AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
77 
The Hamburg cock is distinguished by a large, 
fully developed rose-comb, about inch broad, 
with points of uniform lengths, and a pike reach¬ 
ing far back, the point turning upward ; wattles 
large, rounded, and like the comb, of an intense 
red; ear lobes white and large ; hackle a rich 
copper, with black markings, though in some of 
the best specimens, both hackle or saddle feathers 
are rounded, and have the perfect spangle at their 
extremity ; wings barred by the spangle of their 
coverts ; breast and back of the same coppery 
hue, deeply spangled ; thighs and lower part of 
the body nearly black ; tail full, erect, and bronzed 
throughout; legs and feet blue or lead color, and 
perfectly clean ; nails white. They stand about 
19 inches high ; and weigh on an average 5^- 
pounds. 
The hen has a small rose-comb, shaped like 
that of the cock ; earlobes white ; with her body, 
the lower part alone excepted, spangled. Her 
tail is full, and should be tipped with black, like 
that of the Sebright Bantam. Hight about 16 
inches, and weighs about 4£ pounds. 
Such in particular are the colors of the Golden 
Spangled Hamburgs ; but we must not pass them 
by without some further encomiums on the ex¬ 
treme brilliancy of their feather, from its rich 
combination of glossy hues. Their plumage is 
also compact and close, and in good specimens 
the female bird attains a depth of tone, seldom 
surpassed throughout the poultry-yard. The only 
comparison that does it justice may be found in 
the “ bloom ” of a thorough-bred bay-horse in 
racing condition. C. N. Bement. 
Springside, Po’keepsie, 1859. 
Our Poultry. 
In many even of the more northern sections of 
the country where our paper circulates, the sun¬ 
ny days are warming up the procreative habits of 
these universal attendants of the farm yard, and 
inviting our attention to their annual necessities of 
provision for laying their eggs, and the prospect¬ 
ive increase of their various families. The geese 
begin to squaak, and joyfully flap their wings, and 
wash themselves in the puddles of thawed ice, 
and snow, or the novv open water courses; the 
ducks waddle about in a new joy, their eyes turned 
up to the sun, and quacking in garrulous nonsense 
each to his companion ; the turkeys gobble and 
strut about the yard with a wonderful self appre¬ 
ciation of importance among their weak and tim¬ 
id inferiors; the motherly, domestic hen clucks 
about in her leisurely satisfaction at “ the good 
time coming,” while the lofty chanticleer flaps 
his wings on the nearest fence, or woodpile, 
in all the consciousness of prowess and security, 
as “ cock of the walk.” The pigeons, too, dart 
out of their neighboring cote, and take distant, 
and upward flights as if to survey the state of the 
weather, and anon return with each a straw in 
its mouth, as if the time of immediate incubation 
were approaching. It is indeed a happy, cheery 
time with the feathered family, all around. 
Now, let the several apartments be got in read¬ 
iness for the approaching season. Give the geese 
separate boxes for nests, as they are the earliest 
layers ; fix up the hen house, and clean out the 
nesting places; feed them all generously, for 
good strong eggs can not be made out of nothing, 
nor vigorous young goslings, ducks, and other 
poultry produced from poor keeping of the parents. 
Keep them all at home. Do not let them wander 
off into the fields and bye-places to nest and lose 
their eggs, but look well after, and secure them 
before they get chilled beyond the power of hatch¬ 
ing A few early chickens, too, will pay for some 
extra trouble. Indeed, every branch of the poul¬ 
try establishment will compensate for close look¬ 
ing to, and feeding. The “ old folks,” women, 
and larger children can do all this, and the farm¬ 
ing time not be intruded on for such purposes. 
Our remarks will apply just as well to April, 
where later seasons prevail. So, don't forget it 
then, because it is March now. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
My Second Year’s Experience in Chicken 
Culture 
Contrasts unfavorably with my first. On re¬ 
ferring to the Agriculturist for March, 1858, I find 
that during the previous year, from fifteen hens, 
I received an aggregate of 1888 eggs, and raised 
106 chickens, at an expense not exceeding §32, 
while their value amounted to §63 60. On the 
1st of February, 1858, my fowls numbered 52, of 
which 47 were hens, (ten were beheaded before 
the 1st of May,) and the eggs laid during the year 
ending with the 31st of January, 1859, have been 
only 3436, ir. the following order, viz : 
Feb. 
_163 
June. 
...415 
Oct. 
.229 
March_ 
.... 485 
July. 
....242 
Nov. 
.128 
April. 
.621 
August.... 
....226 
Dec_ 
. 38! 
May. 
....531 
Sept. 
.207 
Jan. 
.151 
Of the above, 221 were “set,” from which 161 
chickens were hatched, and 150 raised full grown, 
besides a December brood not counted in ; so that 
after the chickens were hatched, I cannot com¬ 
plain of my rearing department, all the deaths 
having occurred from external accidents. Their 
feed consisted of 70 bushels corn, 4 bushels 
buckwheat, 100 lbs. wheat screenings, 600 lbs. 
meal, with beef shanks and chandler’s scraps, at 
a total cost of $74, besides several bushels of 
boiled small potatoes unestimated. 
Deducting the eggs used for setting, the value 
of eggs and chickens at actual Bridgeport prices, 
averaging 16 cents per dozen for eggs, and 35£ 
cents a piece for live chickens, was $96; to which 
must be added the increase of a drake and duck 
that fed at the same table, which I estimate at 
$2 50—said drake and duck, with the assistance 
of these hens, having succeeded in raising seven 
young ones from 57 eggs laid—making a grand 
total of $98 50. This is only $24 50 more than 
cost, which is not as much as my previous year's 
profits from a stock of one-third in number. 
I alluded in my former report to a certain bluish 
gray hen; she is still living, and now nearly three 
years old. During the past twelve months this 
hen has laid (I believe) more than 100 eggs, and 
hatched (I know) four broods of chickens, the 
last on the 3d of December, and is again laying 
daily ! If you know of any hen that can beat that, 
I should like to be made acquainted with her. 
I also beg to solicit some instruction in the art 
of raising ducks, and to inquire which are general¬ 
ly most successful in hatching and brooding them 
—hens or their natural parents l J. N. I. 
Pembroke Green, Bridgeport, Conn., Feb. 1, 1859. 
--- ---—- 
Improved Sheep for Texas. 
Sheep growing already enters largely into the 
husbandry of Texas, and this business is fast in¬ 
creasing. It has proved profitable with the ex¬ 
ception of an occasional prevalence of disease or 
distemper in a few localities. We are glad to 
notice continued efforts to introduce improved 
breeds for crossing with the native or Mexican 
stock. The larger breeds thus crossed produce 
increased size of carcase as well as a greater 
yield of wool. We see it stated that the Hon. 
Senator from that State, Sam’l. Houston, recent¬ 
ly said he had determined to retire from politics 
and go into sheep raising, and he believed that he 
could do more for his State by introducing im¬ 
proved sheep than in any other way. Feb. 3d we 
saw passing through this city a lot of the “New- 
Oxfordshires” to be shipped to Texas—a part we 
believe to A. Phillips, Esq., of Victoria, and a part 
to Col. Forshey, Superintendent of the Military 
College, at Rutersville. They were from the 
flock of Mr. John T. Andrew of Connecticut. 
We hope the enterprising purchasers of these 
sheep will be successful in their laudable efforts 
to improve the present stock. 
The Lama or Alpaca. 
In answer to several correspondents who in¬ 
quire about this animal, we present the above en¬ 
graving with a few brief notes as to its habits, 
value, etc. The.Lama (Auchenia glama) is a na 
tive of Peru, being found among the higher 
mountainous districts. From its valuable quali 
ties it is to the natives inhabiting these rugged 
and sterile regions, what the camel is to the 
Arabs, or the reindeer to the Laplander. Indeed 
it belongs to the genus Camelidce, having as the 
engraving shows, the long neck of the camel, but 
is destitute of the“ hump.” It is used as a beast 
of burden, being capable of carrying about 150 
lbs. weight. The structure of its hoofs enables 
it to pass securely over the broken and precipi¬ 
tous mountain paths of the country. It is much 
smaller than the camel—being but little larger 
than the American deer. The hight of the body 
is seldom over three feet. 
The flesh, especially of the fawns, is said to be 
very good for food, but the Lama is most prized 
for its wool, which is used for making fine shawls, 
and also the fabric known as “ alpaca,” and is 
quite largely exported to England for this pur¬ 
pose. It is represented as being very hardy, re¬ 
quiring scarcely any care, and satisfied with the 
very coarsest of the scanty grasses found in 
waste districts. It has been thought that the Al¬ 
paca would thrive well in the cold and sterile 
mountainous regions of the United States, and 
some attempts have been made to introduce 
them, the most recent being that of a French 
gentleman, who last year brought forty-two ani¬ 
mals from the Cordilleras of Peru, to this port; 
but not finding a market for them, he reshipped 
them to England. Although their known quali¬ 
ties would seem to fit them for many localities 
here, they have not been sufficiently tried to war¬ 
rant any conclusions as to their ultimate profit as 
an addition to the domestic animals of our country. 
Yankee enterprise, however, will doubtless in a 
few years determine this point. 
