PRACTICAL PAPERS—POULTRY RAISING. 
291 
Poultry men all have their favorite varieties, and vary as much 
in their opinions as do those engaged in any other branch of 
business. In giving a brief description of the varieties that 
have come under my observation during the past ten years, I 
will enumerate their qualifications, based upon experience, 
and if it is at variance with the experience of others equally 
or better versed than myself—as will undoubtedly be the case 
in some instances—they will bear in mind that results in poul¬ 
try breeding vary under different circumstances. 
Leghorns .—We place this breed at the head of the list. There 
are several sub-varieties varying from each other little, except 
in color—but our preference is for the white variety, as more 
attention has been given to their perfect breeding than the 
others, the Dominique, Blue, Red and mixed or splashed. They 
are a good table fowl, medium size, very hardy, in fact will 
endure as much hardship as any fowl we have. They are great 
layers of medium sized eggs, equalling in number any other vari¬ 
ety, not excepting the famed Hamburghs, while their eggs are 
larger than those of the Hamburgh. Their characteristics are 
pure white plumage, yellow legs; face, wattles and comb, bright 
red ; ear lobes, pure opaque white; the comb of the cock standing 
perfectly erect, while that of the hen falls over, sometimes cov¬ 
ering one side of the face. They are known as a non-setting 
variety, but occasionally one shows a desire to set, but can be 
easily broken up; if allowed to set, however, will generally do 
well, and take excellent care of her brood. Chickens are very 
hardy and will feather quicker than any other variety ; mature 
early ; cockrels will crow under six weeks from the shell; 
pullets with good care will lay at four months of age. I con¬ 
sider them one of the very best varieties ever introduced. 
Though originally an imported fowl, the care with which they 
have been bred in this country for several years past, has given 
our present strains the distinction of being an American breed, 
and they have become so popular that several exportations 
have been made to England. 
Dominiques are another “Yankee production ” and are de- 
