The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-10-08


cultivated and wild chestnuts have
been made and we are thus able to
compare the food value of this nut
with that of grains and other prod
ucts.
The "meat" of the chestnut gives a
better analysis than either corn or
wheat; that is to say, there is more
life sustaining food in a pound of
chestnuts than in pound of either of
these two grains.
1t is rich in fats and in protein.
The possibilities of an acre of land
planted to chestnut trees have never
been accurately given; we cannot tell
what might be considered an average
crop when the trees are properly cul-
tivated and tended. We believe,
however, that more digestible food fit
for either man or beast can be pro-
duced with less expense, from an acre
of American chestnuts, than from an
acre devoted to any other plant, and
it can be done on soils that are too
poor to support n respectable crop of
hay or grain. The stout roots of the
chestnut tree will force the soil to
yield fertility where weaker grass or
grain roots would be powerless.
We do not believe that human be-
ings are going to increase their con-
sumption of chestnuts to any great
extent within the next fifty years.
1t is as food for stock that its great
profit will be found. There are stock
feeding possibilities in the peanut and
chestnut that will some day revolu-
tionize American meat making and
give the dry, thin hillsides of New
England and the South fairer chance
in western corn fields.
NEW BREED OF FOWLS.
Mr.. II. S. Babcock, well known
fancier, tells what an ideal general
purpose fowl should be like. He says
it should be an American ideal, en-
bodying clean, yellow shanks and
skin, good table and laying qualities,
a pea comb and hardy constitution.
BY adding to the buff plumage he
claims the goal is reached where the
eve CT the fancier and the market
panterer is satisfied. In other words
he considers buff superior to white,
and it takes considerable argument to
prove the white less valuable than
the buff. We are, personally, very
much in love with the buff fowls, but
still consider the white of surprising
value rs dressed poultry. TO combine
in fowl feature that make it a
fancier's fowl and a market fowl par
excellence is q task well worthy of
the "Argonauts," for such is the
name of the new breed.
The Argonaut has pea comb and
clean yellow shanks, although occas-
ionally q chicken may appear with
willowy shanks. The plumage is
buff, with the exception Of the main
feathers on the wings and tail, which
show more or less black. The shape
of the Argonaut is claimed to be pc
culiarly its own. 1t seems to be a
symphony of Plymouth Rock,
and game, with a little
Dorking thrown in. The Argonauts
originated by crossing the Pea-combed
Plymouth Rock and the Crimson
Game.
This was the first cross, but not
proving satisfactory, a cross was made
with the Plymouth Rock, Indian and
Crimson Game.
The progeny of the different crosses
were bred together and better results
were obtained. But the final steps in
the building up of this breed We're
made when some towels were used
that are described as remnants of the
old fashioned, clean legged china, so
these Argonauts are a.mombination OF
Indian Game, Crimson Game, Pea
combed Plymouth Rocks and clean
limbed, old fashioned Buff Shanghias
and Cochins.