Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-03-05

This oft mooted question arises up as reg
ularly as winter follows fall. To my mind
every breed has it's place and It is useless
and idle talk for any breeder to claim that
any one variety Is the breed par excellence for
everybody. But still some men have the
idea that they know all that is worth know
ing, and as a general thing the statements
they make are 10 manifestly partisan as to
render them useless as an argument read
in one of the poultry journals lately just
such an article. In il the writer asserted 1t to
be fact that the Wyandotte is the only
breed that is adapted to all countries, climates
aud conditions Nov, in my long experience
az a poultry breeder, l have handled proba-
bly, every variety that has ever gained any
prominence in America. l have handled at
least % breeds, and | have yet to End the
first one that nature has not made special
place and position for it to fill. Nature new
err makes mistake, and where breed IS de-
ficient in one point it makes up for it some
where else. Now let us look the breeds over
and try and find one that has got place laid
out for il somewhere. Let me commence
with the Plymouth Rock, a breed that is
probably bred pure about two to one Of any
other breed among the farmers Of the United
States and Canada. This breed is essentially
to my mind, az tneral utility fowl. 1t reaches
an average weight of four pounds in six to
eight months. It lays quite a number Of
eggs, and generally sells cent or two better
than the common market fowl.
Then comes lis likeness the Wyandotte, a
bird of very much the same quality both in
regard to eggs and weight, although its IN ark
| ings are much finer and the lacing is
more perfect. THIS breed is eventually,
| to my mind, to become the rival of
| of the Plymouth Rock as the farmers bird.
Th.,, 1ay a ooodly nup,har of agga and uroW
to a pretty good weight. The one great beau
ty of these two breeds lies in their early ma.
turity both az regards eggs and meat Then
come the Leghorns This breed does moi
mature so early in regard to flesh, but does
mature earlier for eggs. The laying of eggs
is the forte of this breed both in the brown
black and white. OF these think the brown
Leghorn the hardest, also the best layer.
This breed l should not think would do vel
in Canada owing to their large combs ant
wattles The brown Leghorns are most CON
mon. the black most scarce. This breed il
of the Spanish class. most of which are not
ed for their egg laying capacities. Others Of
this class are the Andalusians and the blacl
Spanish. These are both very good layers
and quite hardy. A long list might be mad,
of the many different vnrieties bred by on
or two fanciers, but they are not common.
The Cochins are breed that mature rathe
early although the young chicks incline l.
legginess The most hardy, think, is th
Partridge Cochin. Then come the buff, bacl
and white. The bluffs are much admired b.
large class of fanciers and farmers. Tn
Partridge Cochins are also well liked by
large number of fanciers and farmers, as ar
also the blacks and whites. The Langshan
also much admired by very large class @
farmers and fanciers as birds for crossing o
the common stock They give large size
which is very essential point to farmer
who breed poultry for market.
Another large breed which is much ad
mired for both size and egg laying qualitie
is the Brahma. Your correspondent ht
found the last season that this breed is b,
coming very popular among farmers, and e
pecislly Canadian farmers, as the large nun
Der which has been shipped there will test
fly. or these there are two varieties II
! light and dark Brahmss. The light variei
is much preferred by some, the dark by otl
ers. But of this more anon CdRddid
Breeder