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Ouest of the Leghorn.

CAMPBELL’S.

Rod AOR S.

GOPYRIGHT, 1880, BY F. H. AYRES.

THE

OC STEOk LAK KG HORN ;

A BOOK OF

Few THEORIES, Many Facts.

BY

Y
|g apt AYRES. o
\

HARTFORD, CONN::
MERCANTILE PRINTING HOUSE, NO. 245 MAIN STREET,
1880.

Tey EA

This little work makes no claim to special literary
merit, nor to interest, save that which must attach to
the mere recital of facts hitherto unknown to American
fanciers. We have aimed throughout to give facts and
let them stand without much help from _ preconceived
theories. As we would write to a friend the account of
what we learned, we have written for the inspection of

the poultry fraternity.

THE QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

I

) ftow THE Quest FAME jpRour.

The project of making a trip of over ten thousand miles,
for the sole purpose of ascertaining the existence, or non-ex-
istence of fowls of a certain type of domestic poultry, is an
entirely new departure in the annals of poultry culture. As
such it seems worthy of a few words of introduction; a sort
of reply to the “how came you so”’ of poultry breeders gen-
erally. /

The first impetus in the general plan which finally was
fulfilled in the voyage to Italy, came from the great poultry
show which was for a few days a feature of the Paris Exposi-
tion of 1878. At that time Mr. F. H. Corbin, of Newington,
was first becoming generally known through his “ Improved ”’
Plymouth Rock fowls ; and as we knew that he made poultry
breeding a business, the idea that he might join us, in the im-
portation of stock selected at this exhibition, very naturally
occurred. With this in view we made a trip to Newington
and had a conference with Mr. Corbin. The plan, however

6 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

failed to meet his approval and so, as there was no time for
the correspondence incident to interesting a number of fanciers.
the project dropped.

For nearly a year other business claimed our attention, but
with the summer of 1879 came a revival of the dormant idea,
under a little different form. At this time our little pamphlet
on “ The Leghorn” had been followed by two books on “Brown
Leghorns,” by H. H. Stoddard and C. R. Harker, and the in-J
terest in this favorite variety had been still farther heightened. 7
This seemed, then, the proper time for an effort for still greater
improvement, and so the “Poultry World” was called into¥
requisition to acquaint poultrymen with our design. This was
in August, and in our first modest card we spoke of importing
only Rose-Comb Leghorns. The inquiries for other varieties ©
were, however, so numerous that when the September “World”
came out we changed the announcement to the effect that]
orders for any known variety of Leghorn fowl would be taken ~
and filled, as nearly as circumstances would allow. Responses
to this last card were very prompt in making their appearance, —
and so ere the month was out we were on the Atlantic, bound —
east five thousand miles in quest of the Leghorn. E

Wat PEOPLE ] HOUGHT jprRoutr Jr.

It is interesting to note the opinions of the best informed —
breeders and we here give a sample from the American Poultry ©
Yard of what was said at the time of our going. Mr. Stod- p
dard, is we believe, more thoroughly posted on poultry matters —

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. ys

¥generally, than almost any other man in America, and this ed-
Hitorial notice represents the opinions of the most advanced
fanciers, prior to the trip. The article reads as follows:

we Nover -NTERPRISE,

“The value of importation lies, to a great extent, in a fea-
ture which has but little consideration with the majority of
‘breeders—the introduction of new blood in no degree related
ito that which has been longest bred in this country. Were
‘there no gain in any other way, could we procure no better
stock than we already have, on this ground alone the extra cost
‘of importation would be well repaid.

In view of this state of the case, it is strange that no one
has before taken the necessary steps to import fowls in quantity
‘from foreign sources. It seems to have been left for Mr. F.
1H. Ayres, of Mystic River, Conn., whose advertisement ap-
‘pearsin the August Poultry World, to put the machinery in
‘motion for doing this work thoroughly and in a business lke
‘way. Before giving notice of his plans, Mr. Ayres spent a con-
siderable time in ascertaining from shipmasters and others who
have visited the Mediterranean and Italian ports, the cost of
‘the fowls in their native countries, the rates of freight and
passage, and all other particulars of the task he had set before
himself.

_ This done, he was enabled to announce his intention of
bringing from Italy a large stock of Leghorn fowls of all
varieties, rose and single-combed.

8 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

+

Mr. Ayres’s plan—which now is assured—is to sail for Italy

«
Pi

about the roth of September, and after buying the stock which

}
i
M
t
X

4

is subscribed for, return at the earliest possible moment. Mr.

Ayres will accompany the fowls and give them his personal
care throughout the trip, till they are placed in the hands of the
express company. .

The fact that Mr. Ayres, unlike Captain Corcoran, is a good
sailor and never sea-sick, insures that care and attention for
lack of which so many birds suffer on sea voyages.

Such a chance to import stock of this variety will probably
not occur again in years; for though a non-fancier could be
commissoned to buy fowls, only a well-posted breeder can pur-
chase them to advantage.

On his return Mr. Ayres will publish a book under the
title of ‘ The Quest of the Leghorn,’ and detail all he saw to
interest poultrymen; and we may count on a very readable
and instructive work.

All who wish to obtain Rose-Comb, White or Brown Leg-
horns, or add fresh blood to their present stock, will do well to
communicate with Mr. Ayres at Mystic River, Conn.

We have given only the bare outlines of this project, and
all interested should write for further important particulars.”

Maxine J REPARATIONS,

Such was in brief, the history of this novel quest up to the
point of setting sail, but before the events we have so hastily
sketched could transpire a number of minor details needed

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. 9

attention. Before even the first announcement of the plan
could be made public, a comparison of the various ways of
getting to and from Italy, a reasonably close estimate of the
cost of fowls and their freight with due allowance for inci-
dental expenses must be told off. While searching for infor-
mation on these points we naturally kept a bright lookout for
any poultry stories from shipmasters who had been in the
Western ocean trade, and picked up a few items which we jot-
ted down in our note book as follows:

Notes RY HE Way.

‘Our experience in getting new and noteworthy- facts on
poultry matters generally began even before we left New York
for Europe. The vessel on which we had taken passage for
Marseilles was detained several days by bad weather and
meantime we one evening met Captain Curry of the bark
Lizzie Curry, which had two days before come into port. Nat-
urally the conversation turned on the novel purpose of our trip
and after some discussion the Captain spoke of the Mediter-
ranean trade in fowls and eggs. *‘‘ You probably have no idea,”
said he, “of the trade there is in these ports. Why at Vigo,
on the west coast of Spain, the steamers stop once or twice a
week for shipments of fowls and eggs. These days are known
as ‘steamer days,’ and the peasants come from far and near to
send their stock. You may be sure that the trade that calls
for the stoppage of two ocean steamers weekly is no trifle.”

2

i Ke) QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

The Captain went on to describe some magnificent lustrous |
black fowls that he had kept on board the vessel for months |
until finally they “caught cold, had swelled heads and died.” |
Our readers will recognize the handsome Black Spanish, and
the common enemy, roup.

This Captain Curry is the son of the master of the vessel }
in which we sailed. The senior captain has been. for eighteen
years a Mediterranean trader, and from him we also extracted
some bits of information on poultry topics.

Some eight years since he bought at Trieste, in Austria, a
cock in general shape “like the Shanghaes,” and gave him to a

brother captain living on Long Island, New York. For several |
years thereafter he saw the bird at the owner’s place, and from 4
year to year noted how the tone of the whole flock was being |
raised by this influence. In this case no special clean breeding |
was attempted but the potent power of utterly fresh blood left ~
to do its will, with results that show fully the value of such an |
occasional change.

Some fowls live to be old stagers in maritime experience,
as is seen by the fact that a “hen bought forthe taplespat
afterwards kept as a pet, lived a year and a half among all the
vicissitudes of weather and the changes of climate from New
York tothe ports of Southern France, again and again. ‘This
bird knew as well as any sailor when a barrel of spray was
coming on board, and would scuttle for shelter just in the nick |
of time. She had no regular nest but dropped her eggs at any*
convenient point where they could not roll away.

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. It

PROM New YORK TO MarsSEILLEs.

After some delay in New York we at last cast off our moor-
ings and under steam passed down the East river and the
| harbor and by noon we found ourselves outside the harbor
/with a light south-westerly wind. This continued for four
| days, and then the breeze strengthened materially and we ran
to the Azores, or Western Islands, about twenty-five hundred
| miles in fourteen days. Here we lay well-nigh becalmed for a
! week and did not finally reach the straits of Gibraltar till the
thirtieth day out. From this point land was in sight all
the way as we coasted along about fifteen miles from the Span-
ish coast tillSpain touched France. Here under Cape Sebastian,
| with the monastery in which Queen Isabella took refuge in
| full sight, we lay for eleven days in a gale of wind. But all
things come to an end, and so the evening of November 24th
| saw us at anchor in the harbor at Marseilles after an unusually
; long passage, due chiefly to heavy weather. |

JHE MaRrSEILLES Zoo.

On landing in Marseilles we first sought a hotel where Eng-
lish was understood and were fortunate enough to stumble
| directly upon the American consul, Mr. Gould, to whom we
had letters from a mutual friend. Through his unwearied
kindness we were enable to see much of the old city, which
would escape the eye of a stranger, and in various ways pass
| pleasantly the three days which intervened between our arrival

12 OGES TE OF AE 2lE GHORN:

and the sailing of the steamer for Leghorn. We do not pur-¥
pose to inflict on our readers any recapitulation of the stand-—
ard recitals of the guide books and letter writing travelers,
but limit our recital to the fowls seen at the Zoological Garden.

The garden lies back of the city on the crown of a high
hill, and is accessible from two sides. - At the main entrance
we face the artificial falls supplied by jets from the mouths of
gigantic bulls, carved in stone, which he with raised heads in
front of the stone building through which access is had to the
main grounds, Passing through into the main garden which
occupies the crest of the hill we found a number of smooth
walks and rustic seats, and in the open spaces flower beds and _
shrubs ; in fact very much such a garden, to our non-horticul-_
tural-eye, as may be seenin any of our American cities. In
good weather this place was undoubtedly, as with us, a resting”
place for the aged and invalids and a lounge for children and
their nurses. But when we saw it a raw wind was blowing
and the benches were tenanted only by a few old men of a_
seml-official appearance. ‘The wind did not linger about the
place but hurried by to the southward in quest of a better cli-
mate, so we followed suit and turned to the nght into» theg
space appropriated for live stock.

The cages were covered with wire netting, and were about
ten feet square. At the back were little red houses. -Im the
first pen were White pea fowl, some of them very fine, and
among them a cock, with red ears and greenish black legs, that
bore quite a strong resemblance to a Brown Leghorn. A small
B. B. R. Game hen was running about.

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. LS

In the second pen were a number of White Pheasants of
the size common here, and an immense cock bird, of the same
variety, that stood head and shoulders above the rest and
would weigh as much as any two of them. Running with the
pheasants was what looked hke a rumpless White Leghorn; a
fowl with perfect Plymouth Rock shape and plumage but also
-rumpless, and a big black rumpless cock with feathered legs, a
‘crest nearly four inches high and a thick beard. Over this
| coop hung the label “ Chine.”

In the third cage was a bird of the shape and carriage of a
| Hamburg. His comb was rose, his hackle a light yellow ; the
rest of his plumage a light yellowish brown with a bar of
| darker color on the wings. ‘This fellow had blue legs and half
| white ear-lobes. The fourth section contained Japanese Ban-
| tams, and to the front was attached the label, “Coq et poules
| blanc, Nangasaki, Japan.” ‘These birds were much too heavy
for any fancier’s idea, and had both red or scarlet and yellow
legs, four point combs and black tails.

In the next coop was a huge /zvk fellow like an exaggerated

i heron. Affixed to the wire of the cage was the legend “Ibis
| rouges, Para.” In color this bird was what we have described
| him fv, not red or any other color, but pink.

. Under the title of “Coq et poules de*Bentam, Argentes,
| Java,” were some fowls in plumage very much like the S. S.
Hamburgs. They were about half the size of the Hamburgs
|. and had red ear-lobes. The cock’s breast was white and those
| of the hens yellowish. In the next was a more interesting
display. “Faisans de Mongolie” said the placard. These

I4 QUEST, OF THE LEGHORANG

birds were unlike any pheasant we have seen; they were
something like a Ring Neck Golden Pheasant, had long white
stripes over the eye like lengthened human eyebrows. The |}
top of the head was dove color and the breast a deep cinna-
mon or cherry brown, wings cinnamon. Taken altogether
they were the handsomest pheasants we had ever seen.

The Australian stock came next and consisted of a pen of
Sultans. The cock showed a red face and enormous white ear- -
lobes while the hens sported black faces and small white ear-
lobes. Rose combs were seen on both sexes. The Golden
Polish, Silver Polish and Mottled Polish came next but were
not specially noticeable. In the same pen with a fine collection
of California quails was a thing unlike any other creation of
the fowl sort we have noticed. In general construction it is a
crow but somehow a few bright green feathers show them-
selves on each side. It looks much as if a painter had used a_
trifle of window-blind paint to bedevil the bird, or perchance
a dyer had tried a new dye on him. How such a queer sight
was brought about our very faulty French prevented our
ascertaining,

The next coop held some White Hela Turkeys fully
up to the Standard requirements of the American breeder.
Passing downward through the grounds we came upon a
‘““Grue Couronneblette” with a crown of spike-like feathers
standing stiffly up from the head, and having intense cardinal
colored tail and wing-bars. His height was about three feet,
‘sides white, neck ash color, and his face or ear-lobes white on
the upper half and red below.

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. 15

i
i

Passing on, oir notes speak of Buff Cochins of the Eng-
lish types, good but small, and Muscovy Ducks, with other
“specimens of no special note.

_ Atthe pond were ducks and swans in great profusion.
Among them were the splendidly colored Wood Ducks of our
own States and the rare Mandarins, with both of which recent
-chromos issued by the Poultry World have made our readers
familiar. But the sprighthest of all was a variety, about half
the size of a Rouen, having a magnificent brown “ Bismarck.”
vhead, with white tail coverts, and a general cinnamon color
-throughout. Sleeping on the shore were other ducks of the

‘same general style as the one just described but with whitish
yellow heads, and of greater size. In the same inclosure, was
|a White Crane with jet black legs, and a sort ot Guinea fowl
| we had never previously seen ; the neck a bright blue with a
brown ruff all round, a clean white stripe on each feather and
/an azure blue breast. It was described as a “ Pintado Vultur-
Ine,” and credited to Zanzibar.

Of the French class of domestic fowls there was a good
| showing, one old cock—a Creve Ccoeur—weighing, as near as
we could guess, nine pounds. There was also a showing of
Brahmas of the English type, but nothing worth notice.

We wound up our saunter through the grounds by an in-
spection of the ostrich and emu in adjoining pens. This latter
fellow stands about three feet high and has a dirty brown
_ plumage parted down the back like the back hair of a Bowery
swell. He is rumpless, and has a short and very heavy tri-
angular black bill.

16 OUEST OF THE LEGCHORN:

The Marseilles Zoo is well filled and with a good variety —
of stock and yet as we turned from the gate to wend our way
to the hotel we felt like the boy, there was “lots of news but
nothing to holler.”

GENOA.

On the night succeeding our trip to the Zoological Gar- —
dens we embarked for Leghorn on the steamer Enna and the ©
next noon entered the harbor of Genoa. On all sides Genoa |
rises from its semicircular harbor; to say that it les at the base
of a mountain would be incorrect, for it is on the mountain
and rises steeply everywhere. Its streets are the perpendicular —
ways of a nightmare, and run upward till they in many instan-
ces “can no more” and halt at the base of a perpendicular
rock wall. At various points the grade is so sharp that stair-
ways replace the sidewalks; at others the roofs of houses on
opposite sides of the way fairly shut out the light and lack but
one or two feet of touching.

Our stay here was too brief to admit of anything but the
most cursory look for fowls, but we inspected quite a number
that were offered for sale in wicker baskets slung to the should-
ers of strapping peasants. As these birds were mostly capons
and had the peculiar plumage of their kind, little could be
judged from them of the character of the stock we should
ultimately find. The next day we again weighed anchor and }
the following morning were lying in the outer mole at Leghorn.
Here we took leave of the courteous Captain Guisippe Graf,

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. i?

whose knowledge of English had made our trip very pleasant,
and went through a drizzling rain to the custom house.

LL EGHORN.

Our first impression of this city which we had so long
desired to reach, was hardly pleasant, but ere the three weeks
spent there had passed away, we had learned to tolerate it ;
not much more however, for it 1s in winter one of the most
comfortless of cities. Imagine a place of nearly one hundred
thousand inhabitants, without stoves or any effectual means of
heating. And this too when the thermometer is often read at
twenty degrees above zero. The houses are of stone with
brick or stone floors and in the majority of cases carpetless.
Some pampered people indulge in a strip of carpet three feet
long and a foot wide at the bed-side, but this is seemingly con-
sidered a token of a weak yielding to foreign ideas and is not
encouraged. To people of American ideas Leghorn is a good
place—to leave.

But our mission was not to growl at the utter absence of
sunny skies and balmy winds, but to get our live stock and re-
treat as soon as possible. Our first acquaintance was with the
house of F. Cibo & Co., who handle all the American vessels
that come to Leghorn and are proficient in the English tongue
that sounds so grateful to the traveler oflittle French and no
Italian worth mentioning. From these gentlemen we received
the most material aid, for not only did they furnish us one of
their men as interpreter but on numerous occasions the senior

18 QUEST [OF THE, LEGHORN:

*

owner gave us his time and care 1n our business transactions.
With his assistance we were enabled to describe what we sought
to the dealers and obtained better terms than would readily —
have been accorded.

For the benefit of the uninitiated we remark here that the
work of such a house as we have described is comprehensive.
When a vessel comes into the harbor one of ‘the firm boards
her and pilots her to her moorings. Their boats he alongside
at all hours and will execute any commissions. ‘The provisions
of all sorts are ordered through them and no matter what the
demand they always find means to fill it, whether a roast is
wanted for the galley or a shawl for the captain’s wife; or a
trip to Pisa is planned. When we reflect that all the time when
our trips to the market occupied half a day, these other avoca-
tions must be steadily carried out, it 1s possible to comprehend
the extent of the unrewarded politeness extended us on the
strength of our nationality and a simple letter of introduction.

These matters we have detailed as a part and parcel of the
incidents of our trip and also because they throw light on the
conditions under which we worked.

|) HE Market.

Around Leghorn are built massive stone walls, through
which are numerous gates. At each gate is a force of soldiers
of the customs department, whose duty it is to see that noth-
ing subject to the consumption tax levied on all food that
enters the city, is brought in free. On account of this duty,

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN, 19

which applies as much to live fowls as a flask of wine, the
market where fowls are collected stands outside the gates.
When poultry is shipped from the harbor it must pass in at one
gate and out at the opposite one on the harbor side, but by
the payment of a small fee a guard can be procured to see the
birds outside the city limits, when no tax is levied.

_ The market is a brick building. In the front are hampers
made of round sticks and about four and a half feet long by
three wide and one deep. In a hamper of this sort as many
_as seventy-five or a hundred fowls are sent a three days’ jour-
ney. The hampers are piled one above another, and the men
in charge make nothing of sliding a fresh one on the top of
one bristling with heads stretched up through the slats. The
hamper goes on with a crash, and the novice looks for broken-
| necked hens, but he never finds one.

ow JHE Market WorKS,

The proprietor of this market explained to us that he had
_hand-carts out in all directions for the purpose of collecting
fowls. Many of these carts do not go more than fifty miles from
home, but occasionally they extend their trips as far as the
_ Adriatic on the opposite side of Italy and southward as far as
Rome, one hundred miles away. Fowls thus collected are
_ brought to the market, or magazine, and there held to wait the
day when the steamer carries them to Marseilles. Steamer
days are Tuesdays and Saturdays. On these days a train of
drays piled high with crates of poultry are sent under guard

20 QUEST OL THE VEG HORN:

through the town. One dray carries about fifteen crates and
the line generally comprises from five to six or seven drays.

It will readily be seen from this that the market if visited
early in the morning of steamer days gives a pretty full dis-
play of all varieties of poultry to be found in a radius of fifty
miles from the city. It was our practice to go out on these
days and look over all the stock. Whatever we selected was —
placed one side and reserved for us. In this way we reserved
for closer inspection many samples that finally were rejected
and let go with the rest to market.

It is a proof of the strong hold of the shape which we
call peculiar to the Leghorn breed, that in the thousands of
fowls we examined very few differed materially from this style.
Occasionally a bird may be seen that is a little more Dorking
shaped than the others but it is usually found on examination
to be an old hen.

ARM Owe TPR en
farm PP R

There 1s probable no country in which farmers make such a
business of raising poultry as in Italy. Back of Leghorn the
land is very flat for nearly twenty miles. Through this country
run numerous canals fed by the river Arno which connects
Florence and Leghorn. The land though nearly as flat as an
American salt-hay meadow is about seven feet above the water.
From Leghorn a broad, well macadamized road runs north-
east to the old town of Pisa. On each side of this road
throughout its entire length are vineyards, whose vines in sum-

QUBS OP Shh, Jeb C ORIN, 21

mer cover the ground between the lines of supports at their
roots. At about even distances from each other are square
massive houses, and about the doorways of each house are
from fifty to two hundred fowls. Few people who have not
kept poultry in quite large numbers can imagine the appearance
of a line of houses each so compassed about.

It was our practice to go with an interpreter outside the
walls and carefully look over all the fowls we saw upon our
route. A sample excursion was one along this Pisa road, made
a few days before our departure. Starting with a cab and
Harry, who has piloted many an American on cruises of great-
er or less length into the country, we began just outside the

agate. Quite a promising flock of fowls were scattered about
and we were soon in their midst, and the center of a staring
crowd of peasants. On our purpose being explained there
was first a decided refusal to part with any of their pets. Next
came a decisign to let some go at a price corresponding to the
supposed wealth and infatuation of a man who came in a cab
to buy poultry. Finally after much talk and interpreting we left
and walked across the way to see the stock of the next man.

Here nearly the same palaver had to be gone through and
as we at last were getting into the cab, the first party shouted
out that we might have the birds that we had been looking at.
This is merely a sample of the routine that must be gone
through if one would select the birds he wa::ts from the parties
who bred them. With the proprietor of the market, however,
no such “dickering”’ is of use, for the price originally given
was the only one we ever could obtair.

22, QUEST OF THE .LEGCHORN:

PRICE OF P OWLS.

‘The market price of fowls varies at special seasons of the —
year for a short time, but in the main is very uniform. So¥
much is this the case that the price quoted to us by parties —
who had been in Leghorn five years before were the figures 7
when we arrived and during the time of our stay. In capons¥
indeed there is more variation, and at certain celebrations when
it is the rule that everyone should eat capon, the prices run to a |
high figure. At times extra large capons have been sold, we §
were informed, for as much as four or five dollars and not in- §
frequently eight or ten francs is charged. When we learn that |
the steady wholesale market rate for common fowls is from two |
and a half francs for young, to three francs for old es the

value placed on extra nicety is seen.

This idea of charging less for a young and tender pullet
than for an old hen is one that might suit a typical boarding”
house keeper, but seem a little queer to the general reader.

FOOD pon Fowxs.

The universal food for farm poultry seems to be corn. §
This corn is utterly unlike the large kerneled red corn which is
raised on our western farms, and more resembles the white |
variety of pop-corn common in New England. This was of
course the principal food of the stock we brought across, though ©
we supplemented the diet with potato skins, and half a barrel
of white meal that had become damaged. It was rather ludi- @

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. 23

crous to see the surprise of the birds, when on reaching Balti-

more, a supply of the large, red Western corn was thrown to
them. It did not take them long, however, to decide that red

corn was just as good as any other.

The refuse from the house, which we save and give our
feathered stock, is in Italy left anywhere it is handiest and
the fowls, which have the range of the house as well as the
grounds, help themselves’. In summer the fowls probably do
good in destroying the various insects which attack the vines,
but as our visit occurred during the winter we saw nothing of

m this.

PN PLp TORY.

Since returning from Italy we have been constantly on the
gui vive for any information that might lead to the explanation

of the fact that Rose Comb Leghorns were among the first im-

ported to Mystic River, Conn. At the time of our trip it
seemed that we had definitely ascertained that such was the
(case. But the “bottom facts” were still a step off. This we

learned but a short time ago through Mr. George Burrows who

was the possessor of the first lot of Leghorns. His story is
_ substantially as follows :

“IT remember well the first lot of Leghorns that were
brought to Mystic ; there were three of them, a cock and two
‘hens, but on the passage the cock died. Mr. Albert Stark
and I were at that time in the ‘hen business’ and we took the
fowls off the vessel lying right down here at St. Jago wharf.

24 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

(St. Jago is a tract lying near the river and the wharf was at
one time crowded with the shipping that made Mystic famous.)
As we had no cock to put with the hens we did not know what
to do, but, finally, hearing of a Mr. Baker in New Jersey who
had Leghorn fowls—or as they were then called Andalusians—
we sent fora cock. When he came we found he had a fine

Rose Comb. This feature has cropped out in the original
Mystic stock to this day.’ At this point we tried to ascertain
why the old Leghorns were called Andalusians when Andalusia
is a part of Spain and a long way from Italy but could elicit |
nothing but that the fowls since called Leghorns were at first |
called Andalusians. |

JOSE fomss. | |

From this it will be seen that provided the cock sold by |
this New Jersey Mr. Barber was from Leghorn—as there is no-
reason to disbelieve he was—the purity of Rose Comb Leg-=¥|
horn is as fully established as that of the single comb variety ;_
and breeders of Rose Comb stock are as justly entitled to the
admission of their fowls into the list of Standard birds as any
others. This is of course provided the markings are such as)
would be accepted as those of a Standard Single Comb Brown
Leghorn and the only difference is in the comb. Until a like:
plumage and equally certain reproduction can be attained we
cannot, of course claim as high, honors for them as for the?
single comb stock.

That we may rationally ask for a change in the Standara, .

OUEST OF THE LEGHORN:. 25

to include the Rose Combs there is little doubt, though we
‘must acknowledge that in our own breeding and in the experi-
ence of others they do not breeds quite as true as the single
combs. Years of neglect and the killing of Rose Comb birds
‘as culls have naturally put back their development in fine
markings or rather stopped them on the progressive scale on
which they were being raised. But the genuine material is still
there and can in a short time, now the attention of poultry
breeders generally has been called to the question, be worked
into uniform appearance.

On the matter of the occasional cropping out of Rose
| Combs we had proof in a bird we own ourselves which is full
‘brother to a single comb Leghorn cock, yet has a heavy Rose
Comb and throws about sixty per cent. of Rose Comb chicks.

JXMERICAN JOSE CoMBs,

That the Rose Comb Leghorn is essentially an American
bird there can, from our observation abroad, be little question.
As many fanciers are aware, the first impetus of the importa-
tion scheme arose from the desire of the writer to obtain im-
ported stock of this variety. Hence when the field of action
was at length reached the first inquiries were for Rose Comb
birds. These inquiries met with no success. The friend to
whom we applied had never heard of any such thing as a
_ double or Rose Comb fowl but the dealers might know of such
birds. ‘lhe dealers were in turn questioned and the result was
the same ; they had never seen them. Here was a nice situa-

a

oO

26 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

tion for one who had traveled so many thousand miles with the |

vision of splendid Rose Comb Brown and White Leghorns

constantly before nis eyes. Still we could not give up the idea

that somewhere in our search for stock we should stumble on |

a Rose Comb of some sort, Our ideas had collapsed consid-
erably and we no longer expected splendid plumage, and
would have gladly accepted a fowl that could be bred to
feather by a couple of years of care. Rose Comb stock cer-
tainly had existed in Italy (and presumably in Leghorn or
near it) thirty years ago and why not now. So we watched the
market and took walks and rides outside of the city, stopping

at every house where fowls were kept and inspecting stock, but |

always with the same results—no Rose Combs.

As may be imagined this dearth of the variety we person-_

ally were most interested in caused a great amount of specula- |

tion as to why the Rose-Comb had become extinct.

It was after a residence of nearly two weeks in Leghorn that

a glimmering of the truth first occurred to us. Wewere dining
with an Italian friend and as a breast of capon was served we
noted a sauce containing little dice of pullets’ combs. The

secret was solved. Single combs are the only ones that would

permit of such usage, and as all poultry in Italy is apparently

bred for the market, the demand for edible combs is met by the
exclusive rearing of single-comb stock. |

|
|
|

QUEST, OF THE LEGHORN. 27

. RECENT PEGHORN ] MPORTATIONS.

®We have recently noticed the advertisements of many par-
ties who claim the possession of Rose-comb stock recently
imported from Italy. That such an importation is impossible
we should be very sorry to say, for though we have devoted
our best energies to the discovery of Rose-combs our result is
but a negative one, logically speaking. About Leghorn we
feel sure, but of the country on the French borders we have
little knowledge, though we examined the pcultry of Genoa.
It is possible, of course, that in the mountains of the border
may be found Rose-comb birds of some sort. As all know, the

characteristic of all French breeds is a heavy, a very heavy

comb, and just as the inhabitants of any border ground par-
take of the character of both nations, and speak a mixed
language, unintelligible alike to the French from Paris, or the
Italian from Leghorn or Rome, breeds may be mixed in form.

This is, however, a supposition, whose truth may never be

) proved. From our own observation nothing seems more prob-
| able than that single-combs are universal throughout Italy.

RED LEGHORNS.

From the time that the name Leghorn was first applied to
the fowls brought to Mystic, the epithet Red was also used.
As a description of the original stock, in the male birds, as well

as of the males now to be found in Leghorn it is far more ap-
plicable than the word Brown which the change in the fowl

28 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

has made necessary. In the adult males to be seen in the:
market at Leghorn, and in the flocks which can be seen at
every house on the Pisa road, red is the color. On backs, tail-
coverts and wings, it predominates, and is even found in the,
hackle to a greater extent than in any American strains. On
the wing the steely blue bar which is so strongly marked in our!

best fowls is wanting either in part or wholly.

In the hens something of an approximation to the regular:
plumage of this variety is to be seen, but the back shows large:
half circles of lighter color, like the plumage of a Partridge:
Cochin hen. Were this all, the birds might readily enough be

bred into our strains with marked advantage on the score off
fertility, but their legs are an insuperable bar to their use in
any such way, for they vary from greenish black to lighter
willow. It is not by any means an impossibility to get yellow-!
legged fowls but in getting yellow legs we lose in plumage.)
The existence of a willow leg on a fowl! of this variety will be:

a matter of great surprise to almost any fancier who has
watched the course of breeding Brown Leghorns for some.
time. A black or willow leg has long been thought proof posi-
tive of impure blood; a reversion to some Black Breasted Red
Game ancestor, and older fanciers have again and again im-
pressed inquirers with the ruling that willow legs meant mon-,
grel stock, inevitably. To a certain extent this is true; rever-
sion will seldom overleap to the original characteristics after so
many years of care. Yet we feel a spice less of certainty in
the absolute truth of the law we in common with others have.

laid down. As the old lady said “‘seeing is believing” and the:

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. 29

Pwillow leg on a “ Red” Leghorn hen in Italy, has stared us in
the face too often to be readily forgotten.

WHITE LLEGHORNS.

We have spent much time in wondering how White Leg-
horns came first to be brought to the United States. Of their
first arrival but little is known, or rather but little has been
B written. That they are the rarest of all fowls in Tuscany is
) the fact, at present. Even the Dominiques of which we suc-
ceeded in finding but six, all told, are as plentiful as the whites ;
~and more so. - In the market we never saw a pure white fowl
of any sort. Whites with an occasional black flight feather
were seen rarely, but a pure white never. On one occasion we
certainly thought we had found a donanza, at a house about
two miles from Leghorn,: for there were two or three white
fowls in the flock. We halted immediately and with our inter-
preter instituted a search, but only to find that the cock—a
‘splendid shaped fellow—had red ear-lobes and some leg
feathering ; or rather stumps of feathers in his legs. In ad-
dition to these “outs”’ we perceived on close examination that
‘the feathers of the saddle ended in small light yellow spangles.
We passed on.

PLAcK LEGHORNS.

The black fowl is par excellence the favorite fowl in Italy.
‘This can hardly be more of a surprise to our readers than it

30 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

w .

was to the writer. With the exception of one flock of Blacks, |
of quite recent importation, there were, as far as we knew,,
very few fowls of this variety in the hands of American poultry |
fanciers. Black Leghorns had been made—and very cleverly |
too—from the sports of Dominique Leghorns. It may not be)

generally known that Dominique Leghorns throw black sports,
from time to time, just as the Plymouth Rocks do, but not

with any such frequency. These sports if bred together will
in time produce a gentine breed of Black Leghorns, true Leg-

horn in every particular. With these birds, however, we have | |

little to do in considering the Black Leghorn as found in its |

native haunts.

It may give a better idea of the prevalence of black over)
all other colors combined, in the birds to be seen by the)
thousand just outside the gates of Leghorn, if we state that

nine out of every ten are jet black without admixture of any

other color. It may naturally be asked how if Blacks are so}

common the first importations were of Browns and Whites.
For this. we can assign two causes. First the Browns and
Whites may have been brought, as rarities as well in Italy as in

this country. Secondly that the character of the poultry of a’

|
1

country changes with the varying course of commerce and the |

consequent demand.

We need but look at the immense disparity between the —

fowls of America, now common and those of a quarter century

back to see this. At the time we speak of, though them

Bramah-pootras and Leghorns were known to a few, their

influence on the common stock was as yet wz.

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN: gr

Time, which has so interweaved the blood of Asiatic and
-Leghorn with the ordinary barn-yard fowl that you may now
cruise the whole day long and never see a single specimen of
the old-style bird, has been busy on one side of the world as
well as on the other. Though the poultry of Tuscany has
been subjected to no such systematic training for specific ends,
it must, perforce of altered circumstances, have suffered some
modification. Hence to-day, in the section whence came once
Brown and White fowls, the Black reigns well nigh unrivaled.

FPARLIER ] MPORTATIONS OF PLACKS.

We have visited Mr. Reed Watson at his fine fruit farm of
forty acres, at East Windsor Hill, Conn., since our return, and
spent a day very enjoyably. To him must be given the credit
of being the first to introduce and breed Black Leghorns in
this country. He has been a continuous importer and breeder
since 1871. In 1876 he got, from Leghorn, by his brother-in-
law, Captain Tapley, who is well posted on poultry, a trio, cock
and two hens; and in 1878 two cocks and four hens—the last
giving the largest percent. of good chicks.
We had known Mr. Watson for some years and had heard
of his noted flock, but we were not prepared to see so fine a
display. In anticipation of the change in the Standard to
“Black or nearly so” he has bred to that ideal the past season.
Mr. Stoddard speaks, in the Poultry World of May, 1879,
as follows :
“Black Leghorns were introduced into this country in the

32 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

fall of 1871,by Mr, Reed“Watson, of East Windsor Hill, Conn. |
In 1876 he made another importation more satisfactory in
result. In 1878 he got from Italy a cock near to perfection, |
from which he bred a fine flock—the best he ever had. We.
visited at his farm in the fall, and congratulated him on his |
success ; and were so much pleased with the high character of |
his stock that we obtained a drawing, and produced a chromo |
representing birds from his last importation. |

He deserves and should receive commendation for the per- |
severance and persistence he has manifested in bringing this |
breed to such perfection. Mr. Watson has sold large numbers |
of this breed, and has thousands of letters relating to them, in |
many of which are expressions of satisfaction and praise of |
his birds. In laying qualities, vigor, hardiness, ease of raising |
and beauty, they can hardly be excelled, and should be more |
extensively introduced in the yards of fanciers and others who |
keep poultry. They are highly valued by those who have bred |
them continuously.”

Pec CoLor IN Brack LEGHORNS.

The recent convention of the A. P. A. at Indianapolis
caused the section relating to the color of the leg in Black
Leghorns to read “black or nearly so.” When we left this
country the Standard read “ black or yellowish black in front.”
This does not specify the color of any part of the shank except
the front, but gives the impression that yellowish black is the
color elsewhere. With the knowledge that a vigorous attempt —

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. a3
to change the Standard to read “yellow” instead of “ yellowish
_ black,” would probably be made at Indianapolis, we sought
| with great care to get yellow legged birds. In this, however,
_we had little success, though in a few cases we obtained speci-
mens with a flesh colored or light yellow leg. In the majority
of cases the yellowish black or black prevailed.. That this is
the natural color there can be little doubt, but we feel sure
that, sooner or later, the fancy which demands a clean yellow
leg on many of our black fowls will bring about a change in
the Black Leghorns. Still this.is probably a thing of several
_ years hence, for some one must first get a flock of yellow-legged
_ birds of this variety. A small number of yellow-legged birds
might, with care, be selected in Leghorn, and from them a
large number of chicks reared, and a strain with this distin-
guishing characteristic established.

Mr. Watson to whose flock we have already referred, dis-

sented strongly from the views we have expressed above, and
stated that he had tried for years to create a strain of this sort

* but without success, as yellow-legged birds almost always
threw the yellow leg with a touch of white in the plumage.
However, we do not give up hopes that some time in the not
distant future such a flock can be established.

We are bound, however, in fairness to our readers to say,
that the black fowls with clear yellow legs, in Leghorn, were
almost all spoiled by a white spangle somewhere in their plum-
age.

34 QUEST OF THE-LEGHORN.

Non SitTers.

;. The American fowls are non-sitters. If the original birds
were the same and there are no other varieties in Italy how are
chicks raised ? S Turning back to the original stock of 1852, we
learned from Mr. Burrows, whom we have already quoted, as
follows, substantially: “The first Leghorns I had were bad
sitters. Some of them were always wanting to sit but they
never would hatch. Always sat about two days and then gave
it up. After a few years they gave it up altogether.”’

This corresponds pretty accurately with the experience of
Leghorn breeders, even of late years. Few-can show a flock
in which there is not a hen which will occasionally cluck and
be broody for a day or two, though easily broken up.

This account however hardly corresponds with that of some
peasants who pointed out some light yellow hens as the
mothers. These hens were a trifle larger than the rest of the
flock. but had the same general characteristics. Whether they
are muintained as a separate flock for the purposes of incuba-
tion we did not learn. It is possible, as was suggested by an
eminent poultryman with whom we have discussed the subject
since our return, that the sitting instinct though faint is suff-
cient tor all purposes while the fowis have perfect liberty
among the vineyards, but is lost in the caged life of this country.

It is well known that the Hamburgs are as thoroughly non-
sitters as any variety of domestic poultry, and yet, but a few
months since an account was published, in the Poultry World,
of one which stole a nest and hatched out a fine brood of
chicks.

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. 35

There is little question in our own mind that a flock of any
variety of poultry if turned loose on a tract of wild land,
would, instead cf never increasing and gradually dying out,
speedily acquire the incubating instinct. Where man’s inter-
vention is removed and the selection for plumage is replaced
by the natural selection of the fittest for reproduction a race
of sitters and mothers will be speedily produced. A flock of
Leghorns turned adrift as we have supposed would never, in
our opinion, produce strong sitters ; but that they would die
out for lack of an instinct which nature has given all wild fowl,
in a greater or less degree, we doubt.

This has, indeed, but little bearing on the birds of the fanc-
ier which lack the conditions which would foster the sitting
instinet. Yet is worth remembering when a pet hen shows, for
a day or two, signs of broodiness.

CAPONS.

Caponizing is fast coming into favor in this country, and 1s
gradually but surely becoming a source of greatly increased
revenue to those who rear poultry for market as a business.
In France capons are quite common, and bring a high price ;
but in Italy caponizing is wellnigh universal. It is a matter
of great difficulty to obtain adult males, of any variety, that
have not been subjected to this process. ‘This is not to be
wondered at when we learn that a cockerel is worth, in the
market, only from a quarter to a third as much as a capon of
the same age. How much this is brought about by the de-

36 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.

mand of the French market, to which nine tenths of all the
fowls raised within one hundred miles of Leghorn go, cannot
be known. We fancy, however, that though the French may
have set the fashion the Italians have been very ready to adopt
it. It is, indeed, simply a question of producing the best
article at the least cost. A capon of six or seven months old
has consumed probably not a particle more food than the cock-
erel of the same age, but will dress nearly double as much
meat ;-and: ofa diner flavor:

In personal appearance the capon has been aptly character-
ized, by some one as silly looking. He has been dubbed and
a crop of silky feathers seems to lie loosely on his hackle; his
tail droops and the head is never raised much above the line
of the body. Sidling about among the hens in asort of grown-
up chicken-hood, with a voice of querulous old-mannishness,
he bears little likeness to the lusty cockerel. There is’nt much
activity about the capon, but then neither is there about the
prize-pig as compared with the antelope-style porker we have
seen in the Southern States.

LEGHORNS AS ‘) ABLE fOwLs.

Though Leghorn breeders in this country have often des-
canted on the superior qualities of their favorites as table
fowls, poultry breeders generally have rather scouted the idea
of their excellence in this particular, and while granting them
due honors as unrivaled layers, have held heavier fowls, such
as Brahmas and Plymouth Rocks, in higher esteem for table

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN, a7

purposes. It it rather a striking commentary on this opinion
that the French, whom we have always credited with a fine
taste in such matters, consume thousands of the Leghorns
every week and pay a good price for the privilege. In what
way the interior of France is supplied we know not, but can
speak for Marseilles which receives from the port of Leghorn
alone, two shipments each week. Counting the fowls sent ata
very low estimate, it is safe to say that two thousand are sent
weekly. Of these about one quarter are capons and the rest
pullets from three to four months old.

We have eaten our full share of three-year old hens, gigan-
tic and—breathe it not aloud—tough Brahma cocks and other
developments of farmers’ poultry, and know pretty well their
flavor, but no such specimens ever bid defiance to our teeth on
Italian soil. At the httle railroad station at Staghno, as well as
at the Giappone, in Leghorn, there was alikenothing but tender
and delicious poultry. In this, however there is a little secret
which may not come amiss to our lady readers who are also
housekeepers. As ice is well nigh unknown and fowls cannot
be kept for any length of time, all dead poultry is slightly
boiled before it is stored in the larder. It will then keep for
days and be as tender and fresh as ever. This process we did
not see, for we have no “ Herald back-stairs reporter” instinct,
but learned it from an English lady, for many years a resident
of Leghorn.

PEARDINESS OF |MPORTED PTOCK,

There is a decided impression in this land of steady habits

38 QUEST OF THE LEGHORN.,

that Italy is “sunny Italy” the year round. This idea we
shared in common with many others, though perhaps not to so
great an extent, as we had made trial of a Florida winter and
learned that the land of flowers and and balmy nights existed
only in the mind of the enterprising special correspondent.
The truth of the matter is that during our stay the thermome-
ter registered as low a temperature as on the New England
coast, there were two snows and water was frozen in the gut-
ters. To fowls that are kept mostly at large, this climate is as
severe a trial as our bitterest cold to an Americanized stock of
the same variety, that are ordinarily well cared for.

We are told that the past winter has been an exceptional
one all through Europe and so we can hardly judge of the
ordinary conditions that Leghorn stock is subjected to, but itis
certain that the birds we inspected showed few traces of suffer-
ing. We may safely assume that while there is a decided dif-
ference in the climate of Italy and the United States, fowls
bred there and imported will suffer no more than the birds of
former importations now acclimated here.

Though our own experience is limited to the few weeks
that our stock was recuperating before shipment to its various
owners, it points strongly the hardiness of imported birds. Of
the sixty-three birds which arrived at Mystic, not one showed
signs of sickness during all the time we had charge of them.
During this time there were two quite heavy snow storms fol-
lowed by melting weather and the conditions of roup were
fully present. Not even the scrawny specimen nicknamed
‘ Baldy Sours,” seemed to feel at all troubled.

QUEST OF THE LEGHORN. 39

This last is a queer specimen, with an eye out and two toes
missing, that apparently gave up the ghost about half way
across the Atlantic. We found her lying flat on the bottom of
the coop with a hen standing onher head. After some trouble
we pulled her out and prepared to throw her overboard, had
even given half the swing that would have thrown her, when
she opened her solitary eye and winked. ‘This is a “petrified
fact,’’ to quote the celebrated M. T.. We tossed her down on
the deck and in less than ten minutes she was fighting through
the bars of the coop with some of the other stock.

P ROLIFICACY.

There can be little doubt that imported stock will lay more
eggs in the same time than the descendants of former importa-
tions now do. ‘The testimony of all the breeders who received
Leghorn stock direct from Italy a number of years ago is the
same on this point. Not long since we spoke of this extraor-
dinary prolificacy to a well-known breeder of this variety, and
learned that he received some nondescript Leghorns only a
few years since, and that most of them layed themselves to
death, dying on the nest. Before coming to this unfortunate
finis most of them had performed extraordinary feats in the
egg-producing line.

We are well convinced from our own study of the subject
and what we have seen in our own yards, that if it is safe to
expect one hundred and seventy-five eggs per annum from
well-bred Standard hens, imported birds will for the’ first two

40 QUEST OR THE, LEGHORN,

or three years will lay from two hundred to two hundred and
fifty. A hen is worth just what she will produce, and if im-
ported fowls will give us the materials for a greater number of
thorough-bred chicks, they are proportionately more valuable,
to say nothing of the great influence that will run down from)
generation to generation for a series of years, from the influ-
ence of their cockerels on other strains.

p UR POVERTISERS.

As our readers will perceive, the last few pages contain the
advertisements of those who took stock in the enterprise. |
every one of them, and have
proved themselves by many acts ready to lay out money and |
time freely to gain the very best stock to be had. That the man
who is ready, at any time, to pay a high figure to secure extra

They are good menand true,

birds is the man to buy your good birds from, is our experi-
ence. One of our advertisers told us but a few days ago that
he was always ready to pay a high figure, which he named, for
a Brown Leghorn cockerel that would honestly score ninety-
six points. He has had many birds sent on approval and he |
has seldom retained one, simply because he could not honestly —
score the specimen up to the required point. This is a partic-
ular man in buying but he is just as careful of what he sends
out to his customers.

This is but a sample of the men whose addresses may be
found farther on and we feel confident that those who deal
with any of them will be pleased at the honest and gentlemanly
treatment they receive.

> LOG ROD ERS.

Those marked * will not breed the imported Black Leghorns.

A. B. CoccrsHALt, Newport, R. I.

TueEo. KENNEY, Scottdale, Pa. *

MorcGawn Pierson, Clinton, Conn.

Gro. H. FAncuHER, Winsted, Conn.

Cuas. S. Hastinocs, St. Johnsbury, Vt. (2 shares.)

A. B. Campse.t, Norwich, Conn. *

J. E. CuiaytTon, Saginaw City, Mich.

Gro. H. Towte, Truxton, N. Y. (Dominiques.)

W. B. Evans, Ripley, Ohio.

W. N. Crorrut, Binghamton, N. Y.

Wm. E. Hart, East Cleveiand, Ohio.

CR. Harker. ‘Rochester, N. H. *

W. R. Witson, Whippany, N. J.

E. B. Tow ie, Newburyport, Mass. *

S. J. FEARING, 91 Commercial Street, Boston, Mass.

P. H. Martay, Lincoln, Nebraska. *

T. P. Snyper, North Adams, Mass. *

Wm. Bower, New Britain, Conn.

J. M. Crark, Box 447, Amherst, Mass.

D. ANDREWS, San Jose, Cal.

Gro. M. Snow, Box 1076, Salt Lake City, Utah. *

H. L. Fisk, Box 859, Worcester, Mass. (1% shares.) -
———_ - ~@ +0 -~@ 6¢ _____.

(@= In sending letters of inquiry to any of these gentlemen please

enclose a stamp. Remember the cost of paper, particularly when Uncle
_ Sam has put his mark on it.

Miatio: Luke vt. a

Golden Rule Poultry Yards,

CHARLES,S: HASTINGS,

Proprietor,

St. OFUINS 3 Reo ee

—— > —@® «@r eo + ——- —

VARIETIES:

IMPORTED BLACK LEGHORNS,
SILVER GRAY & COLORED DORKINGS,
LIGHT BRAENEAS,

BROWN LEGHORNS, “BLACK DIAMONDS,”

AND

“GOLDEN-WINGED BEE EPOUR=:

EGGS AND FOWLS IN SEASON.

I make it a Point to live up to my Motto.

Descriptive Circular and Price-List sent to any Address.

|SEE NEXT PAGE. ]

Motto: Luke 71. 31.

Golden tule Poultry Yards.

———--—— +> —~—» +@r ee ———

My Yards of Rare and High-Class Poultry for 1880, are
Mated as follows:

Imported Black Leghorns.

Cockerel from Reed Watson, from his importation of 1878, mated with 6 Hens import-
ed personally by Mr. F. H. Ayres, direct from Italy in 1880. I believe this yard is not
excelled in America. EGGS, $2.50 per 13, or $4.00 for 26. CHICKS in the fall, at $15.00
per trio

Silver Gray Dorkings.
Cockerel from my stock, selected from some thirty raised last season, and scored by H.
S. Ball at 92 points; is a large and very fine plumaged bird, mated with four hens from
Warren, Conn., four nice pullets from Bowen, Mass., and two pullets raised by myself and
scored by Mr. Ball at 92 and g3 points. EGGS, $2.00 per 13, or $3.50 for 26.

Colored Dorkings.

Cockerel from Bowen’s stock, mated with two pullets; Blakeslee stock, and eight nice
pullets of my own raising. All large and evenly marked. EGGS, $2.00 per 13. $3.50 for 26.

NOTE.—Mr. H. S. Ball, A. P. A. judge, gave me the oredit of having tho best flock of Dorkings he had
seen together at any show this winter.

Light Brahmas.

Cock, Josselyn’s strain, mated with seven pullets, part Josselyn’s and part Burnham’s
stock. All very fine birds. =}

Cockerel, Josselyn and Burnham, mated with three hens, Burnham, and three hens,
Josselyn. ‘* You pays your money and you takes your choice.’’ EGGS, $2.00 for 13, or
$3.50 for 26.

Brown Leghorns,

A friend has a very fine flock of these ‘‘ egg machines,”’ that I will sell eggs from at
$1.50 per setting. Cockerel, Banks’ stock, mated with hens and pullets, Harker’s strain.
_ Nicely marked and good points throughout.

Black Diamonds.

Cockerel, 8} pounds, mated with two hens weighing 73g pounds each, and six nice
pullets weighing from 6 to 7 pounds each. All nicely marked, and not related in the least
| to cockerel.- EGGS, $3.00 per 13, or $5.00 for 26.

Golden-Winged Bellfours.

i. NO EGGS FOR SALE. Fora better description of these last two new breeds, estab-
lished by careful selection and breeding, myself, as well as a general description of the
Standard Varieties bred by me, see my new circular, sent to any address.

CEEAR LESS. LASTINGS,

St. Johnsbury, Vt.

LEGHORN FOWLS

AND

SHEPHERD DOGS

IMPORTED STOCK.

H. L. FISK & SON,

(P. O. Box 859.)

WORCESTER, - - ° MASSJ

Pe eee Orr Or

BIN GXEAMTON, - = IN. YW.

BREEDER OF STANDARD -

‘Brown and Black Leghorns.

My strain of

Brown Leghorns

are not surpassed in
America for breed-
ing fine combs, sol-
id white ear-lobes, 5
with elegant plu-
mageand symmetry.
My Breeding Stock
this season is better
than ever, and ma
ted to produce the

My

Black Leghorns

are also very fine. I
have some that Mr.
FP. 2H AYRES” tim-
ported for me.” They
are beautiful in form
# and feather, and are
admired by all who
see them. I am
now prepared ! to
book, orders for
best possible re- eggs from either of

sults, and is com 3 Ly, iy Lf de the above varieties
dof 4 yard SLMNILE
posed of 4 yards. ei) jE at

$2.00 per 13, or $3.00 per 26.

packed to go any distance, and warranted to hatch a fair per centage.
Fowls and Chicks For Sale at all seasons of the year, at Moderate

_ Prices. Write for what you want.

W.N. CROFFUT,

BINGHAMTON, (N.. Y:.

BLAUK LEGHORNS,
BROWN LECHORNS,

AN D

ROSE-COMB BROWN LEGHORNS.

My Black Leghorns are imported fowls. My Single-Combed Brown
Leghorns are from Kinney’s Brown Prince, 3rd, winner of the Cen- |
tennial prize.

My Rose-Comb Brown Leghorns were obtained direct from the orig- |
inator (McDaniel). They combine all the good qualities of the single-
comb varieties, but having double combs there is no danger of their |
combs freezing, which makes them one of the most desirable birds |
known. |

FOWLS FOR SALE AFTER SEPT. 20.

EGGS,

BLACK -LEGHORN 230. asco get tye oon: (per 12) $3 00
SINGLE-COMBID BROWN LEGHORN.... se 1 00
ROSE-COMBED BROWN LEGHORN.,...... © 3 60

Eggs Packed and Delivered at Express Office in good condition, Free
of Charge. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.

JO rN WH. CLAF Es,
P. O. Box 447. AMHERST, MASS.

NOG AN PLE IRSON,

CEGNTGN ee - _COMN

-O:——

IMPORTER AND BREEDER OF PURE BRED FOWLNS.

PLYMOUTH ROCKS.

World's Excelsior Strain.

13 by AG Adal Oia. 5,

Disaster Strain, Imported by me in March 1880, and are The Fowl! of Italy,
and the Greatest Layers in America.

ie) WIN ea hG BO.nN Sd,

Prince of Wales, and Clift’s. These two strains cannot be beat.

De hee aay AS,

Black Prince Strain.

ee Gs sia ee No |

COLORED MUSCOVY DUCKS,

EGGS AND FOWLS IN SEASON.

—_—-—

WRITE FOR WHAT YOU. WANT.

Morgan Pierson, = -= Breeder.

AJB CAMP Biting

NEO ee VV Geaeas. - = CON MN:

BREEDER OF

BROWN LEGHORNS

EXCLUSIVELY:

“ATEAVITAS

I have made a specialty of this breed for seven years and to day have
as fine a breeding strain as can be found in this. country.

EGGS AND FOWLS IN SEASON.
DESCRIPTIVE CIRCULAR AND PRICE-LIST FREE.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.

WhHIPPANY STOCK FARM!

. {fwhave. some GOOD. STOCK
PLYMOUTH ROCKS,
BROWN LEGHORNS,
LIGHT BRAHMAS,
BUFF AND PARTRIDGE COCIINS,
GAMES that are GAMBES,

AND

Imported Black Leghorns!
All First-Class - Stock.
EGGS, $2.00 for 13: $3.50 for 26.
W.R. WILSON,

Whippany, Morris Co., N. J.

ee { KRNCHER,

BREEDER OF

IMPORTED usa LEGHORNS.

Rose-Comb Brown Leghorns,

AND

Aose-Comb White oi

O

The flock of

BOLEOmM GRAYS,

of the late Wm. Higgins. |

O

CHICKS from all these varieties will be ready in the early fall of 1880, |

and as I have fine breeding stock I can safely promise
Noa. Goi: Gee In Ieee
Write me.
GHO. KE. FANCHER,
WINSTED, 7 - CONN.

se = =: ws SE

--SFIOUSAC EUNNEL POULTRY ‘YARDS,

BROWN LEGHORNS,
BLACK HAMBURGS,
BLACK LEGHORNS,
BRONZE TURKEYS,

EFow ius FOR SALE.

DOMINIQUE LEGIIORNS,
PLYMOUTH ROCKS,
AYLESBURY DUCKS.

EGGS IN THEIR SEASON.

T. P. SNYDER, Proprietor,

NORTH ADAMS, - - MASS.

J. E. CLAYTON,

SAGINAW CIiTy, = MICEX.

————qq—

HEADQUARTERS FOR THE NORTH-WEST !

BRO W-N. DEG HOR
POULTRY YARDS.

—_<—<—<——<——

I make a specialty of breeding this Beautiful, Profitable and ever
Popular Breed. My Breeding Pens are made up of Standard Birds»
scoring from 90 I-4 to 93 points. I feel safe in guaranteeing perfect sat
isfaction to purchasers of eggs, which I ship in their season, securely
and safely packed, at

$2.00 FOR 13, $3,00 FOR 26.

Orders solicited,.booked and sent in turn. No Stock for sale now.

CHICKS READY TO SHIP BY SEPTEMBER 1, 1880.

Address

J. BE. CLAYTON,
SAGINAW CITY, MICH.

EGGS

FROM

WEALTH LEGHORNS |!

$2.00 PER SITTING.

—————-_+—_-® «@> o +_____

These fowls are J. Boardman Smith, and W. H. Todd strains and have
been selected and mated with care, to produce the best results.

All eggs sent out are safely packed and Warranted Fresh and Pure.

——————————

CHICKS IN THE FALL.

Write. Address

P. H. MARLAY,.
Lincoln, Le = MVebraska.

BROWN

LEGHORNS. CALIFORNIA, BLACK

= LEGHORNS.

I HAVE THE ONLY

IMPORTED BLACK LEGHORNS

in the State. I will, this season, sell a limited number of

EGGS, AT $5.00 PER SITTING.

CHICKENS FOR SALE IN THE FALL. ORDER IN TIME,

MY BROWN LEGHORNS,

at present, consists of One Pen of Finely-penciled Pullets, mated witha
Deep-colored, Finely-marked Cock that is the admiration of all. Their
eggs have proved to be fertile and chicks hardy. The pullets have
proved themselvcs remarkable layers and [I shall continue to improve
them by breeding only from the best. I shall increase the number of
pens next season. No two breeds allowed to run together at any sea-

son. Parties ordering can rely upon stock that will prove jrue to name.

D. ANDREWS,

Cor. 11th and San Carlos Sts.,

SAN JOSE, CAL.

onl bE COC HINS,

George Ist, (5269) and Western Belle, (5270) with five other Fine

Exhibition Hens.

EGGS $3.00 PER 138, $5.00 PER 26.

PARTRIDGE CocHINS,

Hector, (5271) and Maud, (5272) with five fine hens from the best stock
in the United States.

EGGS $3.00 PER 15, $5.00 PER 26.

I exhibited the leading, stock of the above pens at the Cincinnati
Poultry Exhibition, January, 1880, receiving 2d and highest, and special
on Geo. Ist, the other three taking three of the remaining regular prizes.

ee ry YAS iy I" |e ae

I can alsofurnish Eggs from Houdan (Butler’s) and B. B. R. Game
stock, at $2.00 per I3. Address

W.B EVANS,
RIPLEY, OHIO.

MF EDA Rh SC Ate

Since the poultry interests of America have become so extensive
and important a business, Yankee enterprise has crossed oceans and
brought to these shores nearly every known variety. It is now easy for
each farmer or fancjer to procure such varieties as are best suited to his
wants, whether it be a large amount of meat, a generous supply of eggs,
or the gratification of the eye. Nearly every variety has some specially
good quality, while none can claim perfection in all. For twelve years
I have bred high-class poultry, and during that time have had nearly
every variety of Standard fowls, and have found none equal to Leghorns
in the production of eggs. Of this breed, the Browns and Blacks are
most desirable in most localities and with most breeders, because less
liable to to show soiled plumage. Then too, | have found the Browns
more hardy and prolific. Am now breeding from the best specimens of
this color that can be procured. Mysuccess in growing a large per cent
of well-marked stylish birds has been very gratifying. This is especially
true as regards cockerels. That they are appreciated by fanciers is evi-
denced by the large number sold to the best judges, for the improvement
of their flocks the coming season.

I am breeding from two yards. One contains a cock and ten hens,
the other a cockerel and ten pullets. All very fine birds—real beuties,
and so nearly alike as to make it difficult to distinguish one from the
other. Grace in form and grace in every motion, a delight to the eye as
well as a sure source of supply to the egg basket. Pleasure and ‘profit
are the sure result of well-selected stock of this variety.

Rose comb Brown Leghorns are not so well known. Some say they
were originally imported from Italy. Others claim that they are “sports”
from single comb birds. Others again, say they are a cross with Ham-
burgs. I do not attempt any light on the subject of their origin but
cannot fail to see that they do remedy the greatest defect that can be
urged against the single comb birds, in having a low, rose-comb. Thus
exemption from frost is greatly in their favor, and must make them de.

servedly popular in Northern States. This is no doubt the reason of |

their being such remarkable winter layer. Six pullets of this variety
have given me an average of four eggs per day all winter. They have
real merit and must become prime favorites when better known.

A few sittings of EGGS FROM THESE BIRDS,
$3.00 PER 18.

WM. E. HART.
HAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

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