12 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 2 
be sui'pi’ised to see Freucbuieu ouv competitois aud 
Allies for Poultry fame, as tliey have been foi the death¬ 
less renown of the battle and assault in more serious 
arenas. 
Most peo]ile are aware that we are their models for 
most things relating to the farm, &c. They have in¬ 
stituted large schools, where almost every brancli of 
study is made subservient to the science of agriculture, 
and here they have formed regular establishments for 
Poultry, which will have their lectures and experiments 
in common with other stock. 
Agricultural Exhibitions and Shows are springing up 
among them, and Poultry is everywhere being joined to 
them. The improvement of Poultry is increasing daily 
as a pursuit, and the Committees of the Shows are 
determined to carry it out. 
We are often disposed to wonder how it is that 
Poultry excites so little interest among the farmers of 
England. Take the list of exhibitors at any large show. 
You have nobility, gentry, clergy, professional men, 
merchants, tradesmen, artisans, but few farmers. Look 
at the spectators, no class is so badly represented in 
numbers as that which has the greatest interest in the 
question. The inhabitant of a town or city submits to 
any inconvenience, and often incurs large expense, to 
give to his feathered favourites an instalment of the 
necessary comfort which the agriculturist possesses, yet 
makes no use of. Is it, that true to human nature, the 
latter prizes not that which he has? Perhaps it is. 
But if the culture of the soil, and feeding and breeding 
stock are to be considered as business, let us say this is, 
at best, but careless trading. 
Many of the townsmen of whom we have spoken 
have realised large sums by their Poultry, spite of their 
difficulties. What might not, then, be done by those 
who have all the “ means and appliances to boot.” 
Much of the Poultry bred abroad is intended to supply 
the English market, and hundreds of millions of the 
eggs will come here. It is admitted we have better 
breeds; we lack no facility for rearing; we possess a 
thorough knowledge of the subject, and yet we cannot 
supply ourselves. Wo attribute this entirely to the 
supineness of our agricultural friends, and we hope, that 
seeing others are disposed to take up ground they desert, 
we shall see more of them at our shows, both as spec¬ 
tators and exhibitors. 
FOOD AT MOULTING TIME. 
“ My employers keep Cochin-China fowls, and there are 
just now four of them wanting to sit, and certainly vei'y 
troublesome things they are, for do what you will with them 
they will sit, and one out of the four has died. One pullet 
has also died, and the old cock does, not look well. They 
are most of them moulting. Is there any sort of food 
more suitable for them at that period than at other times ? 
I fear the house that they roost in is too small—it is seven 
feet by four feet, and seven feet high, for some twenty-two 
or twenty-three birds. They have plenty of food, barley, 
oatmeal, lice, and boiled potatoes, with an unlimited space 
to range in during the daytime, and still there is something 
wrong. Could you assist mo in this matter through the 
medium of your much-valued journal ?— IVm. Carr.” 
[Beyond all doubt, the roostmg-place is too small. In 
hot weather, at night, the air must be pestilential. It is not 
too large for one-fourth the number. Tire food you par¬ 
ticularise is very good, and if the fowls have plenty of pure 
waiter, and of green food, their illness does arise from the 
quality of their diet.] 
BROODY HENS NOT REQUIRED FOR 
HATCHING. 
I HAVE, in my irractice to cure broody hens, managed 
somewhat dift’erently to the inode recommended by your old 
cori’espondent, filr. Tegetmeier. As soon as a hen show's 
she has the broody desire upon her, I remove her from that 
place, and put her amongst other poultry. Being taken 
away from her accustomed nest is a great deviation, and 
similar to Mr. Tegetineier’s cooping. It lias this great 
additional physiological benefit, that by allowing 2mre air 
and exercise, health and digestion is aided. Broodiness 
is a inovision of nature, not only for the purpose of 
incubation, but also a rest after exhaustion in laying, and 
which we all know occurs concurrently with the fact of the 
hen not being able to continue laying, brooding, and sitting 
at one and the same time. The true philosojihical treat¬ 
ment, therefore, is to bring the hen into a laying condition 
again, by free air and exercise, with good feeding, giving 
food which induces the production of eggs. Allowing them 
to sit a few days, and also cooping, are iiractices injurious 
to the above ends.— Boldhore Fere. 
SI'ATE OF OUR VARIOUS BREEDS OF 
POULTRY. 
A SATISFACTORY period has now passed since Poultry 
Show's, consequent on a l ajiidly increasing desire of acquir¬ 
ing a better knowledge of the habits and properties of our 
domesticated birds, have been established throughout the 
length and breadth of this country ; while both France and 
America aiipear to be treading in our footsteps. The term 
“ satisfactory,” is here employed as justifying conclusions 
that may now be drawn from the results of these Exhibitions, 
on the score of the sufficient test of time. 
It will hardly be contested, that the number of those wlio } 
keep poultry has been thus greatly increased, as also the ! 
quality of the birds themselves; but oven were this denied, 
we might be content to rest our argument in favour of the 
benefit obtained through these Institutions, by referring to 
the fact, that while a large majority of poultry-keepers, in i 
former years, knew little or nothing of the management, or I 
the points to be looked for in their stock, such iiulillerencc ' 
is now a rare exception to the general rule. 
If we excepted Shanyhacs, where the error of breeding 
too exclusively for colour induced degeneracy, from which, 
however, the race has already again emerged, feather, so im¬ 
portant a point for the judge, has been thus improved, with¬ 
out the sacrifice of any other one desirable property. 
So far, then, ouv case may thus be stated. Many more 
people than formerly know wliat should be the points of a 
good, useful fowl, and such specimens have been widely cir¬ 
culated, and, in most instances, arc obtainable at a reason¬ 
able cost through the influence of poultry shows. The pro¬ 
ducer and consumer are here alike benefited; but it may j 
serve a good luuqioae to enquii’e further as to the comiiarison , 
to be draw'n betw'een the various descriptions of poultry in 1 
their present and past condition. I 
As profitable poultry, especially as regards the purposes 
of the table, is prominently before us, while making these 
remarks, IJorhUitjs may justly take iirecedence,- thougli ad¬ 
mission is at the same time readily accorded to the fact, j 
that, in some cases, and under certain conditions, other | 
breeds may give a better return, even as regards the require- , 
ments of the poulterer. I 
The accident of a local name may, perhaps, have con- I 
tributed, in some measure, to limit the distribution of these i 
meritorious birds, from an apprehension that other districts 
would not prove equally favourable for their abode. There ' 
was little, however, in the character of the Sussex soil, or ; 
climate, that would suggest its peculiar adaptation to the 
