FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
elements. Supposing I have reached a point where the type 
may be called a ‘strain,’ I acknowledge the bent of my 
recreations by naming it, ‘‘ The Parson’s Blue Monday.” 
The French varieties, Houdan, Laflech, and Creveleur are 
products of France. They have excellent qualities, but ex- 
cept Houdans, are too delicate for this climate. The Hou- 
dan is like the Dorking in size, quality of flesh, and smallness 
of bone, but is much hardier, matures more rapidly than 
any other variety, and is said to be a good winter layer. 
I must in this paper forego to notice geese, ducks, tur- 
keys, peafowl, and guinea-fowl; not that they are unde- 
serving, but that there is so much to be said in their behalf. 
Our tame turkey is a native of Mexico. The wild turkey of 
our own forests is a larger, finer, and more beautiful bird. 
The Bronze Turkey is a cross of the Buff Turkey of South 
- America and our wild black variety. I have seen a bronze 
said to weigh forty-five pounds, though we read of some yet 
larger. 
Time will not admit of a treatment of the scientific phase 
of poultry keeping here, although, to myself, this constitutes 
its chief interest. ‘Brute psychology in its relations to 
mental philosophy,’ ‘Selection of Species,’’ with other 
curious scientific queries, find a field of investigation easy to 
observe, rapid in development, and full of pleasurable recre- 
ation in the phenomena presented among these feathered 
tribes. : 

LIGHT BRAHMA CLASS. 
As judged at the Buffalo show, by I. K. Felch, Natick, 
Mass; E. P. Howlett, Syracuse, N. Y., and A. B. Estes, 
New York City. 
Lieut BrRaAuMA CocKks. 
Entry No. Owner. Points. Prize. 
L338 Wm. H. Todd, 92 First. 
232 —— Furness, 89 Second. 
294 Philander Williams, 89 Third. 
292 i ce 89 Fourth. 
1189 W. D. Cantillon, 87 Fifth. 
Lieut BrauMa HENS. 
428 S. Merry, 93 First. 
293 Philander Williams, 88} Second. 
285 John W. Bush, 87 Third. 
295 Philander Williams, 87 Fourth. 
1099 Wm. Wright, 823 Fifth. 
Liaot BRAHMA COCKERELS. 
43+ S Merry, 90 First. 
302 Philander Williams, 88 Second. 
304 ee oe 87 Third. 
298 OC ce 87 Fourth. 
137 W. 4H. Todd, 87 Fifth. 
Lieut BRAHMA PULLETS. 
188 W. H. Todd, 90 First. 
299 Philander Williams, 884 Second. 
: 596 OC. A. Sweet, 88 Third, 
140 W. H. Todd, 87 Fourth. 
432 S. Merry, 824 Fifth. 

PHILADELPHIA, January 30, 1874. 
Mr. Jos. M. WADE. 
Dear Sir: I was informed on my return from the con- 
vention at Buffalo, that I was proprietor of a poultry paper, 
of which you are editor and publisher. 
I desire you to say to all whom it may concern, that such 
is not the truth, as I do not own a dollar in ‘‘ any poultry 
paper,” yet I wish success to all, and hope all fanciers will 
_give them a hearty support by subscriptions and as adver- 
tisers. Yours truly, W. H. CuurcHMAN, 

89 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
DO AS WE CONTRACT. 
WE notice an article in the Journal, under date of Janu- 
ary Ist, by Mr. Armstrong, of Trenton, N. J., in which he 
writes of the ‘foolish idea of amateurs in not selecting the 
best stock, and seeing what they get before paying for it.” 
That breeders should select the best stock to start and 
propagate their yards with, no one who is familiar with 
fancy poultry will question for one moment; but too see 
what they get before paying for it, is in most cases, with the 
purchaser, an imposibility. 
For the buyer who wishes truly excellent stock, in nine 
cases out of ten, has to order it through the mail, sent by 
express, perhaps for hundreds or thousands of miles, and not 
unfrequently have itimported. If we wished a trio of choice 
Hamburgs from Mr. Armstrong’s pens, our better way 
would be to order them sent, rather than take two or three 
days to go and see them before purchasing, and also pay our 
traveling expenses, with board and lodging. 
Then, again, if a fancier starts a yard, as we have done, 
among a select lot of old fogy farmers, who never believe in 
any improvement among their domestic animals or poultry, 
and more especially if a fine-bred fowl cost ten cents more 
than the little ‘‘ yellow hen,’’ this fancier must expect to 
sell his fine birds to those who appreciate his labors and 
calling, hence, he must advertise, and send his poultry out 
of his immediate neighborhood. Now the point we wish to 
get at is this,—a fancier should not only breed first-class 
stock, but should, in his shipments, send the poultry just as 
he represents them, every feather true in color, and every 
pound in the bird as promised. A breeder can soon estab- 
lish a reputation, but he can much quicker go under. 
Situated as we are among a class of men who appreciate 
nothing that costs an extra penny, we are obliged to ship 
most of our poultry to other vicinities, and hence we feel 
the great necessity of doing just as we promised. 
We, too, like Mr. Armstrong, have been “set up’’ by un- 
| scrupulous breeders. 
Last March we wrote to a certain firm, asking them if 
they could furnish us with a bronze turkey hen that would 
scale 20 pounds and over ; they replied they would for $ ; 
and we should remit immediately. We sent our check by 
return mail, expecting in a few days an extra-fine large bird 

to add to our flock; after a delay of two weeks, we began to 
inquire for our large turkey,—no answer came; they were 
not gentlemen enough to write us; why the delay even, 
when we sent them a return stamp. As it was about 200 
miles to go search for our long-looked-for bird and seek out 
our victims, we did not feel like using more good money 
after what we expected lost; so after two months or more, 
after writing to the postmaster of their town, and inquiring 
|of every one we were likely to receive any information 
from, in regard to this large advertising firm, we wrote 
'them, if they did not return our money, or fulfil the con- 
tract, we would expose them in every leading stock and 
agricultural journal in the land, if it cost us five hundred 
dollars. Now for the result; instead of our 20-pound or 
| over turkey hen, they sent us a miserable, mean little squamy 
gobbler, that just pulled down all of 14 pounds. 
This firm not only gulled us, but swindled hundreds of 
others, and it got so hot for them, that the head monk, 
“the high cockalorum”’ had to get up and get out of the 
country, so the New York Tribune said. 
