The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-12-28
Cocks and Hens.
Son ofthe Soil.

son OF the SOIL.
"And the cock crew." Who does
not remember these memorable words,
We might from this Circumstance,
POLITICALLY call the cock st. Peters &C
cusing angel. Christ himself noticed
this beautiful bird. and probably with
admiration; for the handiwork of the
Almighty made no failure in his crea-
ton. Yet some men are so dignitied
that they despise this brave and gen
erous bird ana every one who fancies
or admires him. In spite Of this ad-
verse circumstance, we admire and
breed chickens. We admire them be-
cause we have learned to Judge and APP
prccilte fine fowls: and we breed them
because we know they arc profitable.
Our experience has taught us the truth
of the statements Of responsible breed
ers. We did not first properly credit
these statements; but thought that
nothing more was necessary than TO
make iudicious selections from any
fowls easily and chcaply obtained.
The result of this opinion was large,
healthy, clean fowl: eight pound
cocks and six pound hens. They were
Of course, mongreIS. The only certain
characteristics common to them. were
determined setting and alternate day
LAYING. Ny hens would lay thirteen
eggs in twenty-six DAYS, each, WhHe
idypag; and in that time each hen
could eat twenty-five cents worth of
corn But they did not average more
than forty eggs apiece for the whole
year; while their crops had to be fill
ed three hundred and siXty-iive times.
Now, supposing the garden to have
escaped their raVages, and re LarGing our
attention TO them as an amusement, our
selected mongrels were not profitable.
SO we abandoned our first opinion,and
consented to be taught. We now find
our poultry profitable.
Referring our readers to the rccog-
ognizcl authorities on the recognized
varieties, we will make q few state
ments and suggestions for both amateur
and professional breeders. We give
four rules for the guidance Of anna
teurs:
/. Keep only one variety in the same
yard.
2. The largest are not necessarily the
best
3. Sittcrs cannot be expected to lay
as many eggs rs non-sltterS; for the
latter have nothing c sc to do.
4. There is great advantage in uni
formity of color; as the hens become
mothers more readily, and viii
not 50 quickly detect and tightanother
hens chickens.
Let Us now teach the amateur how
to Judge fine fowl: The body must
be long; the breast broad the legs
short and smooth, feeling like a kid
glove, with clean appearance; the
neck short; the eyes bright; and tho
feathers true to variety, and glossy,
which is the appearance Of natural
health.
If your gardens are valuable aud
your fence low, by all means keep the
Asiatics; rs they can not fly like the
lighter birds. Fowls entirely free
from Asiatic blood lay best.
In these remarks We make no claim
to originality. We write to promote
the poultry interest; and chiefly for
the benefit Of the ladies, to whom we
would say much concerning the man
agement Of their fowls, II we knew
they would heed our instruction.
The age OF fowls claims notice. Too
often do breeders Kill n lnc, sturdy
cock, to give the range to % scarcely
maturcd one. Breeding from very
young birds cannot prove successful.
We have hen doing ta& duty, that is
more than eleven years old. some
suggestions will now be made to the
professionals
Gentlemen! Iou breed fine fowls
10 sell to "tanCiers' in the city and
farmers in the country. The variety
you recommend most IS the Plymouth
Rock-a Systematically bred monsrcI.
We. of the farm, require birds 10 lny
and set well, aud to grow rapidly and
be of fine size. Hence your recon-
mcndatlon OF tho PIymouihs. Mani.
testify, the strict non siitcrs arc not
the birds Tor Us; and we do not all OF
Us fancy the AslaIics.