%■ 
NEW YORK, MAY 8, 1886 
PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
Entered .cc.rn.ig ,o Act of Congas, I. a. ye „ M, 6) , a. Rural j.„.Y»te t„ rte „ fflc e or .be Ltbrarten or Congre,, a. Wnebtogron. 
they are the nearest in type to the original 
progenitors of our domestic poultry. Although 
fine-flavored for the table, doing their own 
hatching, excellent mothers, and beautiful in 
shape and plumage, their eggs are rather 
small; they themselves are not the best of 
layers, and are not easy to raise in large 
flocks for the market. They are valued more 
for beauty or for their fighting qualities than 
for the profit to be got from them for eggs or 
the table. Some of our next earliest known 
breeds are the Polish, as they appeared 
centuries ago. Very beautiful indeed! but 
their top-knots are a decided objection on a 
farm or wherever else enemies of any kind 
can reach them, as they caunot see well 
enough around these tufts to escape like most 
quire plenty of room and warm houses. The 
old Dominiques are also good table fowls, but 
moderate layers. Next come the Black 
Spanish and Minorcas, both excellent layers 
of very large eggs, very good birds for the 
South; but in our Northern States they are 
very tender to the Winter’s coid. Flesh poor: 
skin and legs dark. 
Asiatics may be divided into two classes— 
Cochins and Brahmas, Of these the Brahmas 
are probably the best layers. All of them are 
slow in growing to maturity, and are great 
mention, not being generally known, and their 
merits and demerits are much the same as 
those of the allied varieties mentioned. 
We come now to the later productions, or re¬ 
cently made breeds. The Plymouth Rocks are 
a cross between Asiatic and Dominique, receiv¬ 
ing the latter s color. As both are sitting va 
rieties, the Rocks are also strong sitters. They 
are pretty good feeders, but lazy layers, and 
are inclined to be be egg-eaters." The latest 
breed, the Wyandottes, are bred between a 
non-sitting variety, the Hamburg, and the 
Asiatic. This was expected to be a better lay¬ 
ing variety, and so it is; the birds have small, 
double eotnhVwell adapted to resist frost, lay 
early, are fairly hardy; but many of the eggs 
are small, especially the pullets’ or first eggs. 
So, it will be seen all the best points cannot be 
obtained any better in any one breed of poul¬ 
try than in any one variety among other kinds 
of domestic animals. The man who intends 
to embark in the poultry business, should well 
consider which varieties are best suited to his 
circumstances. 
Bergen County, N. J. 
Rural New-Yorker 
BEST BREEDS FOR THE NORTH, 
SOUTH, EAST AND WEST. 
OBJECTIONS to the VARIOUS BREEDS. 
COMPARATIVE MERITS, 
Asiatics, Americans, French, and Spanish, 
THE SEVERAL BREEDS AND THEIR 
USES. 
WHEN POULTRY IS PROFITABLE.—HOW TO 
MAKE IT PROFITABLE. 
POULTRY IN CONFINEMENT, 
Feed for Spring, Autumn, Summer, Winter 
characteristics; advantages and objec¬ 
tions; the best breeds for the North and 
Northwest; for the East; for the Scmth. 
THE USES OF THE SEVERAL BREEDS. 
By strict adherence to a standard of points 
and careful selection of the best individuals, 
the breeders have succeeded in classifying 
fowls into various breeds, each possessing pe¬ 
culiar characteristics, and answering some 
special purpose for which it was originally in¬ 
tended. As our country is diversified in soil 
and climate, the introduction of new breeds 
has been productive of great benefit to the 
poultry interests, enabling a profit to be made 
where formerly but little interest was mani- 
tested. "V ith the advent of the Shanghai, 
Chittagong, and Brahma-pootra came a 
spirit of rivalry in the production of the larg¬ 
est birds, size taking the preference over qual¬ 
ity and merit. Scientific breeders, however, 
made wonderful improvements in the pro¬ 
geny of the original ancestors, and as the 
thoroughbred cattle, sheep, and swine of to¬ 
day have departed from tlieir ancestral type, 
so have the domestic birds. 
Including all classes of Games, there are 
several hundred breeds of fowls, but those 
which are most popular and best known are 
classed as Asiatic, American, English, French 
and Spanish. The Asiatics are feathered on 
the legs; the Americans are clean-legged; the 
English and French are compact "he favorite 
breeds possessing five 
* 
V 
management. The best breed del 
upon the purposes for which it is intended^! 
distance from market, the quarters, the rangd^ 
the fences, and the color of its carcass when 
dressed. 
In an examination of the breeds the Asiatics 
may be divided into Light Brahmas, Dark 
Brahmas; Partridge, Buff, White, aud Black 
Cochins, and Laugshans. The Light aud 
Dark Brahmas differ in appearance only in 
CARE AND MANAGEMENT, 
CAREJOF EGGSJTO BE SET. 
NUMBER OF HENS TO A MALE. 
HENNERIES. INCUBATORS 
WINTER LAYERS AND THEIR MAN 
AGEMENT. 
THE MEDICINE CHEST, 
Turkeys, Ducks, and Geese 
SHORTCOMINGS OF BREEDS. 
HENRY HALES. 
Objections; Polish ;. Hamlinrys;i’ Dorkings; 
Dominiques, Spanish; Minorcas; Asiatics; 
Leghorns; French Breeds; Plymouth Bocks. 
Nature ^universally divides her favors. 
r lhe truth of this saying is illustrated iu our 
domestic animals: a fast running horse is not 
a good work .‘horse; cows that produce the 
most and best beef are not the best for making 
butter. The samoVule holds’good with ixrnl- 
try; the best breeds for laying are not. the best 
table fowls, aud the best tabic fowls are not the 
best layers. Although all our domestic poul¬ 
try are one species, singular enough, every 
time selections arc made for auy peculiar form 
aud color and persevered in till a strain or 
what is commonly termed a -‘breed” is made, 
different characteristics appear, and each of 
such breeds retains these peculiar character¬ 
istics. 
So much is said and so oftcu, on the won¬ 
derful properties of this breed by otic person, 
and on the perfection of that breed by another, 
that it is well to take a retrospective glance 
at the several varieties of poultry, aud give a 
lew of their shortcomings (1 cannot call them 
fail logs)as well as of their merits. Iu times when 
fowls receive so much attention, many people 
are asking, Which is the best breed! Why is 
uot this as good as that? It will therefore be 
u benefit to many to learn some of the reasons 
why one breed is likely to gmvmore satisfac¬ 
tion than any other under certain conditions. 
Let us commence with the old Games, as 
Yorker 
LANGSHAN COCKEREL “PERFECTION. 
From Nature. 
layers; but are non-sitters. Rather small in 
body; flesh only medium. They require 
plenty of room and high inclosures, as they 
are great flyers, especially the Brown. The 
eggs of this breed are smaller than those of 
the \\ bite, The French breeds are scarcely 
lnu-dy enough for our climate, except the 
Houdaus, and these are not particularly hardy. 
1 hey are only moderate layers, although flue 
table fowls. Creveeuuirs and La Filches, par- 
