The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-12-17
FiIsM TOPICS.
The "Pfaotical or business Hen" far SUI
p7rior tn Fancy Brcods or Chickens-
,.. Thr Potato Crop.


How to Pr"par" this, Soil for Growing
RosrS-Excr;I"nt Advice To Growers
nf Young sock.
TIE BUSINESS HEN.
NJ. L. Leroy. Il French poultry
breeder, has written work entitlCd
'La Poule PractiQue, tho practical
or business hon. Tho chief object OF
the book appears 10 uc. TO dissuade
farmers and others, who keep fowls
for profit. from investing in the fancy
breeds of chickens, especially those
that originated in foreign countries.
llo ailirms that lew breeds of fowls
arc profitable in places remote from
that where they originated. He states
that the UOudauS arc valuable in tho
department of France where tLcv have
long boon raised, for the reasons that
tho incubator is thero used for hatch
ing eggs, and that there is local de-
mand for chickens that furnish very
choice tlcsh. The Crcvo CUurs arc
popular and valuable in Normandy.
chiefly bccausc i!nc grass is plenty in
that department of France. Taken
to most other parts of tho country,
however, they soon loso their charac-
tcrIsilcS and become Of very little
value Tho like, he says, is true of tho
HouuanS, which have ronu to other
countries and been welcomed bv
breeders on account of the reputation
they acquired in tGcir native home.
The Dorkinw, which is the favoritc ia
bic fowl in England, he firms, dwin-
0lcs in France and becomes very in
fcrcr bird. Fowls Of either of theso
breeds begin to dGtcriOratc as soon as
they arc taken 10 places having differ
cnt climatic conditions from that
where they have been long raised and
where Il peculiar practice is followed
III breeding them. 10 keep up any of
lErSH breeds 50 that specimens arc fit
Tor rNninii;oa it is necessary to renew
IL" b!ooi BY means OF fresh importa-
tlons every two or tnrru wears. He
states that the lloudius arc essential
PEN fowls. They are great caters and
arc wanting Ill ability or energy to So
care food for themselves. TLcy are of
little value when the incubator is not
used Tor Matching purposes, and are
entirely unsuitable for the ordinary
farm.
The author of this work has no
praise TO spend on tho Brahmas, Co.
chinS. or Japamcso fowls. He admits
ihat they arc very large, that they pro-
due" eggs in proportion to the sizo of
tie birds that lay them, and that thew
are good settlers and careful mothers.
But ho remarks that when crvs aro
sold by The dozen, instead of by wcioht,
there Is no induComcnt for SUPPLYING
the market with those Of very large
SIZE. lie thinks that incubators arc
much cheaper than hens for hatchipp
eggs, and believes that tho timo viii
soon come whom they will be in gen.
cral use IN all countries whore fowls
are Kept. Tho flesh of all tho large
breeds OF fowls is course and lackiny
Ill nlYor. 1t ranks below good beef or
prmc mutton. The Langshan fowls,
III the estimation of this writer, rank
lar above the Brahmas and Cochins.
Spanish lens are praised for produc-
ing many and large eggs 1t is ad-
mittcd that most Spanish fowls arc
poor eating, and that they arc not
suited TO countries having a very cold
climate. The uamburgs arc spoken
we'll OF RS layers, though their eggs
are so small that few like TO eat tho m
from the Shoil. The fowls are easily
kept, however, and suited to the farm.
and furnish very good eating, especial
~ when they arc young
M. Leroy recommends farmers to
keep the common barnd0or fowls, civ
ing preference to those raised near
wheio they arc TO DO Kept. He States
that they are hardy. require little care,
and arc possessed OF ability to pick up
most oi lno food they require. They
Gcv"ur %ra'S and cat large numbers of
lnSec,a. Ihcy do not wait to be fed in
tie morning. Like the farmer who
owns thcm, they arc in the field al
most rs soon as it is light. They arc
industrious birds and attend s,ricllv
to business. They fake exercise after
tho manner OF wild birds, ana are less
liable TO disease than fancy fowls of
thc'fashiOnablc breeds. Tho kopunr of
barndoor fowls should exercise iuGa-
mrnt IN The selection Of birds 10 breed
from. lie should prrScrva for brccc
lng purposes only the best specimens.
l her hlUoi should be occasionally rem
oVatcd by cross; tho best cross is
with the wild Bankiva cock. If that
can not b" obtained he recommends
the !ndi"n game or largo Englsh game
cock. ihcSr birds insure hardness
and Vi'aitv, rs well rs fine eggs and
delicious hv,A. lie winds M his re-
marEs by saying: "In the pm and tho
farm, for the Omclcllc and tho spit.
there is but ono Ecn, and that tho
"