Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-15
which are the Bestf

"a. A. H." of Bellows Falls says in the
Times in reference to tho best breed of fowls
II notice in your issue of December % an
article from the Rural Now-Yorker on the
best breeds of fowls, in which the writer
claims the Black IIamburgs and White Leg
horns to he the best for eggs, and the Ply
mouth Rocks and Light Brahmas the best for
market. l know it is natural for every one to
think his favoiite breed of fowls the best but
this is not conclusive evidence that it is so.
Ono man owns Il few Brahmas, and be thinks
they are the best another owns Leghorns-
they surely are the best still another has
fine flock of Plymouth Rocks, and every one
kaO3rS these are the very best. Perhaps none
of the parties ever bred any other kind but
their best breed. Now would to ask, How
do they know which are the best p
"There are Gj distinct breeds of fowls rec
ognized by the American standard of excel
lence. These are, of Bantams different
kinds, Brahmas 9 Cochins 8, Dorkings 3,
Games s. Hamburgs 6, Leghorns f. Polish s,
and 30 on.
"Now, hero is the experience of one of the
largest breeders in the state of New York, who
makes poultry breeding Il business, raising
eggs and early broilers for market, as well as
fancy poultry. Last year ho experimental
with some 30 of the so-called best breeds,
Mt the head for both eggs and early broilcrs,
and also for the table; Dark Brahmas, second;
Plymouth Rocks, third Wyandottes, fourth
He told me the Langshans beat them all for
eggs, and that he could get Langshan chick
up to one.ahd-a half and two pounds much
quicker than any of the other breeds.
81 have bred Plymouth Rocks, Brown Leg.
horns, and last season tried the Wyandottes,
but with me they did not do well and 1 sold
them. The Plymouth Rocks eat too much
and do not lay enough. The Leghorns are
wild; good summer layers, but very poor win
ter layers. Now have given them all up,
and shall breed only Langshans which 1, with
many others, call the best. My pullets COM
menced laying at less than four months old
they are very hardy, and good sitters and
mothers their chicks are strong and healthy
and capable of enduring very severe winter
weather As proof of this l will say that
last season | raised some splendid chicks that
were Matched the last of January, and have
at this date (Jau. l, 1880 some fine chicks
just from the shell. These were Matched in
the Matching house, under hens with no arti-
fetal heat, and with the mercury down to %
below zero out of doors ut times during the
three weeks of incubation and in such wealth
or old hens and pullets lay every day, regard
less of cold northeasters. while most of our
neighbors' hens are standing on one foot with
their heads under their wings, apparently
wondering if it will ever be summer while
their owners are paying 80 cents dozen for
eggs and grumbliug because their hens don't
lay"
We can never know what weight to give to
these expressions of favor for new breeds till
we learn whether the writer's have them for
sale at fancy prices. 1t appears that the New
Yorker is a dealer in fancy breeds but hen
is not necessarily unequal to her reputation
because parties may be interested in booming
her. The Langshan may be the coming bird ;
We cannot say positively till we have pair,
or ut least dozen eggs for trial.