468 
FANCIER S’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
that State. Whether they differ from the gentleman’s 
named or not, I cannot say, but mine answer well to the 
description given in the standard, and to description given 
in circulars, so far as markings and points go. As I before 
said, they belie the description terribly so far as economic 
merits are concerned. I vouch for the description I gave 
of my own fowls, and on that point have nothing whatever to 
add, except that I am willing to sell that one hen at the 
price named, unless Mr. Wade should inform me of more 
rumors favorable to rapidly increasing wealth from the sale of 
Black Russian eggs, when I shall immediately advance the 
price- at least seven cents a rumor. 
Again I must express myself as being sorry to injure any 
one in his business by giving my opinion of these fowls as I 
have done. But my birds did not treat me well, and I do not 
want any one else duped as I was. I shall be glad to know 
that no one has been hurt by my good-humored confession, 
of how I was done by Black Russians. A. N. R. 
Lock Haven, Pa. 
THE TRUE ORIGINAL BLOOD. 
Editor Fanciers’ Journal. 
Mr. W. E. Flower, of Shoemakertown, Pennsylvania, 
who is notably a good breeder of Light Brahmas, has, in 
your last number, hit the nail exactly upon the head. He 
states the precise truth, when he “ventures the assertion — 
all 1 opinions ’ to the contrary, notwithstanding — that there 
is not a strain of good Light Brahmas in the United States, 
whose best blood cannot be traced to Philadelphia 
This is so. The best Light or Dark varieties of the so- 
called “Brahma” fowl ever bred in America or England 
came from the original 1849 Dr. Kerr (Philadelphia) Grey 
Shanghai blood, bred with my Grey Shanghai imported in 
1850, through W. T. Porter. There is no denying, arguing, 
winking, or theorizing this patent fact out of sight, and 1 
know it. In my forthcoming new volume, to be issued in 
September, entitled “The China Fowl — Shanghai, Cochin 
and, Brahma,” I shall embody the clearest proofs in support 
of this position, which Mr. Flower, as above quoted, has stated 
so accurately, in a very few words. 
Tours, &c. Geo. P. Burnham. 
Melrose, July 19, 1874. 
MACHINE FED DUCKS. 
Nameloc, Paris correspondent of the Public Ledger, 
writes as follows : 
“ While visiting the Garden d’Acclimatization, in Paris, 
I saw a machine used for the purpose of facilitating the fat- 
tening of ducks for the tables of epicures. As it was new 
to me, I have thought a brief allusion to it would not be 
amiss. In the building, which is quite large and handsome, 
are several large circular frames, having hundreds of boxes, 
looking something like pigeon-holes. These boxes are just 
large enough to allow a duck to stand, their heads being to 
the front. Near the frames are machines, in which the 
food to be given is placed, having flexible tubes, the ends of 
which are placed in the ducks’ bills and partly down the 
throat. By a very simple movement of a lever, the food is 
forced into the duck, an indicator, something like a steam 
gauge, registering the amount each bird receives. When 
the ducks are first placed in the box, it is necessary to use 
some force to get the tube in their mouths, but after being- 
fed several times they seem to .like it, and quack lustily 
when they see the preparations are completed for feeding. 
The ducks are fattened very rapidly, and the speculation, it 
is said, is a profitable one. As there does not seem to be 
any cruelty in thus preparing ducks for market, would it 
not be well for the Zoological Society at Fail-mount Park to 
erect a similar establishment? At the one in Paris, quite a 
revenue is raised simply from the fee charged to see the 
feeding machine.” 
DISEASE IN REFERENCE TO PROGENY. 
Editor Fanciers’ Journal. 
We should like to learn the opinion of Mr. Pyle, or some 
of your experimental contributors, in regard to tbe effect — 
or probable effect — on the young of fowls affected during 
the laying season with roup, corn, or canker. 
We have only one pair of our White Bantams left, from 
which we would like to raise a few more. The hen has 
been drooping about at different times, for some months ; 
her head has a bad swelling on one side, and looks like a 
wen, about the size of a hickorv-nut, which extends consid- 
erably into the mouth ; it has destroyed the sight of one eye ; 
her mouth is occasionally affected by a yellowish matter; 
she swallows with great difficulty ; eats but little ; and 
occasionally seems likely to die. Then she will revive, and 
the color will return to her head, and she will lay for a few 
days, until again deterred by a relapse of the old complaint — 
which is sometimes attended with signs of cholera. She 
seems, naturally, to have a very hardy constitution ; and, 
were she and her mate both completely cured, I should 
expect to raise a fine Jot of chickens. The cock has suffered 
materially in health, in consequence of close confinement 
in a small cage, with only indifferent care, but is slowly 
recovering, since he has the advantage of a grass run. I 
have no doubt that the eggs of the hen are impregnated, 
and she is now well enough to begin incubation, but I fear 
that she may not live long enough to hatch her brood. Sup- 
posing the stock to be valuable enough, the question is, 
would not the chicks be so liable to disease as to make it 
useless to try to save the eggs ; or, in other words, I would 
anticipate the consequence to the chickens of fowls origi- 
nally hardy, but temporarily diseased. If I am able to hatch 
any, I will in due time report the result for the benefit of 
others. Mrs. Myers. 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
REMINISCENCES OF THE “HEN FEVER.” 
BY GEO. P. BURNHAM. 
The last poultry show in Boston was a good one. Exhi- 
bitions of fowls and pigeons are now annually getting to be 
larger, more important and- better everywhere. The Asiatic 
varieties were bred closer for points in the past season than 
any I have ever seen. Weight as well as size has been im- 
proved upon. Cocks over fourteen pounds, and hens ten to 
eleven pounds, of admirable shape, were not uncommon. 
All this is decided improvement, and shows the advantages 
attendant upon good care and skilful breeding. 
The show at Music Hall, in February, 1874, would com- 
pare very favorably with any kindred exhibition ever held 
in this country. The Game varieties, the Black Spanish, 
the White and Colored Leghorns, the beautiful little Ban- 
tams, as well as the different colored Cochins and gigantic 
Light and Dark Brahmas, were all superior in their way, 
