The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 202, 29 August 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1867.

A lady correspondent, who strictly enjoins upon us tbat her letter shall not be published, enquires why, in tbe present unsatisfactory state of our meat market, more attention is not paid to poultry farming, and suggests that au impulse would | be given uot only to the multiplication, | but also to the improvement in the quality ; of tbe varioua species of the gallinaceous family, by the institution of au annual poultry show io this city. We entirely concur with the views expressed by our fair correspondent, and very cheerfully comply witb the wish which she expresses that we would contribute our advocacy j to war^ s tne realisation of this object. j Upwards of ten years must have elapsed since a writer in oue of the leading periodicals — " Household Words," we believe — made the discovery tbat there is a poultry world, with its jealousies, excitements, preeminences, and interests, just like any of the other worlds that revolve " cycle on epicycle, orb on orb," in the midst of the great universal world itself. It was then a matter of complaint that so many of the most celebrated naturalists had entirely disdained the scrutiny of domesticated animals. Since then, however, "nous avons change tout cela." Ornithologists have become poultry fanciers, while those who may have previously felt the smallest possible interest in the study of natural history have been led to cultivate it, by studying the habits ar d characteristics of the inmates of their poultry-yards. There i3 a poultry literature, and also a poultry architecture ; and although we are informed that much of the former is derived, without acknowledgment from Columella and Aldrovandi, ifc must be acknowledged thafc an immense deal has been done by it to popularise a knowledge of the subject, and to promote that improvement in the breeds of domestic fowls which has taken place within the last few years. So remarkable has this been, that, as has been happily observed, a modern prize bird almost merits the character which a Parisian writer gave of a melon, when asked to pronounce whether it was a fruit or a vegetable. "Gentlemen," said he, " a melon is neither, for ifc is a work of art." In like manner the best specimens of poultry exhibited at the principal shows in Great Britain are, whether as regards perfection of form, purity of breed, or beauty of .'plumage, entitled to be admired and criticised as works of art; since art or culture, 'working under the guidance of nature, has" made them what j they are. And in the. competition which thus takes place all classes may unite. The owner of broad acres and the suburban artisan (whose fowlyard is only a few feet ; square) meet upon equal terms in the poultry-show. Ifc very often happens indeed that the birds exhibited by 'the latter carry away the prize from his more, affluent competitor; while the rearing^of poultry appears to be an object .e&pecially adapted to create an interest in and afford an occupation for the feminine mind. As to the dietetie use of poultry, it would require this pen of an Ude or a Soyer? or of a Briliafc Savarin to do justice to the theme. What treatises might be written on turkeys ; what discussions might be indulged io on ducklings; what disquisitions might be penned^on guinea-fowls; and what prolusions on stubble geesß aud 4< pate? de foie gras." It was one of | the redeeming traits in the character of {■ the First Napoleon that he always had a roast fowl on the spit, ready to be served up, when the Imperial appetite asserted its wayward claim;", and the benevolent wish attributed to Henri Quatre shows him to have: had a fine appreciation of one of the most delicate articles of food: Remove poultry from a bill of fare, and half the poetry .of gastronomy Js abstracted ftomit. ■

Shakespere no -doubt relisted a slice off • ;the breast and the livei;- wing, a and hadfifcs- ::: delicate flavor on hia tongue wlien he wrote in Measure for Measure — Even for our kitchens We kill the fowl of season; shall we serve heaven With less respect than.we do minister To our gross selves? Seriously however, in an alimentary point of view, the multiplication of poultry and the improvement in the quality of the birds, resulting from emulation, are matters of considerable importance in a community where the difficulty of obtaining wholesome animal meat is so considerable, at all events under present circumstances, and where a recourse, during the hot months, to light and tender viands is almost as much a sanatory necessity as it is in the Australian colonies. So that, merely as a utilitarian question, a poultry-show deserves approbation and support. The specimens of poultry which have been exhibited at tho annual Agricultural Shows held at Richmond, though very limited in number, being confined to residents in the immediate vicinity of that towD, sufficed to show that varieties combining condition, quality, beauty of plumage and considerable weight, are not wanting in this province. The exhibition might also include pigeons, rabbits, and singing birds, for the Acclimatisation Society would surely offer a prize for the nurture, protection aud propagation of English song birds. Hitherto, wo fear, very insufficient attention has been paid to this branch of farming as a source of profit in this province; but we may hope that this unsatisfactory state of things will soon be j obviated by such means as our correspondent advocates, as well as by the con- ! viction. which musfc by this time have j forced itself upon those who are engaged in agriculture, that they cannot afford to ueglect subsidiary sources of income. What can be effected on a comparatively small scale in the way of making poultrykeeping remunerative as well as agreeable, has been shown by the authoress of "The Hen Wife," the narrative of whose experiences in the poultry yard, we recommend fco the perusal of all who may feel disposed to combine pleasure with profit in the same way. ■