THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
January 31.] 
Silver. They are inferior to the Dorking and Spanish, 
both for the table and as layers, hut they are very 
fine and very handsome. We are indebted, both for 
the following portraits and descriptions, to Mr. 
Richardson's work on “ The Domestic Fowl.” He 
says:—“The Hamburgh fowls have a large top knot, 
with neither comb nor wattles, and another pecu- 
THE SPANGLED HAMBURGH COCK. 
liarity that shall be described in its proper place. I 
am this moment writing my description of the Ham¬ 
burgh fowl from two beautiful specimens as they 
stand before me on the table. These fowl gained the 
prizes at the last show of the Royal Agricultural Im¬ 
provement Society of Ireland, from a host of very 
worthy, but still far inferior competitors ; conse¬ 
quently, in my case, no blunder can possibly occur ; 
and my friend and co-laborateur, William Oldham, 
has presented, in his woodcuts, the portraits that I 
have endeavoured to describe in letterpress. 
THE SPANGLED HAMBURGH HEN. 
“ The Golden Spangled Hamburgh Fowl is one of 
no ordinary beauty; it is well and very neatly made ; 
has a good body, and no very great ollal. On the 
crest, immediately above the beak, are two small, 
fleshy horns, resembling, to some extent, an abortive 
comb. Above this crest, and occupying the place of 
a comb, is a very large brown or yellow tuft, the fea¬ 
thers composing it darkening towards their extremi¬ 
ties. Under the insertion of the lower mandible, or 
that portion of the neck corresponding to the chin in 
man, is a full, dark-coloured tuft, somewhat resem¬ 
bling a beard. The wattles are very small. In the 
golden variety, the hackles on the neck are of a bril¬ 
liant orange, or golden yellow; and the general 
ground-colour of the body is of the same hue, but 
somewhat darker. The thighs arc of a dark brown, 
or blackish shade, and the legs and feet are of a 
bluish grey. 
“ In the Silver Spangled variety, the only percep¬ 
tible difference is, that the ground-colour is a silvery 
white. The extremity, and a portion of the extreme 
margin of each feather, are black, presenting, when 
in a state of rest, the appearance of regular semi¬ 
circular marks or spangles .” 
Turkeys. —These birds, like pea-fowl, will disdain 
confinement, and prefer the open canopy of heaven 
as their roof, and the topmost bough of a tall tree, 
if they be not prevented from thus following their 
propensity in this respect. It is evident, however, 
that they ought to be under cover in winter, and 
under lock and key too, in most places. They should, 
however, have free ventilation, and a distinct and 
elevated roost. 
It is doubtful whether poultry-breeders act pru¬ 
dently in fattening their turkeys at the early age at 
which they are usually brought to table. The turkey 
does not arrive at maturity for some years. Except¬ 
ing in the winter months, farmers may keep them 
over, at least for the second winter, at very little cost. 
The birds will procure their own food, if they have a 
range of fields, and, more especially, the privilege of 
going into woods where beechmasts and acorns 
abound. Turkeys are generally killed long before 
they attain their natural size and weight, as if it were 
certain that their flesh would be too tough if they 
were allowed to complete their growth. The fact is, 
that the flesh of a two-year old turkey, if it be kept 
long enough in the larder, is sufficiently tender. 
There is great loss of meat sustained from killing 
them prematurely. If an old bird requires ten 
weeks’ high feeding, the additional weight of flesh 
pays for that. After turkeys are thoroughly fat, they 
should be killed ; for every ounce of food afterwards 
is not only a waste, but an injury to the quality of 
the flesh, which it tends to inflame and discolour. 
Sickness, too, will naturally attend a too plethoric 
state of body, and the flesh of a sick bird cannot be 
wholesome. 
The Goose is the bird of all birds for the cot¬ 
tager who adjoins a goose-common. What a shame, 
then, to take the common from the poor man, without 
giving him, at least, a patch of garden, in compensa¬ 
tion for the privilege of which he is deprived by the 
enclosure of the commons ! How true is the poetic 
lamentation—■ 
“ It is a crime in man or woman, 
To steal a goose from off a common ; 
Then sure the man’s without excuse, 
Who steals the common from the goose.” 
A roast goose, stuffed with potatoes and onions, is 
a noble dish; and, with apple-sauce added to it, it is 
still more luxurious; or, if boiled and served up with 
onion-sauce, what can be better? and what broth 
can exceed that extracted from the giblets? It is 
truly the cottager’s or the farmer’s dish. The fatten¬ 
ing process of geese is at its termination now; and 
the cottager who has had a quiet out-liouse, plenty of 
food and of clean straw for fattening a goose or two 
at least, has been unwise not to have supplied himself 
with such a luxury for his Christmas dinner. If he 
kills the goose for his family, ho has tlie goose-grease, 
which is useful for many purposes; and the feathers 
have some value. The quills supply his boys and 
girls with pens; and “ the pun of a ready writer” 
may turn to great profit. A man may keep the same 
