The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-11-20
HE BUSINESS HEN.


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Imported Fowls.
n. E. Leroy, . French Poultry
breeder, has written . work entitled LA
Poule Pratique''-th practical or bus
mess hen. The chief object of the book
appears to be to dissuade farmers and
others, who keep fowls for profit from
investing in the fancy breeds Of chickens.
especially those that originated in for
eign countries. He afiirms that few
breeds of fowls are profitable in places
remote from that where they originated.
He states that the Houdans are valuable
in the department Of France where they
have long been raised, for the reasons
that the incubator is there used for
Matching eggs, and that there is local
demand for chickens that furnish very
choice flesh. The Creve Occurs are pop
ular and valuable in Normandy, chiefly
because fine grass is plenty in that de-
partment of France. Taken TO most
other parts of the country, however,
they soon lose their characteristics and
become of very little value. The like,
he says, is true of the HOudans, which
have gone to many countries and been
welcomed by breeders on account of the
reputation they acquired in their native
home. The Dorking, which is the IA
vorite table fowl in England, he affirms,
dwindles in France and becomes q very
inferior bird. Fowls of either of these
breeds begin to deteriorate as soon as
they are taken to places having different
climatic conditions from that where they
have long been raised and where pc.
culiar practice is followed in breeding
them. To keep up any of these breeds
so that specimens are fit for exhibition it
is necessary to renew the blood by means
of fresh importations every two or three
years. He states that the Houdans are
essential pen fowls. They are great
eaters and are wanting in ability or en-
ergy to secure food for themselves.
They are of little value when the incu-
bator is not used for Matching purposes,
andare entirely unsuitable for the ordi-
nary farm.
The author of this work has no praise
to spend on the Brahmas, Cochins or
Japanese fowls. He admits that they
are very large, that they produce eggs
in proportion to the size of the birds
that lay them, and that they are good
sitters and careful mothers. But he re-
marks that when eggs are sold by the
dozen, instead of by weight, there is no
inducement for supplying the market
with those of very large size. He thinks
that incubatOrs are much cheaper than
hens for Matching eggs, and believes that
the time will soon come when they will
be in general use in all countries where
fowls are kept The flesh of all the
large breeds of fowls is coarse and lack
ing in flavor. 1t ranks below good beef
or prime mutton. The Langshan fowls,
in the estimation of this writer, rank
far above the Brahmas and Cochins.
Spanish hens are praised for producing
mary and large eggs. 1t is admitted
that most Spanish fowls are poor eating,
and that they are not suited to countries
having very cold climate. The Ham
burgs are spoken well of as layers,
though their eggs are SO small that few
like to eat them from the shell. The
fowls are easily kept, however, and
suited to the farm, and furnish very
good eating, especially when they are
young
NJ. Leroy recommends farmers to
keep the common barndoor fowls, Civ,
ing a preference to those raised near
where they are to be kept. He states
that they are hardy. require little care,
and are possessed Of ability to pick up
most of the food they require. They
devour grass and eat large numbers Of
insects. They do not wait to be fod in
the morning. Like the farmer who
owns them, they are in the field almost
as soon as it is light. They are indus
trious birds and attend strictly to bust
ness. They take exercise after the man
ner of wild birds, and are less liable to
disease than fancy fowls of the fashion
able breeds. The keeper of barndoor
fowls should exercise judgment in the
selection of birds to breed from. He
should preserve for breeding purposes
only the best specimens. Their blood
should be occasionally renovated by a
cross; the best cross is with the wild
Bankiva cock. If that can not be OBJ
tanned he recommends the Indian game
or large English game cock. These
birds insure hardness and vitality, as
well as fine eggs and delicious flesh. He
winds up his remarks by saying: 'In
the pen and the farm, for the Omelette
and the spit, there is but one hen. and
that is the barndoor. Chicago Times.
uNDERClOTHING.