The Farmers' Fowls

Mueh has been written on the subject of the fowls best adapted to the needs of those wlio live on farms, and from the nature of their surroundings can handle certain varieties lo far better advantage than others. We are not now addressing the great class of farmers who keep mixed breeds and think they are venturing on hazardous ground if they purchase a pure blooded coek of some of the Asiatic breeds to give size to their spring chickens, or a Leghorn or Houdan to insure plumpness and early maturity, but those who believe in thorough-bred cattle. improved farm machinery and pure blooded poultry. With this class the question is not what degree of excellence is to be attained- for their aim is for the verv best - but what breeds shall reeeive their attention. ïo this class, then, we offer the following suggestions: Tuikers are par excellence adapted to the farm and cannot be as well reared under auy other conditions. Let the farmer procure a gobbler of the Manimoth Bronze variety and a few hens and give thciu the range of the farm, except when the period of iucubation arrivés, and bef ore the poults shoot the red, the care required to keep them liealthy and in good thrift is almost nothing, and af ter providing for themselves all summer they will come home in the fall in good condition for the niarket or the exhibition room, and show a very ac(cptable profit and loss account. Having disposed of the turkey question we turn our attention to the choice of fowls to be kept about the yard near the house, and have a more perplexing matter to decide. We caonot lay down a rule for choosing the variety most suitable for this purpose, for the simple reason that farms differ froin each other in their arrangement as much as they do as a class froni city or town lots. On a farm whose arrangement gives little space for range, some of the Asiatic varieties are most suitable, as they are content with little space and do nearly as well so situated as when allowed unlimited freedom. If there are no garden beds or flower plots to suffer, the Leghorns or Polish will prove very satisfactory, though white fowls should not be kept on a red clay soil. lf we want something of the composite order we have the Plymouth Koek, the vaunted farmers' fow!, which is impervious to discolorations, and a splendid table fowl. As we saiO before, the matter cannot be decided peremptorily in favor of any breed ; but from the hints given it willbe an easy matter for each to select what i.s most suitable for his place.