1 Aprtt, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 273 
beauty ; it is single, and falls gracefully to one side, but not in a limp manner 
or so as to obscure the sight. Legs, comb, and face are the same colour as in 
the male, but the earlobe is much smaller and more round in shape. There are 
six standard varieties of Leghorn—Black, Brown, Buff, Dominique, Silver 
Duckwing, and White. 
As to the number of eggs a Leghorn will lay, there is no difference 
between the brown and white varieties except in colour. <A. flock of six hens 
will lay more proportionately than a large flock. We have had hens to lay 
just as many eggs the seventh year as during any previous year; and after a 
pullet becomes a fully matured hen—say one year old—she will lay as many 
one year as another until eight years old. It is a grand hen that wiil lay 180 
egos a year. Hens have done so, but, like horses with records, they leave all 
others behind. We have known four hens, all of a small flock, to lay 604 eges 
in a year, or 151 each; but we have never found 100 hens to average over 100 
eggs per hen per year. 
The reason is that in a large flock some hens lay none at all, from various 
causes, while others lay more. One with large flocks, after allowing for sick. 
hens, overfat hens, lousy hens, and feeble hens, will be fortunate if he gets nine 
dozen of eggs trom each hen in the flock. True, some of the hens may lay 
twelve dozen eggs in a year, but “ one swallow does not make a summer.” 
‘THE PLYMOUTH ROCK. 
This is the best knewn of the American breeds. It has been, since its 
advent into popular favour, the every man’s bird—the farmer’s, the amateur’s, 
the fancier’s. Combining, as it does, quick growth, strong laying qualities, 
excellence as a sitter and mother, and hardly equalled as a table fowl, it is not 
to be wondered at that it has reached this well-deserved degree of popularity. 
Its heavy feathering and small head appendages place it in the front rank of 
the cold weather breeds. When a Leghorn would shiver and freeze up in a 
zero blast, the Plymouth Rock would be up and doing, with the result a full 
ege-box. Assitters and mothers they havefew equals. They are hearty eaters 
and good foragers, gentle and quick in disposition, taking on flesh rapidly as 
growing chicks, soon attaining plump broiler size; and if left over for roasters, 
they present full, round yellow carcasses. ‘They have but few faults. Their 
greatest is perhaps their tendency to over-eat and become too fat for egg- 
production. The Wyandotte is its great rival. Wyandottes grow quicker as 
chickens, standing all the forcing possible, maintaining a plump, round body 
from six weeks old to maturity, which is about one month earlier than the 
Plymouth Rock. They lay as many eggs as their rivals. They are more 
plump and round in body and shorter on the legs. As a dressed carcass either 
as a broiler or roaster, they present the finest possible appearance. They are 
ood eaters and better foragers. Still, given good care and treatment, the 
temouth Rock will discount all others as a general purpose breed. They 
should be kept pure. A first cross way do very well, but should you go any 
further you will have mongrels for certain—chickens with as many colours as 
was Joseph’s many-coloured coat—chickens white, black, speckled, mottled, 
variegated, ring-streaked, and striped. The first cross is seldom if ever as 
good as the thoroughbred in every respect. 
EGGS V. BUTTER. 
Mrs. Helen E. Bailey writes: My indifferent friend, do you not know that | 
the poultry profit beats that of the dairy all to pieces, all things considered ; 
that there is more profit in selling eggs at the low price of 7 or 8 cents 
(34d. to 4d.) per dozen than there is in selling butter at 15 cents (73 per lb.) ? 
A pound of butter a day is a good yield for the average cow, and the food 
consumed by that cow would, if fed aright, be enough, say, for six dozen hens. 
Now, supposing [ get but two dozen eggs a day, with the price at 73 cents 
per dozen, that just evens your pound of butter. But should the number be 
