4886 
SUMMARY 
OF THE RURAL’S SEED DIS¬ 
TRIBUTION FOR 1886. 
A full description, with illustrations, was 
given in the R. N.-Y. of Nov. 14, and this num¬ 
ber will be mailed (free) to all who apply. 
The Nov. 14th Number also presents a full 
account of the 
$3,300 
worth of presents which are offered to subscrib¬ 
ers (not to regular agents) for clubs. 
N. B.—One package (six in all), will be sent 
to all REC4ULAR SUBSCRIBERS who apply, 
and to them only. A two-eent stamp should 
be inclosed in the application, except by those 
who subscribe for the R. N.-Y. in connection 
with some other journal which offers the seeds 
in connection with the combination. In that 
ease, an application is unnecessary. The Seeds 
will be scut without application. 
The Alaska Pea. 
It is claimed that this is the earliest blue 
pea ; that it is the best of its class; that it has 
superior shipping qualities, the pods remain¬ 
ing green longer than those of any other 
variety. It has never been offered for sale. 
SECOND. 
The Best of the New Water¬ 
melons. 
Comprising a few seeds each of Kolb’s Gem, 
Mammoth Ironclad, Scaly Bark, Cuban Queen, 
and Pride of Georgia. 
THIRD. 
This proved last season the earliest, field corn 
ever tested at the Rural Grounds, though it 
may not so prove again. The longest ears 
measured 14 inches. The ears were borne low, 
with often three to a plant. Plants short. 
FOURTH. 
Garden Treasures, 
for our lady friends, being a packet of not less 
than 100 different kinds of flower seeds mixed 
together. 
FIFTH. 
THE BIRD CANTALOUPE 
(Prom Colorado.) 
Introduced by the R. N.-Y. Oblong in 
shape, thickly netted, deeply ribbed; flesh 
thick and light, green, sweet and delicious. 
Very early. The largest specimens weigh 20 
pounds, ns grown in Colorado. 
SIXTH. 
Hackensack Valley 
Muskmelons. 
Gathered by the R. N.-Y. from the best 
growers of the Hackensack Valley of New 
Jersey. 
IMPORTANT. 
1st. — The Rural New-Yorker never 
SELLS seeds or any plants grown upon 
its Experiment Grounds. 
2d.—ONLY Regular Subscribers need 
apply.- 
3d.—IN MAKING application, it is 
only necessary to write “SEND SEEDS.” 
4th.—-Strangers should send 
for the Nov. 14th issue of the 
R. N.-Y., which fully describes 
the Free Seed Distribution. 
Mailed without charge. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
34 Park Row, N. Y. 
THE MURAL HEW'fOJ? K1S. 
444 
<TI)C p.onlirn l)aviX 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Scientific amateurs claim to be able to 
determine the sex of an egg before it is hatched. 
Mauy rules have been propounded, taking into 
consideration the shape of^he egg, tho size, 
the age of the hou and her condition, and the 
number of hens placed with each cock. We 
interviewed the best breeders we could find at 
the late poultry show, to learn how practical 
men regard such ideas. Everyman with whom 
we talked declared such “rules” to be the worst 
kind of nonsense. No man can tell what the 
egg will produce. In fact, it is almost im¬ 
possible to tell, after the chicken is hatched, 
until the comb and tail begin to grow. It 
seems safe to assume that the rules for de¬ 
termining the sex of eggs null be monopolized 
by “scientific amateurs.” 
The favorite egg for setting appears to be as 
nearly oval as possible. The best breeders re¬ 
ject every pointed or irregular egg, or a very 
large one. It is customary to pick out the 
eggs very carefully in breeding fine stock. 
Generally N> per cent, are rejected as liable 
to produce inferior chickens. In the ordinary 
practice, little attention is paid to the shape 
of the egg. Thirteen eggs are picked out 
“just as they come” nud put, under the hen. 
Farmers generally have as an argument that 
the hen that “steals her nest” always brings 
out good chickens, even though the eggs are 
the oviduct. Experiments have shown that a 
pullet kept fat from the time it begins laying, 
will always lay a pointed egg. An over-fed 
hen with little exercise will lay small eggs of 
poor shape. With proper care and feeding 
the shape and size of the egg can be improved. 
The best eggs are obtained from hens that are 
kept in good growing condition, just hungry 
enough to exercise freely. Breeders stated 
that they would not set a badly shaped or 
pointed egg from the best hen in their flocks. 
They would prefer to feed her so that her 
eggs would be of better shape. That much 
can be done to improve the shape of eggs by 
careful selection and feeding was proved by 
several collections of eggs on exhibition. 
Taken just as they were brought in from the 
nests, the shape was remarkably uniform. 
A FLOCK OF WYANDOTTES. 
We show at Fig. 92 a splendid flock of this 
popular breed of flowls, bred by Mr. G. A. 
Preston, Binghampton. N. Y. Mr. Preston 
writes as follows concerning this breed; 
“For an aspiring fancier to have predicted 
a few years ago that the Wyaudottes would 
soon lie the'most popular fowls bred, would 
have seriously endaugered his reputatiou for 
foresight. Yet to-day these same birds are 
not only welcomed into the yards of our 
Americau fanciers and farmers, but are al¬ 
most daily sent to England, Ireland, Scotland, 
New’ Zealand and to many other countries; and 
truly they merit their success, as, for layers 
of eggs they have convinced their admirers 
FLOCK OF WYANDOTTES. Fig. 93. 
celled. The eggs average eight to the pound. 
Nine hens laid in December 131 eggs. 
LOSSES IN LARGE NUMBERS O 
CHICKS. 
P. H. JACOBS. 
Losses of hen-hatched and raised chicks; 
losses of incubator-hatched and brooder 
raised chicks; the hens at a disadvantage. 
It may not have occurred to the readers of 
the Rural New-Yorker that a comparison 
of the losses of chicks among large numbers 
and small broods will show curious results, 
yet, though every farmer will admit that but 
few hens succeed in raising all the chicks in a 
brood, they may not be prepared for a review’ 
of losses that annually occur on every farm. 
The most profitable chicks are those that 
are hatched early in the season. The num¬ 
ber of eggs to be placed under each ben, ac¬ 
cording to general opinion, is 13. If'the hen 
succeeds in hatching Iff chicks from the 13 
eggs, she will be considered as having faith¬ 
fully performed her duty, though often the 
whole number of eggs will produce chicks: 
while at other times the number will be as 
low’ as two or three. If, however, we have 
100 hens sitting, and each brings off 10 chicks 
from 13 eggs, no complaint will lie made, as 111 
is above the average. Having hatched 10 
chicks, the reader will admit that if the hen 
loses on! 3 * two, especially in the Winter sea¬ 
son, she will be fortunate. But, for the pur¬ 
pose of comparison, let us suppose that, a hen 
hatches 10 chicks from 13 eggs (which is about 
75 per cent.), and raises eight of the teu, the 
loss, being blit 
two, will appear 
small, and will 
consequently of¬ 
ten be over¬ 
looked. 
When, how¬ 
ever, the farmer 
attempts to 
hatch thousands 
of chicks, the 
most, discourag¬ 
ing spectacle is 
the apparently 
great mortality 
that occurs. He 
becomes appall¬ 
ed. and wonders 
how the “old 
hen” can be so 
successful, while 
the brooders 
seem to fail. But 
let him reflect, 
and apply the 
standard of 
eight chicks 
raised from ten 
hatched, and 
make his com¬ 
parison. Figures 
are said to be 
truthful, and 
thev make out a 
very bad case 
for the 1 ‘old hen. ” 
Sunnosing, for 
illustration, that 
she was capable 
of hatching 100 
(’hicks. 20 ’ of 
of all shapes and sizes. But few farmers can 
tell how really good these “stolen” chickens 
are. They appear to be vigorous when young, 
but running about as the}- do with other hens, 
any comparison as to egg production is mere 
guess-work. The ordinary farm poultry 
could be greatly improved by a more careful 
selection of eggs for setting. Eggs with soft 
shelLs, with a ring or crust ou the shell, 
or with an uneven or rough surface 
should Ik- rejected. Very large eggs contain¬ 
ing a double-yelk are frequently set in the 
hope of producing a very large chicken, two 
chickens, or a cur ious moustrosity. Such eggs 
very rarely hutch and should not be depended 
upon. As the best, seeds are selected for plant¬ 
ing, it seems natural to suppose that the best 
eggs should be picked out for setting. 
With regal’d to the shape of an egg, the 
point was raised b}' some breeders that cer¬ 
tain hens always lay a pointed egg, and that 
it would be safe to set eggs from a good ben 
even though they were pointed at both ends. 
By examining an} r large quautit}’ of eggs, one 
will bo surprised to sex 1 ! how few of them are 
really egg-shaped or oval. Almost all are 
much larger at one end than at the other. It 
appeai-s that the shape of the egg is greatly 
determined by the condition of the hen. A 
very fat hen will never lav a perfect egg, 
neither will u weak or thin hen. A fat hen’s 
egg is always pointed and small. The shape 
of the egg is determined in its passage through 
that they stand unrivaled! and for broilers no 
bird can be said to be more juicy, or as roast¬ 
ers, finer in texture. For the market they are 
heavy aud profitable, and their bright yellow 
skin wins for them a preference. For beauty 
no other variety can excel a flock of well-bred 
Wyandot tea. They have beautifully laced 
hackles and saddles; solid black tails, white 
breasts heavily laced with black (no spangles), 
aud wings which when folded show the much 
coveted duck-wing, or liars of black. The}’ 
are low, medium-sized. Comb with well de- 
fluod spike. Comb, wattles and ear-lobes a 
deep, rich red; logs smooth and yellow. They 
are exceptionally hardy, standing our severe 
Winters fully as well as, if not better than, 
an}’ other breed. They mature very early— 
pullets often commence la>’iug when five 
mouths old. I have mated and bred man}' of 
the other varieties described in the “Standard 
of Excellence,” and I can truthfully say that 
of all the breeds recognized in that book, I 
regal’d the Wyaudottes as the most desirable 
for all purposes for which fowls are kept. 
This opiuiou has been formed after several 
years of practical experience in raising them 
for market and for fancy breeding.” 
The Rural was the first paper to call atten¬ 
tion to the sujierior qualities of the Wyan¬ 
dotte*. Our experience with them has been 
most satisfactory. They have given the best 
satisfaction of any of the 13 breeds tried at the 
Rural Grounds. As winter layers and as gen¬ 
eral-purpose fowls we have found them unex¬ 
them would be 
lost, and.’raising 
the number to 5,000, she would lose 1,000. 
Hence, with the use of incubators we may 
hatch 5,000 chicks, suffer a loss of 1,000, and be 
proportionately at par with the hen that 
hatches 10 chicks and raises eight. 
This great mortality of 1,000’chieks in 5,000 
occurs every year on all farms if we look at 
the loss proportionately; and yet farmerscon- 
tinue hatching "and consider the loss a small 
oue.'while the poultrvnum who'makes a spec¬ 
ialty of hatching large numbers, can letter af 
ford to lose 1.000 chicks in 5,000 than can the 
farmer two in ten. No doubt "some will dis¬ 
agree with such a statement, but the merciless 
figures again place the “old Hien” at a disad¬ 
vantage. It must be remembered that labor 
is a very important factor in raising chicks, 
and it must receive its reward, whether the 
poultrynmu performs it himself or purchases 
it. It is proportionately cheaper to care for 
1,000 chicks than for TOO. The cost of raising 
100 chicks, if they required the whole attention 
of the poultrymau,'would be greater than the 
receipts, while, with the same labor, he can 
manage 1,000 or more, according to his con¬ 
veniences for the purpose. He can lietter afford 
to“sell,his*1,000 chicks a125 cents each, than 
the 100 at #2 each,’aud the advantage^,‘there¬ 
fore. in favor of the larger number. One or 
two hens on the nests require some care, and 
when they bring off their broods the labor is 
increased, as the chicks must be fed and very 
often the hens kept'separate in order to avoid 
