February 19. 
COUNTRY GBNTLEMAN^S COMPANION. 
3T9 
rinantity of oil contained in yellow varieties—nearly 81bs. in 
every lOOlbs. Its capability of supplying flesb is not so great 
as that of oatmeal, hence, it is not well adapted for laying- 
bens, which it renders too fat; but this peculiarity tits it 
j-eniarkably for fattening poultry, for which pui’pose it is 
lai'gely employed in the United States. 
PacE.—Kice is one of the least advantageous foods eitheV 
for fattening or supidying Itesh ; it contains only a trace of 
fatty materials, and less than half the quantity of flesh-form¬ 
ing food contained in oats. 
Peas and Beans. —All the varieties of pulse contain a much 
larger proportion of flesh-fovming or nitrogenous substances 
than any grain,—in fact, about twenty-five per cent., or 
double the quantity contained in wheat; whilst the propor¬ 
tion of fat is not more than ^ in the lOO. This composition 
admirably tits them for the support of the atiiraals under¬ 
going much muscular e.vertion; given to fatting animals, 
they are apt to harden the fibre, as in the Avcll-known case 
of bean-fed bacon; and the elaborate experiments of Mr. 
Lawes, in pig and sheep-feeding, prove most distinctly, that 
the increase in weight of a fatting animal is dependent on 
tlie cai bonaceous, and not on the nitrogenous constituents 
of its food. 
Mii.k.—M ilk is a most advantageous addition to the food 
of poultry, as it contains dibs, of fat (butter), nearly bibs, of 
warmth-giving (sugar of milk), and -tUbs. of flesh-forming 
food (curd), in every lOOlbs. Skimmed milk, or butter-milk, 
from having had the fat removed, are by no means so 
advantageous. 
Anijiae Fat. —If any pure fat i.s given to fatting fowls, it is 
evident, from what has been jneviously stated, that it should 
be of as solid a character as possible, for as it is assimilated 
without much change, it is evident that the firm character of 
the fatted poultry is much increased by it. The evil ettect 
of linseed-cake upon geese lias already been alluded to, 
arising from the liquid contained in it; the best addition to 
the food of poultry consists, therefore, of the hardest and 
chea 2 )est variidy of common fat, namely, mutton suet, or 
what is equally good, the paring of the loins, which aie at 
present sold to the tallow melter. 
CooKiNU Food. —One other circumstance remains to be 
considered in this Section, namely, the altei-.ation effected 
in food by cooking. The influence of heat is chiefly exerted, 
in the case of vegetable foods, on the starch, which consti¬ 
tutes so large a portion of all groin ; this, in its natural state, 
consists of small granules, which are (as in the w'ell-known 
case of ari’fiwroot, a very pure variety of staich), insoluble 
in cold water, from the circumst.ance that each is coated 
w'ith a firm membrane; when heated to a degree somewhat 
short of boiling water, this membi’ane crack's, and the interior 
gummy portion of each granule dissolves in the water and 
thickens it. There is no doubt but the starch, thus altered, 
is more readily and rapidly digested than in its insoluble 
state ; hence the advantage of cooked food for fattening pigs, 
and the desirability of employing boiling water to scald the 
meal used in fattening poultry. 
It may perhaps lead to easier understanding of the relative 
value of the different kinds of food, if their constituents ai’e 
stated in a tabular foim, it being borne in mind, that such 
statements ai’e merely approximations to the truth, as the 
composition of grain varies w ith the character of the season 
and the soil. 
Tabee, shewing the composition of the substances employed 
in fattening poultry. 
Every lOOlbs. or 
Fat or Oil. 
Q 
o o 
*+7 o 
0 ) 
K 
> . 
•fg 
£ 
a.H 
Mineral 
Substances. 
1 Husk or Fibre. 
1 
Water. 
Oats contain. 
6 
15 
47 
2 
20 
9i 
Oatmeal. 
6 
18 
63 
2 
2 
9 
tv heat. 
3 
12 
7» 
2 
1 
12 
Middlings (fine bran),.... 
6 
18 
53 
5 
4 
14 
Barley. 
2 
11 
6 u 
2 
14 
11 
Indian Corn . 
8 
11 
65 
1 
5 
10 
nice. 
A trace. 
7 
80 
A trace. 
_ 
10 
Beans and Peas. 
O 
25 
48 
2 
8 
15 
Milk. 
3 
4i 
5 
3 
87 
Ceevpter II. —Tite Fracttce of Fattening. 
Section I.— Scleciion of Breed. 
In fattening poultry for the large markets, no success can 
be expected unless suitable ^ arieties are selected ; in fowds, 
as in other domesticated animals, some varieties are much 
more I’eadily disposed to fatten than others, and one breed 
may be. characterized by the tendency to fat internallj', and 
another externally. 
To those who have had extensive experience in the 
different breeds, tbere can be no question as to the best 
v'ariety for table purposes. The coloured Dorking surpasses, 
in this respect, all other kinds; its superiority consisting in 
the large size it attains at an early age, in its short legs and 
compact foim, in the liueness of its bones, and the small 
quantity of offal, in the quantity of flesh upon the breast, in 
the extreme whiteness and deiicacy of the meat, and the 
readiness with which it fattens. The large Surrey fowls, 
w'hich ai'e only to be distinguished from the Dorking by the 
absence of the fifth toe, are equally valuable for table 
purpose.s. 
'i'he white Dorking, as at present knowm, is not to be 
strongly recommended, as it is evidently a distinct variety 
from the coloured; the size, carriage, and general form of 
the birds lieing dissimilar. The only drawback to the supe¬ 
riority of the Doiking consists in the delicacy of the breed 
when chicken ; this, on heavy clay land, or in damp situations, 
is a serious evil. Under such circumstances, many persons 
of gi’eat exjierience recommend crossing the breed, by having | 
a large Malay nr Cochin cock w ith Dorking hens, or a Dork¬ 
ing cock with Cochin or Malay hens; caro being taken not 
to I'ear any of the cross-breed chicken for stock', but to fatten 
them all for the table. By this me.ans, greater hardihood 
and large rsize maybe obtained; but the writer has never 
succeeded in rearing such chicken with the plump breasts 
and short limbs of the pure bred Dorking. 
Should it be deemed desirable to cress the Doikings for 
the purpose of producing a hardier fowl, such a I'dan as the 
following seems to offer the best chance of success ; heing 
based upon the fact, that, in cross breeding, the pullets 
usually resemble the mother, and the cockerels the fatlrer; — 
Early in the year, so as to obtain a brood in May, put two or 
three large Doiking hens with a short-legged, compact 
Cochin cock, cither of the common buff, or of the gi’ey 
variety known as the Brahma Bootras. From the chicken 
select those pullets possessing in the greatest degree the 
Dorking char.acter, viz.—having fine bone, short white legs, 
and compact body, square on tlie limbs; and, in tbe follow'- 
ing season, mate these with a good Dorking cock. The 
jirogeny thus obtained from them w'ill be tbree-fourths 
Dorking, and, if care is taken in the selection, will show' very 
little trace of Cochin blood ; w'hilst the size and constitutional 
hardihood of the breed w’ould be much improved by the 
infusion of new blood from the hardiest of races. One 
caution, however, would be requisite;—if these birds W’ere 
allow'ed to breed amongst tbemselves, they would occasionally 
throw back to the Coebin ; it would he, therefore, necessary 
to mate the pullets again with a Dorking cock ; and, as in 
all cases of breeding for size and streugtli, great care must 
be taken to avoid breeding closely, viz., from birds related to 
each other. 
Cochins, although of great w'eight, cannot be recommended 
as a profitable market fowd ; their small breasts, yellow skin 
and fat, game-like flavour, coarseness of bone, and length of 
limb, being much against them ; and it is almost impossible 
to render them fat upon the breast, as they have an unusual 
tendency to accumulate fat internally. It should be re¬ 
membered, that unless a fowl has naturally a full chest, it is 
impossible to put flesh or muscle on it by fatting ; for there 
is this distinction between the flesh of quadrupeds and that 
of birds, that in the former, tbe flesh can be increased in 
size by the intermixture of fat betw'een tbe fibi’es, which 
gives rise to the marbled appearance seen in prime beef. 
This, however, cannot be done in the case of birds, their 
muscles being always destitute of fat, which is deposited 
under the skin, or in the interior of the body only. 
Section II.— Breed'nuj. 
In rearing fowls for tl>e market, the early treatment of 
chicken is of the highest importance ; they should be warmly 
