High-class Poultry.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 434, 4 January 1890, Page 5

High-class Poultry.

Among certain people a notion prevails that the poultry fancy business is all humbug, and that high-class fowls are only a craze, and of no more practical value than common birds. “ Eggs is eggs,” some ungrammatical person observed many years ago, and on the same principle we suppose people have come to the conclusion that “ chickens is chickens,” and they augh in derision at anyone who is animated by an enthusiastic admiration for fine pure-bred fowls. With reference to this subject a writer pertinently remarks " If there is no merit in the culture of fine fowls is tliero any in that of any kind of livo stock ? “If a beautiful Leghorn, Brahma, Cochin, etc., is no better or more valuable than a common dunghill, is a fine Arab racehorse, Clydesdale, etc., any more valuable than a common under-bred weed ? Taking the view of such persons, is the fine Shorthorn, Jersey, Hereford or Holstein any better than the long-horned scrub cow ? or the Jersey Bed, Berkshire, or Poland China hog preferable to the long-nosed razorbacked type of pig ? “Is there no merit in the beautiful ? Ie not that which pleases the eye more valu' able than that v'hich does not ? “True, a measly, homely, barnyard dunghill hen will lay eggs, incubate a clutch of eggs and brood her motley young, and all of them can be used as food. But so will a scrub cow breed, give milk and make beef; so will" a plug horse draw a cart, plough, waggon or carriage ; so will a longlegged sow produce young and make sow belly and soap grease. But for all this, who is so silly as to hold that there is not real, genuine merit in the improvement of horses, cattle and hogs ?” Besides the legitimate enjoyment which is derived from the possession of beautiful fowls of their kind, they are more valuable either for egg production or table purposes by reason of fixed qualities created by years of careful breeding. This gives a practical reason for keeping well bred poultry and for discarding barnyard mongrels. Poultry literature should be studied by all farmers and rural residents, and indeed by townspeople, too, for poultry can be successfully bred in very small quarters with proper management and care. Poultry shows also can do much to educaf e people up to intelligent and artistic appreciation of handsome fowls of some pure breed.