Burnham's new poultry book. A practical work on selecting, housing, and breeding domestic fowls by Burnham Geo. P. (George Pickering) 1814-1902

Author:Burnham, Geo. P. (George Pickering), 1814-1902
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Poultry
Publisher: Boston, Lee & Shepard
Published: 1877-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER XIV.

OLD AND NEW PARTRIDGE COCHINS.

The first strictly Partridge-colored Chinese fowls I ever saw, to wit, in the year 1849, were in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Marsh, of West Roxbury, Mass. This gentleman was a retired clergyman, and had passed the best part of his middle age, I think, as 2, Missionary, in China, and returned home well worn in the service. He either brought this superb clutch of Oriental birds with him, or they were sent to him by a brother Missionary, direct from Shanghae. And they were really unexceptionable in beauty, great size, duiforniity of plumage, and all the characteristics of i, gooi, and at that period, very desirable fowl. 179

The descendants of this clutch of genuine " Shang hiBs," imported direct from one of the celestial ports, and known lo be jowrc, (if such a thing existed,) from Mr. Marsh's breeding in 1850, down to a biood of this stock which 1 met with in Norfolk County last season, (1870) were strikingly uniform, throughout; and the hundreds of fanciers who have in the past two decades had and bred this noble strain of blood, would readily recognize these birds, wherever they should see them.

I bred hundreds upon hundreds of this particular strain of stock, and 1 sent out to England in 1852, '3, and '4, a great number of what was then known specifically as the " Marsh Shanghaes," as did other gentlemen here, who then bred both the Bralimas and the Shanghffls, largely.

Within the last two or three years, this old Marsh stock — in no wise changed, in no wise improved, in no wise different in any one particular of form, size, color, or characteristics, is coming back to us ! The beautiful " Partridge Cochins," as they are now called, which have been imported from England into the United States, are identical with the Marsh stock. But they are a noble fowl. There are none better, standing above ground to-day, as representatives of this favorite race.

It may be that English breeders have, in the past ten years, got out from China, direct, fresh blood of this variety, to intermix with those sent them so generously from America, more than a dozen years ago. But these we get here now are so strikingly similar, in

A PRACTICAL TBBATISB ON DOMESTIC FOWLS. 181

every point of excellence, that those who have madu themselves acquainted with the Marsh stock of Shanghaes, at once recognize these birds as akin to tl)at long-time noted strain of real Chinese poultry.

The Partridge Cochins, owned and bred by E. C. Newton, of Batavia, 111., porti'aits of a pair of which, appear at the head of this chapter, are very superior specimens (though the cut is not so large as some others sent us) and there are perhaps few that equal these birds, (none excel them) for size, accuracy in points, and perfection in plumage, on this side the Atlantic.

Cut No. 1, frontispiece, represents one of the splendid Partridge Cochins which have carried away first prizes at our late Poultry shows, deservedly.

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