46 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
FIME STOCK ANJ> POULTRY OF J. E. HATHAWAY, Lgq. 
Messrs. Editors —While on a short excursion into 
Canada some time since, I called to see the stock, 
poultry, &c. of Mr. J. B. Hathaway, about a mile 
out from St. Catharines. He is the owner of the cele¬ 
brated blood stallion u Mercey,” that was purchased 
by Com. Stockton at the sale of the stud belonging to 
the late William IY. He has also some fine blood 
mares, which, with fine stock of other kinds, renders 
his place worthy of a visit from every agriculturist.-— 
In the poultry line he seems to be quite an amateur, and 
has gathered around him a great number of varieties. 
Of these I will give you a short description. 
Of Geese, I saw in his yard, the Chinese , Poland, 
Wild, Bremen and Irish varieties. The Chinese have 
been described and figured in your pages, and from my 
experience with them in my own yard, and what I have 
sden of them in other places, I think for beauty and 
other qualities, they answer in full the description you 
have given of them. The Poland, have many points 
of resemblance to the Chinese, and are probably only a 
cross from them ; but are coarser in the neck, larger 
bodied, and much less graceful in their motions. The 
Wild or Canada Goose, has been fully described in 
your pages; and although on the score of profit not 
much can be said in their favor, as they do not breed 
till their 3d year, yet they are certainly a great orna¬ 
ment in a poultry yard. As the Swan cannot be kept 
domesticated in our climate during the winter, requir¬ 
ing as she does open or unfrozen water the whole time, 
a very good substitute is found in the Wild and Chinese 
Geese. Among the ornamental varieties these stand 
unrivalled. 
The Bremen geese, in Mr. H’s yard, are very large, 
stately in their appearance, and perfectly white, both 
male and female; and wdien feathers and carcass are 
the main objects desired, these are a valuable variety 
to keep. 
The Irish goose, is a large and coarse bird, with legs 
like a mill post, but I could discover nothing particu¬ 
larly desirable in them unless for the purpose of cross¬ 
ing with the common varieties. One of these is figured 
and described in the London Illustrated News of last 
July, as having taken a prize at the show of the 
Zoological Gardens; there is also figured a goose 
from the River Orinoco. S. A., having a small plump 
body with very long legs, like those of a Stork. Of 
this last variety I have heard of no specimen as yet in 
the United States. 
Of Ducks kept by Mr. H., I saw fine specimens of 
Muscovy, and of others more common; of the splendid 
white Topknots, the Wild black duck domesticated, and 
the Red-headed, capped Wood duck. This last is very 
small, but surpassingly beautiful, and is the first in¬ 
stance within my knowledge of its being domestica¬ 
ted.* 
Mr. H. keeps a number of Golden Pheasants, both 
male and female; between them and the various breeds 
of barn yard fowls, has a great variety of crosses; 
some of which, particularly the Golden Topknots, 
which are across between the Pheasant and the Poland 
fowl, are a great ornament in a poultry yard. Of this 
variety I have bred a good many myself the last two or 
three years, and were I to keep only one variety, should 
rather be inclined to give the preference to these above 
* The wood-duck has been frequently domesticated. We have 
seen a beautiful group of them in the Bowling Green fountain, 
New-York.— Eds. 
all others. Their golden and variegated plumage,, 
large brilliant black eyes, and liveliness of motion, in¬ 
variably arrest the attention of strangers; while in the 
number of eggs they produce, they are equal to any 
other kind. 
Besides the poultry varieties already enumerated, 
Mr. H. keeps Peacocks, Guinea-hens, wild Turkeys 
domesticated, &c., &c.; and I observed a pair of Sand¬ 
hill Cranes from Illinois, following him around his pre¬ 
mises. These were perfectly at home among the other 
poultry, and when at rest, usually drew one leg up un¬ 
der their body, presenting q ( uite a unique appearance. 
Mr. H. has also in a process of domestication with his 
other poultry, a lot of Prairie Grouse, or “ Prairie 
Hens ” from Illinois. Overhead, and basking in the 
sun, were nearly all the varieties of domestic pigeons; 
while the group was filled out by a troop of deer 
bounding over the yards, and an enormous Black bear 
chained in a corner to keep sentry over the whole. 
Having a small pond of water near his house, Mr. 
H. has erected a line of poultry sheds on the north side 
facing the South, with divisions for different varieties, 
feeding boxes, &c.; and here, within an enclosure of 
perhaps two acres, all his variety of poultry live in 
harmony, and are a source of great pleasure to their 
owner and. his family. And why should not every far¬ 
mer add something of this kind to his other stock to 
render home more attractive? Why not multiply forms 
of beauty and sources of innocent pleasure, when they 
can be so cheaply obtained? A very little addi¬ 
tional outlay would enable almost any one to increase 
the beauty and attraction of his place, so that his- 
children would feel, that u there is no place like 
home.” 
The Agricultural Society of Niagara district, in 
which St. Catharines is situated, have a show and fair 
twice each year, spring and fall; the former of which 
is made the occasion of the sale and interchange of 
stock, and the hiring of farm laborers. In their list of 
premiums, I observed that the Society offered the pre¬ 
miums to the best horses, cattle, &c. exhibited, without 
designating any particular breeds. This probably has 
some tendency to repress those jealousies, which are apt 
to arise sometimes among farmers, when foreign stock is 
particularly commended. 
The land all through the Niagara District, extend¬ 
ing from the river to Hamilton, is in a fine state of cul¬ 
tivation, and bears prices varying from $20, to $60 per 
acre, according to improvements, proximity to villages, 
&c. Agricultural papers are extensively circulated 
among the more intelligent farmers, and their good ef¬ 
fects are seen and acknowledged. One thing I could 
not observe but with high pleasure,—which was more 
common among the English and Scotch farmers, the 
building of their houses some distance back from the 
road, and surrounding them with shade trees. This- 
was an evidence of good taste, and an ornament of no 
mean value in the rural landscape. When will our 
farmers learn to appreciate such things ? 
Buffalo, Dec. 1847. H. A. Parsons. 
Ripening of Wheat. —A writer in England, for the 
Genesee Farmer, says that from the cool weather and 
occasional showers, wheat requires there twice the time 
to ripen that it does in western New-York, which he 
thinks is a reason the grain fills so much better than 
here. 
