Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-04-17

This industry Is also Well ueNeiopeo
in New England, particularly in East
ern Massachusetts, where there are
several ranches that produce from 10
600 to $4,000 ducks annually; two OF
the largest being located at South Eas-
ton and Wrentham. But Long Island
leads, Spoenk being the centre of the
greatest annual production. Fully
100000 green ducks" are grown each
season within a few miles of this little
village.
The three most prominent members
of the large poultry family in this
country are the Leghorns, the Wyan-
dottes and the Plymouth Rocks. The
LeGhorns are the eggtype. They are
long in body, light in weight and very
active. Their average frequently runs
rs high as 200 eggs per year to the
hen. Tie Wyandottes are strictly an
American production. They are short
in body plump, round and heavier
than Leghorns. They have full breast
development, have yellow legs and
skin and consequently show up well
when dressed. Their meat is tender.
has fine grain and good flavor, and
they are the ideal table fowl, either
as broilers, weighing from one-half
pound to a pound and a half, or as
roasters, weighing from three to five
pounds. The Plymouth Rocks are
very similar to the Wyandottes except
their bodies are longer and they will
weigh pound more at maturity. The
Barred Plymouth Rock is the great
American all-purpose bird; the kind
the farmer, the fancier and all swear
by. The Wyandotte is later breed,
and is fast growing in popularity, es-
pecially with breeders, but the old
stand-byes, the Barred Rocks, will
doubtless hold their supremacy for
many years.
The pigeon fanciers have kept pace
with the poultrymen, and the results
they have met with are wonderful.
They have given lis the gorgeous fam
tail, n little bird with tail big enough
to almost tilt its little body out of kill
ter. In the case of the fantail the
fanciers have simply bred to Il deform-
ity. The improved strain is simply a
line-bred monsrosity. Some fellow
found pigeon in his flock with tail
feather turned the wrong way. He
got the idea that bird with all its
tail feathers turned the wrong way
would be good thing. so he sought a
mate for his freak, paired them, and
the fantal was soon with us. Along
comes another fellow who thought he
would like to see Il pair with two rows
of feathers turned the wrong way.
We now have them with three rows,
and the end seems afar off. These
fantails have all the vanity of Solo
mon. In their coops they droop about
with very little show of life, but when
taken out they Immediately spread
their ample fans and strut about as
pompous as you please. When placed
in front Of Il mirror the big show takes
place. They try to outdo the image in
the glass, and the competition is some
thing laughable
AS Il close second to the fantail in
the way of a wonder comes the tum-
bier. There are two kinds, indoor and
outdoor tumblers. The parlor per-
formers will turn somersaults for you
in the most artistic manner possible.
The outdoor species will sail up in the
air several hundred feet and then fall
suddenly downward, turning over and
over as they come down.
They right themselves before they
reach the ground, soar skyward again
and perform the same astonishing gy-
rations until you tire of the perform
ance. The explanation of the tumbler
is simple. The breeder found crazy
bird, little fowl with an insane de-
sire to turn over continuously. He
bred the freak and brought forth the
clever tumbler.