Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-04-01
FARM TOPICS.
The aPracticai or Basiness Hen" fAr su'
perior to Fancy Breeds Of Chickens
Th. Potato Crop.


perior to Fancy Breeds of Chickens
The Potato Crop.
How to Prepare the Soil for Growing
Roses-ExceiientA Advice to Growers
Young Stock.
THE BUSINESS HEN.
M. Z. Leroy, a French poultry
breeder, has written work entitled
La Poule Practique, the practical
or business 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 foreign countries.
He affirms 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 hatch
ing eggs, and that there is a local de-
mand for chickens that furnish very
choice hesn. The Creve C9urs are
popular and valuable in Normandy,
chiefly because fine grass is plenty in
that department of France. Taken
to most other parts of the country,
however, they soon lose their charac-
teristics and become of very little
value. The like, he says, is true of the
Houdans, which have gone to other
Countries and been welcomed by
| breeders on account of the reputation
| they acquired in their native home.
The Dorking. which is the favorite Ia
bic fowl in England, he firms, dwin-
| ules in France and becomes very in
ferier bird. Fowls of either of these
| breeds begin to deteriorate as soon as
they are taken to places having differ
ent climatic conditions from that
where they have been long raised and
where peculiar 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 importa-
tions every two or three years. He
! states that the Houdans are essential
pen fowls. They are great eaters and
are wanting in ability or energy to Sc
cure food for themselves. They are of
little value when the incubator is not
used for hatching purposes, and are
entirely unsuitable for the ordinary
farm.
The author Of this work has no
praise to spend On the Brahmas, CO.
chins, or Japanese fowls. He admits
that they are very large, that they pro-
uncr eggs in proportion to the size of
the birds that lay them, and that they
are good settlers and careful mothers.
But he remarks 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
>lze. He thinks that incubators are
mucn cheaper than hens for Matching
eggs, and believes that the time will
soon come when they will be in gen.
erai Use IN ali countries where fowls
are kept. The flesh of all the large
breeds of fowls is course and lacking
IN flavor. 1t ranks below good beef or
prime mutton. The Langshan fowls,
in the estimation of tnis writer, rank
lar above the Brahmas and Cochins.
Spanish liens are praised for produc-
ing many aud large eggs. 1t is ad-
mitted that most Spanish fowls are
poor eating, and that they are not
suited to Countries having a very cold
climate. Tie Hamburgs are spoken
we'll of as layers, though their eggs
are so small that few like to eat the m
from the shell. The fowls are easily
kept, however, aud suited to The farm,
and furnish very good eating, especial
ly when they are young.
| Nj. Leroy recommends farmers to
keep the common barndoor fowls, Civ
ing preference to those raised near
where they are to be kept. He states
that they arc hardy reuuire little care
aud are possessed of ABILITY 10 pick up
most of the iood they require. They
devour grass an'i cat large mum bers of
insects. They do not wait to DC fed in
the morning. Like the farmer who
owns them, they are i'll the field al
most as soon as ii is light. They are
industrious birds and attend strictly
to business. They take exercise after
the manner of wild birds, and are less
liable to disease than fancy fowls of
J the fashionable breeds. The keeper of
barndoor fowls SHOULD exercise JUDI
ment in the selection of birds to breed
from. He should preserve for breed
ing purposes only the best specimens.
Their blood should be occasionally rem
ovated by cross; tho best cross is
with the wild Bankiva cock. Ii that
can not be obtained 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 re-
marks by saying: I'm the pen and the
, Iarm, for the omelette and the spit,
there is but one hen, and that the
barndoor."