1883.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
57 
What One Sees at a Poultry Show, 
There are some sixty or more common well 
known varieties of barn-door fowls. In any good 
show these are arranged in classes, but every one 
practically interested in poultry should be able to 
classify fowls for himself at a glance. We have for 
instance the old standard English breeds, Games, 
Dorkings, Hamburgs, and Polands. The first- 
named, however, is by no means peculiar to Eng¬ 
land, though long bred there to feather as well 
as for the “pit,”—and of this there are not less 
than six, and probably a dozen well defined breeds. 
They are the most beautiful, most perfect in form, 
best for all uses, typically gallant, in short present 
a culmination of all gallinaceous perfections, and 
are hurt, in reputation only, by their association 
with a low class of men. The Dorkings are easily 
recognized by their heavy build and short legs, 
which are pink in color, and with five toes. There 
are properly two breeds, the Gray and White, 
though a very beautiful variety of the Grays is the 
Silver-gray — which probably gains its peculiar 
style and beauty from a remote Game cross. The 
Dorkings are bred as table fowls, the flesh being 
excellent, the breast full and the birds being of 
large size and quick growth. 
The Hamburgs are small fowls with beautiful 
plumage, full rose combs, and clean slate-colored 
or dark legs. There are 6ome five varieties, dis¬ 
tinguished by the color and markings of their 
plumage. They are persistent layers of small eggs. 
The Polands are fowls with heavy top-knots, 
quite obscuring their combs, and it is probably 
from these conspicuous polls that the name is de¬ 
rived. They also lay persistently a medium-sized 
egg, and rarely or never sit. 
The Spanish breed has long been known to poul¬ 
try breeders. It is the largest, and really the typi¬ 
cal member of the group which consists of the 
Black Spanish, Minorca, Andalusian, White and 
Brown Leghorn, with some less well defined vari¬ 
eties. They are all distinguished by their large, 
deeply-toothed, single combs, their proud carriage, 
erect tails aud apparently short backs. They are 
persistent layers of medium to large white eggs, 
and are valued chiefly for this quality. 
The French breeds, though by no means modem, 
have not, until of late years, been much valued by 
poultry breeders of this country and England. 
Yet they form a most remarkable and valuable 
group, combining, as no other breeds do, large size, 
excellent flesh, with persistent laying of fine white 
eggs. The best known breeds are the La Fleche, 
Crevecoeur, and Houdan. The former two black, 
the latter two top-knotted and muffled, the 
last of speckled plumage and five-toed. With 
this group belong the Guelder-land fowl with only 
rudimentary combs, and some other varieties. 
They are all distinguishable by having two combs, 
usually branching and reminding one of stag’s ant¬ 
lers, generally accompanied by a sort of spur, like 
a little rhinoceros horn, between the nostrils. 
In all shows of fowls now-a-days, the most con¬ 
spicuous group is that of the Asiatics. This in¬ 
cludes only very large, heavy, generally very fluffy 
and densely feathered fowls, without power of 
flight, and with small tails, and feathered legs. 
The Cochins form the most prominent sub-groups, 
and are distinguished by their enormous, low-set 
bodies, long necks, and single combs. There are 
Black, White, Buff, Cinnamon, and Partridge Co¬ 
chins recognized as distinct varieties. Of the Brah¬ 
mas there are two very distinct varieties, the Light 
and Dark. They are marked by more style and 
pride of carriage than the Cochins. Though not 
heavier, they appear larger and may be recognized by 
their triple combs, described as a medium-sized, or 
small, straight comb, with one clearly defined comb 
or row of teeth on each side at the base of it. The 
Asiatics are layers of large buff eggs, are valued as 
winter layers, grow rapidly, do not fly, have infe¬ 
rior flesh, yet are very valuable in crossing with 
other breeds to get size and weight for market 
poultry. The Malays, a breed of Asiatic game 
fowls, having large size, greater powers of flight, 
but very leggy and bony—and the newly intro¬ 
duced gigantic breed of Langshans, which resem¬ 
ble Black Cochins, and are feather-legged, should 
be classed with the Asiatics. 
There is besides a nondescript group of oddities 
and hybrids—in which we are obliged to place that 
best of all the breeds which claim an American 
origin—the Plymouth Rocks, a cross between 
Malays and Dominiques (a breed difficult to clas¬ 
sify), with some other good blood, long bred, tolera¬ 
bly pure, originating in this country. 
Finally come the Bantams; a large group, 
classed together only on account of their small 
size. Among them we have a group as perfect in 
stature, and plumage, in courage and gallantry as 
those of four or five times their weight. Others 
are miniature Hamburgs, and Cochins, and we 
know not why by breeding, feeding, and careful 
selection of the smallest and most useless we might 
not produce bantams of any breed, true to the gen¬ 
eral style and feather, but mere toys—as such, 
pretty and interesting. Fourteen breeds of fowls 
are shown on the previous page. 
There are half a dozen well defined varieties of 
Turkeys. Not less than the same number of Geese, 
some ten kinds of Ducks, not including the wild, 
half-tamed sorts. Of the sweet-voiced Pea fowl 
there are two sorts. And of the Guinea, also tw’o. 
Quince Culture. 
BY W. W. MEECH. 
The quinces cultivated for their fruit are varie¬ 
ties of Pyrus Oydonia (Cydonia vulgaris of the old 
authors). It is easily trained into a small tree, 
though naturally it grows bushy and produces 
shoots from the collar of the tree, many coming 
up from below the surface of the ground. With 
good culture, the branches grow smooth, and, 
though somewhat irregular, are readily trained 
into a symmetrical head. The bark is smooth and 
dark-hued, the shade varying, according to age, 
from a bright to a very dark-colored green. 
The leaves of the different varieties differ in 
size, are broadly ovate, and acute at the apex. 
The upper surface is very smooth, and of a rich 
green color, the shade varying with the hue of. 
the bark. The underside is much lighter, with a 
cottony lining. The leaves resemble those of the 
apple and pear, although they are wider in propor¬ 
tion to their length, and have a deeper shade of 
green. But they are very unlike them in adhering 
tenaciously to the twigs until very late in autumn. 
The flowers are always on shoots of the same 
year’s growth. Their color is a roseate or pinkish- 
white. The calyx is urn-shaped, and five cleft, 
supporting five rounded petals, protecting five 
styles in the midst of many stamens, that fructify 
the ovules in five parcliment-like cells at their bases. 
Each cell contains two rows.of seeds, imbedded in 
a thick mucilage that is almost transparent. The 
fruit is either apple or pear-shaped, and is covered 
with a white down that affords partial protection 
from insect enemies. Trees laden with ripe 
orange-colored fruit, in its varying shades, are 
highly ornamental. The acid flavor and delightful 
fragrance of the quince are peculiarly its own. 
Unlike many other fruits, it retains the color it 
has when gathered, and keeps hard and firm until 
softened by decay. Though one of the. hardest of 
fruits, it is one of the most easily bruised, and 
then soon decays. If wrapped in soft paper, as 
oranges are, its time of keeping may be very greatly 
extended. May is the season for blossoming, but 
with vigorous trees there is often a second flower¬ 
ing in June, sparsely scattered amongthe branches. 
These late blossoms produce fruit that will ripen 
in favoring seasons. 
A very different species is Pyrus Japonica, a low 
thorny shrub, which grows from six to eight feet 
high. It is frequently cultivated for ornament, and 
is commonly known as the Japan Quince. There 
are several varieties, differing in their colors. 
The one most commonly cultivated has a bright 
scarlet blossom in clusters, and is among the 
earliest flowers of spring. There is frequently 
a second blooming in autumn, so that we may see 
— -' i 
ripe fruit and flowers together on the same tree. 
The charm which is imparted by the brilliancy of 
the clusters of these flowers is unsurpassed. 
The Blush Japan Quince only differs from this 
by having its flowers of a fine biush, shaded with 
pale pink, like apple blossoms, which affords an 
agreeable relief by their contrast with the scarlet. 
Among other varieties of this shrub is one which has 
a white blossom to distinguish it. A double-flower¬ 
ed Japan Quince has lately been introduced, which 
succeeds well by the ordinary methods of propa¬ 
gation and culture. The smooth leaves appear 
after the blossoms, and fall early in autumn. The 
fruit is shaped much like the common plum, and 
is not generally much larger, though it sometimes 
measures six inches around. The skin is rough, 
and of a deep green color. The flesh is hard, with 
a very strong quince odor, and an exceedingly acid 
juice. This fruit makes a fine jelly, and will impart 
its flavor to four times its quantity of other fruit.. 
Cabbages—the Seed in Place or Trans¬ 
planting. 
It is well known that Mr. Gregory, of Marble¬ 
head, Mass., advocates for late cabbages,- the sow¬ 
ing of the seed in the hill, where the plants are 
to mature. This, to one accustomed to the usual 
way, seems absurd and needless. To this it may 
be answered, Mr. Gregory is a thoroughly practi¬ 
cal man, and raises crops for profit. On the other 
hand, Dr. Oemler, a grower of long experience 
in Georgia, is very emphatic in his warning against 
Mr. Gregory’s method—and now comes Mr. Green 
with his experience on the other side. Mr. Green, 
passed one season with Mr. Gregory for the pur¬ 
pose of learning his methods in raising profitable 
crops of vegetables, and regards this manner of rayp 
ing cabbages as one of the important points die 
learned. There are evidently two sides to/$ic 
question.—E d. Mr. Green writes : ' ■ 
“ In the spring the land was enriched brq^least 
with barn-yard manure, and plowed, and abqfct June 
9th, furrowed out. at three and a half feet intervals. 
A small shovel of sea-weed manure, or a handful 
of bone dust, or other good commercial fertilizer 
was put in the furrows every three feet. The lat¬ 
ter was covered two inches with soil after being 
well mixed, while the sea-weed was only covered, 
without mixing. Over the hill thus made, the flat 
end of the hoe was pressed, which made a firm seed 
bed. Following came a man with the seed. He 
makes a scratch a half inch deep, with his finger in 
the pressed part of the hill, and drops in perhaps 
five seeds, which he covers with moist, fine soil, 
aud presses the sole of his shoe quite heavily over 
the seed. This makes the soil firm and protects it 
from the drying influence of the sun and wind. 
The number of seeds put in the hill must vary ac¬ 
cording to its quality and the condition of the soil. 
If the seed is plump, and not more than two years- 
old, and to go into fine, well worked soil, five are 
enough for one hill, and will give many plants to 
spare at the thinning, besides allowing a few for 
the turnip fly. But if the seed is pinched, or older 
than two years, the number should be increased to 
a dozen. If the work is well done, in ten days the 
young plants will appear. Should the fly trouble 
them, and they must be carefully watched, go over 
the land with a bucket of plaster, and throw a lit¬ 
tle on each hill. Enough dust will stick to the 
plants to protect them. This plaster should be 
used when the plants are wet by dew or rain, and 
renewed every time it is washed off, until the dan¬ 
ger is past. If the plaster is put on when the- 
plants are dry it will answer, but not so well. 
The plants are not cultivated until something 
over a finger high, and of course weeds grow and 
cover the ground and often almost hide the cab¬ 
bage plants. The cultivator is then set going, and 
the remaining weeds are taken out by hand, and 
the hill thinned to a single strong plant. If a hill 
is vacant a plant is set in it. From this time on,, 
the cultivation is as for any cabbage crop, which 
to my mind means cultivation as much with horse 
as is practicable, enough to keep weeds back and. 
