Golden Spangled Hamburg Fowl. 
This beautiful variety of fowl we believe is not very 
common in this country. They are probably more nu¬ 
merous in the vicinity of Poughkeepsie thaix in any 
other section. They wex-e first introduced here some 
four or five years since, by an Englishman who emi¬ 
grated to this country and settled in this neighborhood. 
They have generally been bred by the more humble 
class, generally mechanics, and attracted little or no 
attention until quite recently. They are worthy of 
notice, both on account of their beauty and produc¬ 
tiveness. 
The Golden Hamburg fowl is known in some sections 
of England as the Golden Pheasant, from the supposed 
resemblance of its spangled feathers, especially in the 
case of some of the hens, to those of the English cock 
pheasant; and “Red-Caps,” in allusion to their fiery- 
colored combs. They are the most perfect patterns of 
neatness of make, but a little under size ; excellent 
and continuous layers, without sitting, for they do not 
seem to have time for that slow process. The flesh is 
excellent, skin tender, and but little offal. Eggs abun¬ 
dant, rather small, very white, and slightly tapering 
at one end. Their constitution appears to us less ro¬ 
bust than in some other varieties. They are great fa¬ 
vorites, especially with amateurs and those who require 
a constant supply of eggs rather than frequent broods 
of chickens. They are better suited for this class than 
for the farmer. 
They are rather impatient of restraint, are great 
foragers, and add greatly to embellish the pleasure 
grounds or lawn. 
Color of the cocks: breast and under parts black ; 
the breast faintly mottled with reddish brown; dark 
bay or reddish brown backs ; hackle and saddle feath¬ 
ers are composed of a mixture of brown, black, yellow 
and green ; quills of the wing chestnut; wing-covgrts 
metallic black ; tail erect, large, full and flowing, black 
glossed with green. 
The hen has a small rose comb well piked, shaped 
like the cock’s, only smaller; ear-lobes white ; with 
her body, the lower part alone excepted, spangled. Her 
tail is full, which she carries rather low, and should be 
tipped with black, like that of the Seabright Bantams. 
Such, in particular, are the colors of the Golden 
Spangled Hamburgh fowls, as figured above; but we 
must not now pass them by without some further enco- 
nium on the extreme brilliancy of their feather, from 
its rich combination of glossy hues. Their plumage is 
also compact and close, and in good specimens of 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 horse in racing condition. 
Hamburg pullets hatched in March or April, begin 
to lay in October, and continue laying until the moult¬ 
ing season. The older birds when well kept will com¬ 
mence laying very soon after moulting, and continue 
until moulting again ; and one would be surprised at 
the number of eggs which we get even in severe 
weathor. C. N. Bement. Springside, Po’keepsie. 
Letter from Levi Bartlett. 
Pine Saw Dust—Loss of Liquid Manure—Muck 
and Draining Swamps. 
Messrs. Editors —In the Co. Gent, of the 18th 
ult., a “New Subscriber,” makes inquiries about pine 
saw-dust, having carted much of it into his barn-yard, 
hog-pen, &c., and asks if there is anything hurtful in 
the article, when mixed with animal manures. 
Fresh or undecomposed saw-dust is nearly valueless 
as a manure. It contains vegetable acids that are in¬ 
jurious to growing plants, and is of a cold nature. But 
when used as bedding for cattle, horses and swine, it 
becomes saturated with their urine, and when thrown 
into heaps it has a great tendency to ferment or heat, 
and if not carefully attended to, there will ber much 
loss occasioned by the formation of, and escape of am¬ 
monia and other gases, fire-fanging, &c. These losses 
can be prevented by having the mass spread about and 
trampled down solid, by keeping the swine upon it, or 
by applying water, or what would be better a salt brine 
upon the manure, in quantities sufficient to prevent over 
heating 
The decomposition of vegetable matters always pro¬ 
duces acids, and that of animal matter an alkali. 
When the fresh manure and urine of animals are mix¬ 
ed with saw-dust, heat and decomposition ensues, am¬ 
monia is generated, which readily combines with the 
acids of the saw-dust, thereby neutralizing its acid 
qualities. Then as the saw-dust decomposes or rots 
in the soil, as it surely will, it is prepared to minister 
both directly and indirectly, as food for growing plants. 
By its decay the woody matter yields carbonic acid and 
water, which affords carbon to the plant, and also lib¬ 
erates potash, lime, &c., from the mineral matter of the 
soil. It also furnishes vegetable mold or humus, for 
the retention of the ammonia brought to the land in 
the rains, dews and atmosphere. It also aids much in 
retaining moisture in naturally dry lands. 
Similar results follow in the use of swamp muck, 
leaves and mold from the wood-lot, and from old and 
well rotted tan-bark. Much of the fertility of newly 
cleared land, unquestionably, is due to the great amount 
of decomposing vegetable matter in and on such soils. 
At the legislative agricultural meeting at Boston, on 
Tuesday evening, 16th ult., subject of discussion* ma¬ 
nures, C. L. Flint, Secretary of tho Board of Agricul¬ 
ture, furnished a statement, concerning the waste of 
liquid manures, that equalled $15 per cow, and would 
equal a loss over the state of $3,900,600, on the num¬ 
ber of cattle of the Commonwealth. 
Gov. Boutwell remarked that the value of the liquid 
would be enough to defray the expense of summering 
and wintering the stock of Massachusetts. 
* As reported in the Boston Daily Courier of 18th ult. 
4 
