton Bays —indicates, is a dark yellow or bay. 
The Spangled fowls, in their essential 
points, are the same as the Penciled. The 
same remark may also be applied to their 
color, their markings, however, are decidedly 
different, one spot or spangle of clear black 
taking the place of the lines on the Penciled 
birds. The breast of the cock is marked 
even more distinctly than the rest of his 
body. His hackles are striped in the center 
with black, anddiis tail feathers mottled with 
black spots on the ground color. 
All Hamburgs are slightly under the 
average size, are finely formed, and unsur¬ 
passed as layers. Their eggs are of a me¬ 
dium size. They are[rather noted for long- 
continued than rapid laying, and are rarely 
known to sit. They are active, noisy, and 
impatient of confinement; great foragers, 
though small consumers of grain ; and 
where full liberty and a good range is afford¬ 
ed, they are undoubtedly a most profitable 
fowl. Some consider them delicate in con¬ 
stitution, but this can be obviated in a great 
measure by a little extra care when young, 
which will be amply repaid in the increased 
size of the fowl when full grown. They 
mature early, and are tender, juicy and fine¬ 
ly flavored. Few birds of their size excel 
them for the table. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
THE GRASSES. 
In the various agricultural papers we have 
had talk and accounts of improved stock ; of 
the production of various kinds of crops, and 
almost everything down to the Shanghai 
chick; but I have not read much about the 
grasses—the different kinds—their adapta¬ 
tion to the different soils and climates—their 
productiveness—profits, &c. Will some¬ 
body write something on this subject 1 Your 
readers are numerous, and doubtless some 
have both experience and' theory on the 
matter. 
I have been sowing Timothy or meadow 
catstail and red clover generally, though 
probably to a disadvantage, as clover fre¬ 
quently freezes out in the winter, or dries up 
in the summer; it also requires a good rich 
soil to do well on, and lasts only a year or 
two, unless the seasons favor it. 
I have some loamy soil, naturally moist, 
sloping to the north, which I sowed in rye 
last fall, that I want to seed. What would 
be best for it as meadow ? What for pas¬ 
ture ? —[Red top.— Eds. Am. Ag.] How 
would herdsgrass or red top, tall oat, mead¬ 
ow soft grass, rye grass, smooth-stalked 
meadow or American cocks-foot do, on clay 
bottom, for pasture, where the soil has not 
been manured T E. S. Traver. 
Clinton, Dutches Co., N. Y., Feb. 28. 
We have for years given great attention 
to the cultivation of the grasses, and experi¬ 
menting with various foreign and nati ve sorts. 
This subject has occupied nearly as much 
thought with us as breeding and rearing im¬ 
proved stock. We have also frequently 
written on these subjects, especially in the 
first ten volumes of the American Agricultur¬ 
ist; and the reason we do not say more now 
on the grasses is, that we have little new to 
add. In an article on “ soiling,” page 401 of 
this number of our paper, the writer of the 
above will find some observations on the 
grasses, from the third to the seventh para¬ 
graph, which it may be important for him to 
read. Ray grass is the only one of foreign 
kind recently introduced into this country 
which has found favor, and we do not think 
this equal to orchard grass ( cocks-foot ). It 
has been in cultivation to some extent in this 
neighborhood for about fifteen years. Our 
friends have grown it with profit as far north 
as Connecticut, and as far south as the banks 
of the Roanoke, in North Carolina. 
We have no doubt some of the prairie 
grasses may be found valuable after cultiva¬ 
tion. There is one kind in particular at the 
west—we can not describe it botanieally— 
which is preferred early in the season to any 
other by stock. It comes forward very early, 
grows rapidly, and if kept [down by close 
feeding, makes good pasture till August. 
If suffered to grow unpastured, it gets five or 
gix feet high by August, and is then so coarse 
and rank cattle will scarcely touch it. It 
rpsembles orchard grass, and we have no 
doubt would be highly valuable to cultivate 
for early pasture and soiling. There are 
several kinds of Northern Texas, and Cali¬ 
fornia, and Oregon grasses, such as Grama 
or Buffalo, the Tornillo or Screw, the Mus- 
quit, &c. The Tornillo is particularly valu¬ 
able. See first series of American Agricul¬ 
turist, vol. 3, pp. 22, 47, 172. 
The only effectual way to introduce new 
grasses into cultivation is, for the farmers 
themselves to experiment in a small way 
with every new variety they can obtain at 
home and abroad, and then communicate 
the results of these experiments to the Agri¬ 
cultural press. 
Indian corn is one of our most valuable 
grasses It can be had in great abundance 
for pasture or soiling in this climate, from 
the 1st of July till winter sets in. See our 
brief observations on this grass for soiling 
page 104 of this number. Its cultivation for 
feeding stock during the summer, has been 
quite too much neglected by the farmers, 
from the first settlement of the country down 
to the present day. If the advice we gave 
upon this subject last year, and in fact almost 
every season for the past ten years, had 
been adopted by the farmers generally, thou¬ 
sands of cattle might have been saved from 
starvation, and the country would have been 
benefitted many millions of dollars. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
QUESTIONS ABOUT COWS. 
I am desirous of improving the appear¬ 
ance of my dairy, if I am not able to im¬ 
prove their milking qualities. I have a dairy 
of very good common or native cows. Their 
color is variegated. I fancy what is called 
the cherry-red. I have some whose calves 
do not happen to be of the color of their 
dam, owing, as I suppose, to irregularity of 
breeding. I have always fancied the Devons, 
although I have never purchased any on ac¬ 
count of their high price, but have finally 
concluded to do so. If in your opinion I can 
do better to cross my dairy with some other 
breed whose color may not be so admirable, 
but better for milking, you will confer a last¬ 
ing favor on me and others by doing so 
through the columns of your paper. 
S. Kieefer. 
Stone-Mills, Jefferson Co., N. Y., Feb. 23, 1855. 
A Short Horn (Durham) bull, from a deep 
milking family, of nearly a pure red color, 
fine, and of medium size, would be the best 
animal our correspondent could obtain for 
his cows, if he has good pasture. But if his 
soil be thin, and pasture rather short, then 
take a Devon bull which he is sure is de¬ 
scended from deep milking families on both 
male and female sides. The prices of such 
bulls are moderate, and they can be had of 
various breeders in this State. Our corre¬ 
spondent would find a great improvement in 
his stock by the first cross ; the second cross 
would give him a few animals out of the lot 
which would look almost like thoroughbreds. 
This is a cheap and sure way of improving 
one’s stock ; and millions would be annually 
gained by our farmers if they would univer¬ 
sally adopt it. We would not only recom¬ 
mend the use of superior males for their 
cattle, but also for their horses, sheep, pigs, 
and poultry. 
It is said that North Carolina produces 
within its boundaries the staple of every 
State in the Union, and is the only one that 
does it. 
There is but one paper—a monthly—pub¬ 
lished in Egypt; three in Iceland, and one 
in Sicily. ___ a=Eoin „____ 
If you would be pungent, be brief, for it is 
with work as with sunbeams, the more they 
are condensed, the deeper they burn. 
