14 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
— Whe Poultiey Yard. 
Seemeneret 
For explanation of points see previous issue, 
TE 
The Spanish Fowl. 
The Spanish breed is, in all probability, 
of ancient and remote origin, and dees 
really seem to have reached us from the 
country after which it is named. In North 
Deyon, England, they call the Spanish 
Fowls Minoreas others call them Pcrtugal 
Fowls: neither terms remove them from 
thir old established location, if not their 
orignal home. It is a noble race of fowls 
possessing many great merits: of spirited 
and animated appearance, of considerable 
size, excellent for the table, both in white- 
ness of flesh and skin, and also in flavour 
laying exceeding large eggs in consider-- 
ablenumbers. Amongst birds of its own 
breed it is not deficient in courage; though 
it yields without showing much fight to 
those which have a dash of game blood 
in their veins. It isa general favourite 
in all large cities, for the additional advan- 
tage that no soil of smoke or dirt is 
apparent on its plumage and can certainly 
thrive under circumstances where few 
other varieties would live. We have 
seen curious cases on record of the places 
where Spanish fowls are kept. But what 
we once heard at an Edinburgh show will 
I think, be admitted to beat the record 
here, The-first- prize hen was usually. 
kept under her owner’s bed, other 
favourites being penned above: 
The thorough-bred birds of the fancy 
should be entirely black, as far as feathers 
are concerned, and when in high condi- 
tion display a sreenish metallic lustre. 
The combs of both rooster and hen are 
exceedingly large, of a vivid and most 
brilliant scarlet ; that of the hen droops 
over on one side. Their most singular 
feature is a large white patch, or ear-lobe 
on the cheek, which in some s;ecimens 
extends over great part of the faco, of 
a fleshy substance, similar to the wattle: 
it is small in the hens, but large and very 
conspicuous in the roosters. This marked 
contrast of black, bright red, and white, 
makes the head of the Spanish rooster as 
handsome as that of any variety we haye, 
and in the genuine breed the whole form 
is equally good, but the Scraggy, long- 
legged, mis-shappen mongrels one often 
sees are enough to throw discredit on the 
whole race. 
Spanish hens are celebrated as good 
layers, and produce very large, quite 
white eggs. of a peculiar shape, being 
very thick at both ends, and yet tapering 
off a little at each. They are by no means 
good mothers of families, even when they 
do sit, whicn.they. will not often. conde- 
scend to do, proving very careless, and’ 
frequently trampling half their brood 
underfoot. But the inconveniences of 
this habit-are. easily obviated: by causing: 
_supervision.. 
October 1, 1907 
the eggs to, be hatched’ by some inore 
motherly hen. 
It has been noticed that this variety of 
fowl fr quently loses nearly all the 
featners on the body, besides the usual 
quantity on the neck, wings and tail » 
and if they moult late and the weather is 
severe they feel it much. Nothing else 
can reasonably be expected to take place 
with an ‘everlasting layer. It often 
happens to the Guinea.fowl, and the 
reason of it is plain. If the system of a 
bird is exhausted by the’ unremitting 
proluction of eggs, ig cannot contain 
within itself the wherewithal to supply 
the growth of feathers. The stream that 
will fill but one channel cannot be made 
to keep two at high: water mark, Nature 
ought not to be forced, as it requires a 
rest, but some people thik it cannot be 
right if their hens do not lay every day. 
Some birds are occasionally produced 
handsomely streaked with red on the 
hackle and back This is no proof of bad 
breeding if other points are right, On 
the contrary, it isas near as may be the 
sort which Columella’s relation might 
have kept in Spain at the tue when 
he was improving the native sheep by 
the importation of rams from Morocco 
cightcen hundred years ago. 
The chicks are large, as would be 
expected from such eggs, entirely shining 
black, except a pinafors of white on the 
breast, and a slight sprinkling under the 
cnin, with sometimes also a little white 
round the beak and eyes: legs and feet 
black. Many of them do not get perfectly 
feathered till they are three parts grown, 
and therefore to have these birds come to 
perfection it is necessary to have them 
hatched early in spring, so that they may 
get well covered with pinmage, before the 
cold rains of autumn, There is anything 
but uniformity in the time Spanish 
chickens get their plumage: the pullets 
are always earlier than the cuckerels: the 
latter are generally half naked for a con- 
siderable time after hatching. This is a 
fact worth some particular remark, as 
many superficial observers haye invariably 
rejected, for breeding purposes the 
cockerels which got their feathers early, 
supposing from that fact that they were 
not pure bred. But they possess all the 
qualities of the Spanish fully and truly 
developed, but that their eurly feathers 
so screen them from the inclemencies of 
the weather that they are enabled soon to 
outstrip their brethren in size, 
_ The cross between the Pheasant Malay 
and Spanish produces a particularly hand- 
some fowl. 
Uncdertakers. 
ip J.C., & SON, Funeral Direc- 
tors and Carriage Proprietors. 
All’ Funerals conducted under personal’ 
113 Flinders St., Adelaide 
Phones—Adelaide 1677, Port 110; and’ 
Semaphore 255. and Jetty Road, Glenelg. 
Phone:78) 
