Entered as Second-Class Matter. June 26. 1879, at the Post 
Oftr.e at New York. N. Y".. under the Act of March 3, 1879. 
Published Weekly by The Ru-al Publishing Co.. 
333 W. 39th St.. New York. Price One Dollar a Year. 
NEW YORK, NOVB 
Black Giants—For Profit 
The Jersey 
A X OLD FARM SECTION.—There is a section of 
New Jersey which has. through a long period 
of years, dating back even to Colonial times, en¬ 
joyed a reputation as a fertile and productive farm¬ 
ing area. It lies near the capital city of Trenton, 
and embraces the central portion of the State. Na¬ 
tives call it Central Jersey. Today this farming sec- 
tion is continuing to advance and 
develop, not content in the least 
to live on its great history or to 
be known because of its signifi¬ 
cance hack in the days of the 
Revolution. It has many an in¬ 
terest for those agriculturally in¬ 
clined. The writer, during the 
past Summer, had the good for¬ 
tune to motor down through the 
main highways and along the 
back roads of this rightly cele¬ 
brated country. As the car rolled 
along, many different scenes 
opened up before our view. Fields 
of potatoes appeared, thriving 
splendidly and growing apace un¬ 
der the influences of ideal Sum¬ 
mer weather. Cornfields waved 
under the gentle breeze. In pas¬ 
tures along the roadside tine herds 
of cattle were grazing. To anyone 
who loves poultry, who sees in 
chickens not only a source of 
profit, but also a real source of 
pleasure, a trip like the one here 
mentioned is bound to be a treat. 
The writer had known that back 
through a couple of decades, or 
more. Central Jersey farmers 
had been developing farm poul¬ 
try Hocks of a rather distinctive 
type and character, hut he had 
scarcely realized .that those 
farmers had so universally 
adopted similar types of fowls, 
and had built up among them¬ 
selves largely what is destined 
to become one of our most inter¬ 
esting and valuable economic 
breeds of domestic poultry, the 
Jersey Black Giant, On farm 
after farm the fields near the 
dwelling were spotted with black 
hens and growing chicks. 
A BREED MADE FOR A 
PURPOSE.—Over near the little 
town of New Egypt tDo Jersey 
Black Giant flock of Oscar 
Search looked so attractive when 
seen from the roadside, as the 
glossy black fowls strolled about 
iu an old apple orchard, that the 
ear was stopped and a call made. 
We were anxious to find an answer to the question 
as to just what good Giants look like. Sharing this 
answer with the reader, will he to say that: 
1. One of the outstanding characteristics of this 
large black chicken is size. At the recent convention 
of the American Poultry Association the Jersey 
Black Giant was admitted to the Standard of Per¬ 
fection, and thereby recognized as a pure and dis¬ 
tinct breed and type, and the weight requirement 
for the fully developed male was placed at 13 lbs. 
Size, indeed! And the female is as large, in pro¬ 
portion. The two best males heading the breeding 
pens on Mr. Search’s farm this past Spring were 
fine specimens of the breed and stood before us. tali, 
big-boned, strong, vigorous and well-fleshed. It is 
essential that the breed he maintained as a large 
breed, because wherever it is being raised the pro¬ 
duction of meat, usually in form of capons, is con¬ 
sidered as a principal source of revenue and profit. 
Size is all important. 
Another valued characteristic of the Giant is 
ability to make rapid and economical growth ami 
development. Of course, it should not be expected 
that so large a fowl can grow and mature as quickly 
as the Leghorn, for example, but, speaking of it as 
a heavy type of fowl, the Central Jersey farmers 
told us that they considered it. an economical grower. 
Its continued development and increase in popularity 
in sections far removed from its original home is in 
part due to this characteristic. 
3. A third valuable feature is the flue delicacy 
and quality of the meat produced by the Giants. 
No breed can gain a widespread 
reputation as a meat breed un¬ 
less it satisfies the ultimate con¬ 
sumer as to quality. The Giant, 
finished for the market as a 
capon, produces a quality and 
grain of flesh that is first-class. 
The skin is yellow, as the Amer¬ 
ican market demands. The bot¬ 
toms of the feet are deep yellow, 
but the shanks are black, as one 
would naturally expect. 
4. The plumage is a rich, lus¬ 
trous black, a color scheme which 
make a universal appeal to many 
poultry lovers and fanciers, be¬ 
cause of its natural beauty and 
its uniform appearance, as well 
as its failure to show dirt and 
soiled condition as the hens 
range about the average farm. 
On this farm, as well as at other 
farms visited, especially that of 
M. L. Chapman, beautifully col¬ 
ored fowls were seen iu goodly 
numbers, their plumage showing 
a green sheen in the sunlight and 
making a beautiful contrast with 
the healthy red coloration of the 
bead parts. On picking up a 
few hens and examining the 
feather coat in some detail, the 
tendency to a light under-color 
was appreciated. In fact, the 
white under-color required by 
the new standard for the Giant 
is one of its chief characteristics, 
and one which will increase its 
usefulness on our American 
farms. 
5. Vigorous vitality has been 
bred into the Jersey Black Giant 
as a distinct trait. The fowls 
have been developed for*farm 
conditions, to satisfy the require¬ 
ments of the average farmers for 
a general-purpose fowl. Free 
range and unlimited room have, 
among other things, resulted in a 
breed with great vigor and nat¬ 
ural health. It is fortunate for 
the breed that the years of its 
formation have been spent amid 
surroundings such as our motor 
trip out a few miles from Trentou revealed. 
d. A rather surprising capacity to produce eggs 
has been secured in the Jersey Black Giant. Nat¬ 
urally. one would not fairly expect that so heavy a 
fowls as the Giant should rival the commercial egg 
machine, so well known and greatly admired 
throughout New Jersey. But several of the farm¬ 
ers' wires told us that their Giant pullets and hens 
had laid splendidly throughout the Winter season, 
A Quartette of Jcrsi n Giant Capon* Si.c Montha Old. Fiy. 
