Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-06-20
THE FARM
Tho Garhen...The Orchard.
For The L'.Wl
Chickens.

Asevery farmer ana pouitfy-ra ouS"'
to have clear idea of the best varieties oi
the Chicken, let me give you a sketch OF
them, beginning with the largest.
The CHITTAGONGs are the largest vari-
ETY. of the chicken tribe yet known, and Of
a greyish white or striped color. Their
Aesh is rather coarse and dark, and serves
best for soup They are good egg.layers,
but unsteady and poor hatchets.
The SHANaHAIs are nearly cs large as
the Chittagongs, but are of yellow or red
or reddish-yellov color They ars also
good layers as we'll as hatchers.
The Chittagongs ard Shanghais are call
ed so after certain place. in Asia from
whence they were imported into Europe
and America, ard how far to our advantage
will soon appear.
The DoRKIEa chicken, so called after
the town Of Dorkiug in the county of Sur
rey in England, where it abouuds in great
perfection, was originally Of white or
yellowish white color, but is now, through
repeated crossings, found Of all colors.
1t is long and large bodied, short-legged,
and handsome variety, with five claws or
toes on each foot, and two spurs on each
leg of the male or cock. 1t is great lay
er of large eggs, and yields fine flesh Of
or inclining towards yellowish color.
The POLAND variety, so called after Po-
land in Europe, the place Of its origin, is
deep and plump-bodied fowl Of shining
black color, with tuft or crown of white
feathers on the head of both the cock and
the hen. I. fat,ens easily, and lays an
abundance Of large eggs. and yields . Aesh
similar in quality or rather superior to that
Of the Dorking The Poland hens are
sometimes called Everlasting layer" on
account Of the great number or egg which
they lay, and their disiuclination to sit and
hatch eggs, for they are apt to leave the
Matching of their eggs to hens of other
breeds.
The DUrcH variety, so called after the
Dutch in Europe with whom it originated,
is smaller of size than the Poland but has
still longer plumes, so large indeed that
their feathers ought to be cropped or cut
off occasionally or they will get into their
eyes and blind them. The Dutch breed
are also famous egg-layers.
The ENGLISH OR COMMON DUNGH1LL
fowl is Of a middle size, and a white or
yellow and sometimes grayfsh or dark col
or, being the result of crosses between our
European or American breeds, and some
re gard it as the hardest and most useful
of all varieties, as it lays eggs freely, and
fattens easily, aud when permitted to have
plenty of air and exercise yields flesh
which is, in the opinion Of mani, the
most delicate and high favored Of all the
chicken meats. Their eggs are Of medium
size. The dark-eolored fowls are said to
be the hardest and best Of this variety, a.
the pure white dung hill fowl is the weak
est and lays the fewsst eggs.
The GAME fowl is of an erect and rath-
er small and slender form, and of rich,
snowy color, particularly the male or cock,
the prevailing color Of the male being dark
red, but it is often dark-grey, mealy-grey
or red-dun. This variety lays small and
fine favored eggs, and yields flesh that
is beautifully white and Of superior rich
ness of flavor But it is difficult to rear
this breed on account of their pugnacious
disposition, which causes them to fight and
hunt each ether almost as soon as they
are out of the she'll and feathered. Aud
bad boys and men encourage this misehie-
yous disposition How true the sayings
Of Scripture, at is as spo-. to fool tc dc
mischief!'
The BANrAf so called because it came
from the kingdom Of Bantam in Asi-, !,
the smallest of all the chicken tribes, and
is remarkable for its grotesque appearance
and being generally covered with feathers
down to its toes, and Of pure white o.
black OF uankeen color. It yields deli
cate Hesh and its hen. are gsod layers ant
nurses, and hence are useful to hatch th,
eggs Of other hens, and also Of partridge
and pheasauts:
There are various other breeds Of th,
chicken, but those just described arc con
sidsred the best and most profitable. Th'
Chittagongs and Shanghais were SO popu
lar for few years past, especially in ou
Eastern States, rs to have given rise to {
very great excitement il their favor, ,ealls'
sths Hen Fever" But tie farmers o
those States are now complaing Of it
! effects, for they tell US that the Chi:ta
gongs ard Shanghais lay far fewer egg
than the same number Of our old and com
mon hens used to do, so that many fam
lies have not only raised tbess new breed
at an expense Of several dollars pound
. but have even been obliged to buy egg
a, f.l .... AnJ h.nca m,