The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-06
AGRICULTURAL


For Eggs Only"
To the novice about starting in poultry
keeping, and sometimes for the more or less
advanced breeder, it is essential to decide in
advance what object is proposed to be ac-
complished before the wisest decision can
be reached as to the breed or family to be
invested in. One man desires fowl good
for all purposes of breed from which he
can sell portion of his finest stock to other
breeders at fair prices which will furnish
stock for marketing when good prices can
be procured, and is also. good for egg-pro-
ducing and chicken-raising. This man
must select carefully, for only few breeds
fill these conditions. Another makes a
specially of early chickens for the market,
and his purpose is best met by large fowl
maturing early, of which the Houdan is a
good example; but the Houdan would not
answer the purposes of No. 1, as it is a non
sitter, and he must look elsewhere for moth
ers for his chickens. And whoever would
raise Houdan chicks must depend upon
hens with the incubating instinct or upon
the patented article, which unfortunately,
is not brought within the reach of breeders
OF ordinary means.
Another party-and this man is the rep
resentative of large class-desres the fowl
that will furnish him absolutely the most
eggs. Other qualities are of no special ac-
count, but the greatest number of dozens.
This man will unquestfonably find his "best
hold'' in the Leghorn family. With no dis
arrangement to the other good ''egg ma
Chimes" many of which have their ardent
champions, it seems established for the
purpose of egg-furnishing alone the Leg
horn must be regarded as standing at the
head. Of the various ub-breeds-black,
white, brown, Dominique-now know toour
Standard, and spangled, few of which are
bred, but OF yet recognized in this country,
We are not sure thai it would be Just to
designate any one as leading the others.
All are about alike excellent in this regard,
as We can affirm from personal observation.
And whoever has one branch of the family
is naturally apt to believe that none of the
others eau quite equal his own.
1t is a mistake to suppose, as many do,
that the egg of a LeghorD is necessarily a
small egg. OF course it will not equal in
bulk the egg produced by fowl three or
four times as large, but in proportion to the
bulk of its body the Leghorn, under proper
treatment, will yield eggs that are thorough
ly respectablein size; aud the only wonder
Is that when comparatively small bodies of
the fowls are taken inlo account they can
by any process Of nature produce the
weight of eggs yielded up every season dur
ing their period of usefulness.
Then, too flock of Leghorn fowls are
real beauties about any gentleman's place.
and no less arc md the cottage of the hum
blest laborer. To be sure they have not the
magnificent solidity of some of the larger
breeds, but solidity of bulk and magnitude
of size do not by any means CO stItute beau
ty. Neither have they the ornamental plu-
mage of the breeds whose greatest attrac-
tons are in feather. But there is no more
perfect black plumase than that of the
Black Leghorn, so whittier purer than that
of the white branch Of this family, while
the Brown Leghorn, cock and hen alike are
gifted by ature with a dress of beauty
which may well invite the careful study of
the most gifted artist. But his "style'' is
perhaps the principal glory of the Leghorn
cock of all varieties, and more wide
awake Independent, self-responsible appear
ing fellow it would be hard to fad in all the
family of Gallus. Look at him as he leads
his graceful lady companions in search of
the choicest worm or the most toothsome
bug. Admire the dignity, the pride, the
the grace with which every movement is at
tended. There is no affectation in the fell
low. You may think so at first sight, but
he is not dapper young gentleman pol
ished up for the occasion. Every move
ment is his own, is born with him, and will
be carried through his brief existence The
counterfeiting is not on his side; and as to
the young MAXWELL, we are not writing
about him now. 1t is no wonder that the
breeders of this variety grow enthusiastic
over their good qualities, and that the
thousands of owners far and near admire
their inherent beauty, while other thous-
ands, who probably never owned a pure
blooded fowl in their lives, point to their
best reproducing mongrels with emphatic
pride and assert that ''she's got Leghorn
blood in her. She's the best layer ever
saw!'-Am. Poultry Yard.