The illustrated book of poultry : With practical scheduals for judging, constructed from actual analysis of the best modern decisions / by Lewis Wright.

  • Wright, Lewis, 1838-1905.
Date:
[1873]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The illustrated book of poultry : With practical scheduals for judging, constructed from actual analysis of the best modern decisions / by Lewis Wright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/810
    PREFACE. For such a work as the present we do not feel that any apology can be either useful or necessary : it must necessarily stand or fall by its own merits, as an attempt at a thorough and practical exposition of Poultry and Poultry-keeping in kheir various branches. We may, however, state that it is the result, in great degree, of direct request from numerous fanciers. When, a few years since, we published a small treatise written from the practical or breeder’s point of view, upon the particular variety of poultry which had become our own special craze in this line—the Brahma—any great demand for it appeared exceedingly doubtful. To our astonishment, however, both the first and a second edition were rapidly exhausted; and we received from all quarters strong requests for a similarly full treatment of other breeds and other branches of the subject, illustrated by really faithful Coloured Portraits of celebrated birds. It was in vain that we pointed out the difficulties of such a work ; urged that we didn’t know every- thing—quite, even about fowls ; and that secrets of breeding and management were, as a rule, most jealously guarded. We were assured that the necessary information could be obtained ; that “ the fancy ” had confidence in us and would help us; and more than one promised us that all they knew should be freely communicated, if we would only take charge of it. We could scarcely refuse under such circumstances, and this may be given as the history in brief of the present work. So begun, and so carried on, it has been of course a labour of love. The work has been great; but it has been pleasant work, lovingly and heartily done, and shared in by nearly all those best known in the poultry world. Vv^ithout their aid we could have done little; but every one has brought his stone to the building. Never has such a mass of information, contributed by the best authorities in the “ fancy,” been brought together; and birds which no money could purchase have been freely entrusted to us for portraiture. We had intended to have here recorded those to whom the public and ourselves are alike so much indebted, but we find the list is too long. To give only some would be unjust, and to give all would lose the very grace of such an acknowledgment amongst the mass of names ; we prefer, therefore, to refer to the Index, or to our text itself, where it will be seen that for the substance of whole chapters we have merely acted as counsel examining not unwilling witnesses. We have had sometimes to cross-examine; to draw out further explanations on points not sufficiently treated of or left unmentioned—a knowing “ poultry-man ” takes it for