POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1933, 12 March 1891, Page 5

POULTRY NOTES.

; SCOTCH eREIS. , I have on moro than ona occasion advocated in yonr columns the adoption of the above trreed of fowls na being one of the beat 'J generally Useful breeds of the present day. It id essentially a farmer's or a housewife's fowl — a good layer, sitter, and fosaioker. Although fully alive 60 the advantages that) have accrued from poultry claba, I am, with many others, painfully aware of the fact that they have not been productive of unmixed gpod, inasmuch as having regarded plUmagd and feather as the principal points to breed up to, better and much more useful qualities have been sacrificed for these. The Scots Grey has, until very recently, been more of an agricultural than a poultry dub show bird. Of late years, however, it has been taken up by the "fancy," and is now familiar at all the pnnoipal English ahowe. There is perhaps no more hardy fowl than the Soots Grey, and it is the true original barn doot fowl of Scotland. Aotive ■to a degree, its flesh, like the mountain sheep, is firm and close-grained, and in that respect it contrasts well with the flabby, loose-jointed, unsymmetrioal Asiatic breeds. The Scots Grey Olub has only been five years in existence, ana even if this club follows the example of other poultry clubs in "breeding to feather," it oannot as yet have done serious injury to the breed* But bb the farmers in Sootland excel all others in the matter of cattle-breeding, so the Scotch fanciers seem determined to keep, np the national reputation as poultry-breeders. That is| to say, in their cattle they Aim solely at the practical, leaving the fanciful to those who have the time and money to indulge in it ; bo with their .poultry, they are .bred with a view to profit on the farm and usefulness at the table. The evils of breeding solely to feather have long been foreseen, and in consequence ttie Royal, the Highland, and others. of the principal agricultural societies have taken the matter in hand, and have compiled their prize Bohedules, bo as to bring to the front the best specimens of each breed, regarding chape and quality of flesh as of greater importance than mpre feather. Tjie plumage of.the Soots Grey is of the description called in these 'colonies 11 Cuckoo," and, indeed, closely resembles that of the "Cnokoo" Dorking, and in general outline the national bird of Scotland is very much like that inimitable English national bird tfie, Dozking. — "Auld Wife," in the Qaeenslattdef*

SMPROVED BEE HIVES. MY New List of Bee Hivea, Smokers, Seotiom, Extractor*, be., is Now Ready, »nd will be sent Post Free if you send me Tour Address. ,

WANTED BEES' WAX.-One •hilling per lb paid for large or imall Quantities.

T. G. BRICKELL,

Bath street, Donedin.