Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-04
FARM AND ORCHARD.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT
BREEDS OF FOWLS.
The Incubator and the Brooder-KeeT
Up With the Procession Cheap
sugar-Farm Notes.

Mrs. E. P. Duden, of Lake House,
one of the most valued correspondents Of
the Farm and Orchard department of the
RECORD UNION, writes as follows in regard
to the different breeds of fowls;
sfOf the Cochins there are four varieties
the White, Buff, Black and Partridge
Cochin-all of which have the same ORR
gin, the Shanghai fowl. Thirty-fve or
forty years ago, when the Shanghai fowl
was first introduced into this country, they
created a great Juror in poultry circles
and commanded almost fabulous prices, a
single specimen bringing 500 in New
York. For a while much interest was
taken in the new fowl and pairs taken to
keep the breed pure. But they soon be-
came more plentiful and every farmer
could boast of more or less Shanghai chick
ems. But after being crossed and recrossed
with other varieties their identity was
nearly lost, though still retaining the large
size and feathered shanks. After a while
poultrymen became again interested and
picking out good specimens began breed
ing for color, and the result is the varieties
above named. The Partridge, Buff and
being II pounds. The Partridge and Buff
Cochin are, l think, the most handsome
1 cannot tell by experience much about
their good qualities, as | have bred them
but short time, but they are highly rec
commended by poultrymen.
"The White Plymouth Rock, a sport of
the barred variety, has become SO veil
established that it has been admitted into
the American standard of excellence
They possess all of the good qualities of
their barred relatives. They almost equal
the Leghorns for laying, and are not given
to being broody. Though not quite as
large as the barred variety they are of
good size, and look well when dressed for
the table 1t seems little odd that the
Plymouth Rocks should throw SO many
white sports when there was no white
blood in either of the birds that were
crossed to produce the Plymouth Rock l
have occasionally heard of black sport
Two years ago | had black chick among
my Plymouth Rocks. 1t proved to be a
pullet and on arriving at maturity was
perfect beauty, and Plymouth Rock in
every particular, excepting the color,
which was black as jet.
"White Wyandottes are also coming
into favor. White sports from the Wyan-
dotte does not seem so Strange, as the
White Cochin was one of the birds used
"The California Cdckler has the follow
ing: fOn October I'd, as the City of
Puebla outward bound for Victoria and
Puget Sound, was about twenty miles off
shore and fifty north of the Golden Gate,
a homing- pigeon, marked B. SIT, that
was lost in the race from the State Fair
In September, flew onto the rail of the
steamer in an exhausted condition. The
Purser, Mr.. Byers, caught it and took it
on to Victoria, and on his return took it
to his home in San Rafael and advertised
it in the San Francisco Examiner. H. H.
Carlton saw the advertisement and re-
ported to Mr.. Bayley the owner, and it is
now safely in his loft ="
THE INCUBATOR AND THE BRooDER.
The advantages supposed to be gained
by the use of an incubator are summarized
thus by writer in the Poultry Keeper
L. Ten times more eggs can be Matched
10y one machine, in the same length of
time, than by one hen; at the same time
requiring no more attention than the hen
2. 1t is an easier and more agreeable
job to turn the eggs and fill the lamp, daily,
of an incubator, than to lift a cross and
fussy hen from the nest, feed her and watch
that she return to duty at the proper time.
g. An incubator will not trample on
and break the eggs, as is nearly always the
case, more or less, with setting hen.
T. 1t is difficult matter to keep lice
and mites from attacking and multiplying
on the the setting hen, which is, to say the
least, source of great annoyance to the
hen. There is no chance for such state
of affairs in an incubator These little
pests won't terminate and grow fat on ash
or oak boards.
5. The inclination of an incubator to
become broody does not have to be con-
suited, as is the case with her great Amer
ican henship. Give it the eggs light the
lamp, and the machine is your obedient
servant for as long period as its services
are required.
s. The machine viii not become weak
or emaciated from overwork; and chicks
can thus be Matched out fer months at
stretch
z. There is more pleasure and fewer
vexatious trials in operating an incubator
than there is in steering to victory an OBJ
stinate an vicious hen.
The brooder is necessary annex to the
incubator, and its advantages are set forth
by the same writer as follows;
L. Snug and secure quarters are ever
ready for the Young chicks when taken
from the incubator.
2. Two hundred chicks can be handled
and cared for in one-tenth the time it
would require were they with hens.
5. The chicks can be fed more regu-
Iarly and much more evenly, and are less
liable to disease and accident; and raids
from vermin and snakes are impossible.
4. The chicks can be kept dry and
comfortable at all times, and this, too,
with one-fourth the attention necessary
were they running with hens.
5. 1t is almost impossible for lice and
mites to attack the chicks. for there is no
cause for parasites of this nature to get a
start.
6. Chicks reared in this way become
very docile, and consequently much easier
handled when they mature.
Z. There is FIVE times more pleasure at
tached to rearing chickens in brooder
than otherwise, and there is no induce
ment for the poulterer to fly off the handle
and perhaps say something mean.
These few suggestions are drawn from
practical experience and the universal YER
dict of those who have operated both in
cnbators and brooders for years and /
think they will be found, in the main, cor
rect.
CHEAP SUGAR.
We feel certain that sorghum sugar is
coming on and will soon be very important
element IN the market, cutting under all
trusts and monopolies. What with honey,
the maple and the naturalized Chinese
sugar plants, the ingenious people of North
America will work out their own salvation
on the question of sweets for domestic use
DIR. Peter Collins of the New York Exper-
imental Station says he believes that in
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