The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-10-04

wink, and crow BY the hour, only
aroused by the prospect of another meal.
Now, may offend the prejudices Of
some brother fowl-fancier by what must
be said, but it is based upon long expe-
rience and observation. We keep fowls
for utility first and then beauty. In small
yards, these birds are, as | have said,
valuable, where fowls Of more active hab-
its would die. But in larger yards, |
cannot see their superiority. They evil
IDENTIFY obtained their popularity from
their size and grotesqueness, neither Of
which are recommendations to the ordi-
nary householder We surely would not
keep them as objects of beauty; their
stumbling movements and awkward
growth forbid that. The standard Of
beauty is rather arbitrary, but most per-
sons will acknowledge, think, that it is
nearer met in round, trim-built bird,
like the Game, or plump, 6rlhly-pro.
portioned one, like the Dorking. And
when, to these qualities which please the
eye, are united the more substantial ones
Of abe greatest utility, the requirements OF
the breeder are fully met. They are not
met in the Asiatics.
One great objection which | have new
er heard mentioned, is to me inseparable
The great size Of the cock and his clum-
siness, frequently prevent the fulfilling
of his duty in fcrtiizing the egg, conse-
quently no other breed within my obser.
walton Yields so few chickens to a given
number of eggs This, alone, is great
drawback.
Again, these fowls give fewer eggs,and
Of smaller size, than most other varie.
ties A Game hen may be half the
weight of a Brahma, but she will lay
larger eggs and more Of them, during the
season than her overgrown sister, and
this, too, upon smaller quantity of food;
for the Asiatics are great and incessant
eaters; though so indolent in looking for
their dinners, and the item Of food, alone,
is of great importance. Where fowls are
active, and have anything of a range, they
can obtain nearly the whole of their liv-
ing during several months of the year
An incalculable quantity of bugs and
worms are thus manufactured into deli
cious food, and prevented from preying
upon our gardens. But the birds under
consideration are so inactive that they de-
pend almost entirely upon being fed.
The chicks are, also, long in reaching
maturity, and so, unfit Tor early broiling.
Much of the apparent weight is bone,
which fills up larger portion Of the body
than in birds of less size. Food seems to
60 to an accumulation of fat upon the in
ternal organs and ntestines, instead OF
rounding the limbs into delicate flesh,
which melts in your mouth as it comes to
the table hot from the gridiron. The
meat is undesirable in market from its
yellowness, aud when the months have
grown into year it is anything but ten.
der.
1t is claimed by some that these breeds
are valuable to cross with the common
barnyard fowl. But the result seems to
perpetuate their Objectionable qualities,
as the descendants possess the same large
limbs and large bones, while in color they
are "ring-streaked and speckled" beyond
description. Such nondescripis should
not be tolerated in any yard. Niscegi.
nation does not seem to answer in this
case; and | am forced to conclude that
the Asiatics, however valuable they may
prove to be as John Cinnamon upon our
farms, will not be permanently popular
as fowls. They may be objects Of curios-
ity to amateurs, but not resource for
the millionaire Stock Journal.