THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 17, 1859. 
99 
table, it may be expected that wo should give some directions 
as to the best and most profitable method of doing it. Recollect, 
any bird, however faulty as to colour or shape, or however de¬ 
formed, will do perfectly well for eating. A little extra feeding 
while young will cause these pariahs to contribute to the sup¬ 
port of their more-highly-favoured fellows. But unless for 
home consumption, it will be useless to kill them if they fare 
with the others in the yard. Putting them up will not only 
fatten them, but it is wonderful, to those unaccustomed to it, 
to observe their growth in a short time. Amateurs, who are 
family men, know something of the appetities of long, lean 
boys, the monstrous consumption of food, which all seems 
devoted to the growth of arms and legs. It is the result of 
exercise. It is equally true of chickens; and it is hopeless to 
attempt to fatten them while they are at liberty. They must be 
put in a proper coop ; and this, like most other poultry appur¬ 
tenances, need not be expensive. To fatten twelve fowls, a coop 
may be three feet long, eighteen inches high, and eighteen 
inches deep, made entirely of bars. No part of it solid—neither 
top, sides, nor bottom. Discretion must be used according to 
the size of the chickens put up. They do not want room: 
indeed, the closer they are the better—provided they can all 
stand up at the same time. Care must be taken to put up such 
as have been accustomed to be together, or they will fight. If 
one is quarrelsome it is better to remove it at once; as, like 
other bad examples, it soon finds imitators. A diseased chicken 
should not be put up. 
A coop, such as we have described, should he put in any out¬ 
house whore it is sheltered from draught, and at night should 
be covered up with sacks. Fowls will not fatten if they are cold. 
The bars of the coop may be an inch and a half apart, and the 
food and water must be put outside. The latter must be clean, 
cool, and fresh. 
The food should be ground oats; and may either be put in 
a trough, or on a tlat board running along the front of the coop. 
It may be mixed with water or milk; the latter is the better. 
It should be well slaked, forming a pulp as loose as can be, 
provided it does not run off the board. They must he well fed 
three or four times per day—the first time as soon after day¬ 
break as may be possible or convenient, and then at intervals 
of four hours. Each meal should be as much, and no more, 
than they can eat up clean. When they have done feeding, the 
board should be wiped, and some gravel may be spread. It 
causes them to feed and thrive. 
After a fortnight of this treatment you will have good fat 
fowls. If, however, there are but four or six to be fatted, they 
must not have as much room,as if there were twelve. Nothing 
is easier than to allot them the proper space ; as it is only neces¬ 
sary to have two or three pieces of wood to pass between the 
bars, and to form a partition. This may also serve when fowls 
are up at different degrees of fatness. This requires attention, 
as fowls will not keep fat and healthy. As soon as the fowl is suf¬ 
ficiently fatted it must be killed; otherwise it will still get fat, 
but it will lose flesh. If fowls are intended for the market, 
of course, they are, or may be, all fatted at once; but if 
for home consumption, it is better to put them up at such 
intervals as will suit the time when they will be required for 
table. When the time arrives for killing, whether they are 
meant for market or otherwise, they should be fasted, with¬ 
out food or water, for twelve or fifteen hours. This enables 
them to bo kept for some time after being killed, even in hot 
weather. 
If it is desired to make them still fatter, it will be necessary 
to cram them, and this is more troublesome. The operation 
may be shortened by taking some that have been fed as before 
described. The food should now be mixed stiffer, and made 
into crams the size of a man’s little finger. The fowl should 
be placed in the lap, the beak held open with one hand, and 
the cram dipped in milk, and gently put down the throat 
with the other. Three or four crams may be given at a 
time, and three meals per day—the first as soon after day¬ 
break as possible. 
There is more trouble than expense in fattening a fowl; 
and if these directions are carried out the drafts of the yard 
will furnish many good meals, or pay for food. It is only 
necessary to make'one more remark. These instructions follow 
our entreaties to amateurs aud breeders to dispose of faulty 
birds before they have become costly by consumption of food. 
All the foregoing will be thrown away if practiced on old fowls ; 
nothing will make them tender. Therefore, put them up while 
they are young if you want to eat tender, juicy fowls, and still 
more if you want to sell at a good price. They are worth far 
more now than they will be after you have kept them three 
months longer. 
BIRMINGHAM SOCIETY FOR THE 
IMPROVEMENT OF THE FANCY RABBIT. 
The above Society held its nineteenth half-yearly Prize Show 
on the 2nd inst. at the club-house, Mr. J. Brown’s, the Globe 
Inn, Great Hampton Street. About sixty-three rabbits were 
penned, forming an excellent Show. The prize Rabbits were 
not so long in the ears as generally shown; but for general 
properties many were admirable. Annexed is the prize list:— 
Fob Lenotii op Ears,— First, Mr. Russell’s Fawn Buck, 20] long; 5j 
wide; 9 lbs.; 8 months. Second, Mr. Lewis’s Yellow and Waite Buck, 
20J long; 5J wide ; 9 lbs. 4 ozs.; 7 months, 19 days. 
For Black and White.— First, Mr. Hinck’s Black and White Doe, 19 
long; 4| wide ; 6 lbs. 8 ozs.; 3 months, 23 days. Second, Mr. Lawrence’s 
Black and White Buck, 18] long; 4] wide; 7 lbs. 8 ozs.; 7 months, 20 days. 
For Yellow and White. —First, Mr. Guest’s Yellow and White Buck, 
19] long ; 4J wide ; 9 lbs.; G months, 19 days. Second, Mr. Corbett’s 
Y’ellow and White Buck, 19] long; 4] wide; Gibs. 4 ozs.; 3 months, 20 
days. 
For Tortoiseshell. —First, Mr. Guest’s Tortoiseshell Doe, 191 long; 
4] wide ; 9 lbs. 14 ozs.; 7 months, 7 days. Second, Mr. Ilincks’s Tortoise¬ 
shell Buck, 18| long ; 4f wide ; G lbs.; 3 months, 23 days. 
For Grf.y and White. —First, Mr. Tarver’s Grey and White Buck, 19] 
long ; 4] wide; 6 lbs.; 3 months, 29 days. Second, Mr. Guest’s Grey and 
White Buck, 20] long ; 5 wide ; 8 lbs. G ozs.; 7 months, 11 days. 
For Self-colour. —First, Mr. Tarver’s Fawn Doe, 19] long; 4] wide; 
Gibs. 2 ozs.; 3 months, 29 days. Second, Mr. Brown’s Black Buck, 18 
long ; 4] wide ; 5 lbs. 4 ozs.; 2 months, 22 days. 
For Weight. —First, Mr. Guest’s Fawn Doe, 19] long; 4] wide ; 10 lbs. 
2 ozs.; 7 months, 11 days. Second, Mr. Wood’s Tortoiseshell Doe, 18] 
long; 4] wide; 9 lbs. 12 ozs.; 9 months. 
APIARIAN NOTES.—No. II. 
MAY. 
Adjuster Hite. — I promised, last year, to give a sketch of a 
hive which has been found a very remunerative one ; but from 
want of confidence in my powers as a draughtsman, and from a 
fear that I should fail in rendering such a description of it as 
would be intelligible to the readers of Tiie Cottage Gardener, 
it has been deferred from time to time, until, probably, too late 
this season to be taken advantage of by any who may be disposed 
to adopt the principle. But “better late than never” is often 
a true saying, and may be so in this instance. 
I must first premise that this hive was invented by my relative, 
Mr. G. Fox, of Kingsbridge in this county (Devon) ; and in his 
hands, and as adopted by myself, has given some very good 
