POULTRY NOTES. By Terror.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 43

POULTRY NOTES. By Terror.

— Mr L. Irvine, of Bradshaw street, SoutK Dunedin, has imported a quartet of Minorcaa — a cockerel, two pullets, and a two-year hen* These birds ore from the yards of Mr Harwood (of the Fanciers' Gazette), Yorkshire,' and from all nocounts are evid.ently most'fashionably bred. The grandfather of tLei pullets was the champion at the Palace show; in 1897, and the property of Mr A. G. Pitts,.' president of the Minorca Olubr Mr Hai> wood, who judged the Palace show that year,. 1 bought the cock at £20, and, during tha Minorca controversy which raged last yeao in the columns of the Fanciers' Gazette, ift was contended by several writers that he was the best Minorca ever shown in England. Mr Irvine's cockerel got a "V.H.C. enrd at ai Yorkshire show, and, according to the Fanciers' Gazette of April 12 last, would have* done better but for some defect in comb. 15 have examined the birds, and was much struck: with their size and the luxuriance of thesis plumage, and one of the pullets is undoubtedly a strikingly handsome bird. The cockerel (a 10-months' old bird) has an enormous, beautifully serrated comb, 7in> in length and sin from tip of highest / spike to the head. In my opinion, this comb is too big, and a painful encumbrance into the bargain. Because of its weight, there is a tendency for it to hang: over, and owing to the compression at thei bend a nasty hollow corn has formed, which, I fancy, irrast cause pain.^ Another disadvantage arising from this abnormally heavy comb is that its weight keeps the bird's head down, giving the neck a stumpy appearance, and 1 should not be surprised to Jeorn that it its owing to this same* cause that the crop appears thrown forward! fai in advance of the beak and breast. He appears to be sound in face, has magnificent lobes, good legs, is rather light in eye, carries his tail just a trifle too proudly, and is rather short in back, but, owing to his good paren* ta»e, the reputation of the yards he comes from, and the fact that he is mated to birds specially selected for him by one of the leading Minorca experts in England, I have every confidence that Mr Irvine will breed some ih-*l quality birds next season. The pullets were shown at the Devon and Cornwall Fanciers' x\>sociation show, and got third and reservo. They were only seven months old at the time, and not fully developed, otherwise, according to the judge's report, they were the two best pullets shown.

■ — Mr Peter Matron, Madras street, Christ* church has imported a trio of Anconas from. 1 England. T saw these birds on my trip north and will report upon them in the course of a week or so.

—In judging table poultry at Birmingham, several heavy-weight birds -were discarded, although in some instances the birds weighed 201b per couple. The judge gave preferences to well-grown and well-fattened' young birds, and rejected all who&o spurs showed too great au age, or whoso waul or"

flesh combined with these gave proof that both sexes had been running together. The Stockkeeper, in mentioning the fact, adds that the young birds, while showing too great development in the one direction, had aleo lost the full-fleshed appearance and fine quality which good breeding would have engendered had the sexes been separate. Fattened young cockerels, when thus kept in a tun by themselves, and well attended to, are little, if any, inferior .to capons as table poultry. y — I have to direct attention to the advertisement over this column, of the Cypher Iniiub&itfr, imported by the New Zealand Poultry and' Bee Supply Company. That Incubators, (advertised by the same firm last week), bonecutters and other poultry yard requisites, which the firm will advertise in due course, are now recognised as necessaries by well-in-formed fanciers, I shall show as 1 proceed with my report. HINTS UPON DRESSING GAME AND POULTRY. All poultry should be carefully picked, every stub removed, and the hairs singed with tvhite paper. When removing the legs of the bird the sinews should be pulled out with them. In the case of geese and turkeys, the legs should be cut round the joint. By placing the 'foot of a fowl in a narrow iron slit," fixed to the wall, you will be able to pull the sinews out without much trouble. Fowls- should "be well washed with clear water. after 'being drawn, and then dried with a soft cloth or towel. If the birds arc at all old, or likely to be tough, they can bo improved by hanging them in a cool place for a few days, or they may be par-boiled before being put in the oven. The general way to cook a fowl is to roast it in the oven, but the better way to retain ! the juices md make the bird more palatable is to cook it on a spit before the fire. If kept well basted with fresh dripping, it will be cooked in about an hour, or even less, if the fire is strong. The usual stuffing for ducks, geese, and fowls is prepared from sage and boiled onions, chopped (fine, with fine bread-crumbs in quantities io suit the palate, and seasoned tvith pepper and salt. ( The proper sauces for roast fowl are gravy, egg, mushroom, or celery sauce, and they should be served in tureens or boats, and not poured upon the dish. Forcemeat is sometimes used as a stuffing, but it detracts from the flavour of the birds, and with game or small birds should never bo •ussd. The time required to cook a fowl varies according to the size and age, and it is better to &rr on the safe side, especially if the bird is likely to be at all tough. Take care to use plenty of dripping, so that the juices are not dried out.