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The beginner la very likely to think
that he would prefer the general pur
pose fowl to one which is better for
one purpose than for any other. This
Is a very natural conclusion and many
times eminently correct. As we have
explained, the special purpose fowl may
suit some localities better than the
one which Is good -for market poultry
and for eggs, but the large majority of
the ^poultry keepers of this country
seek a fowl which makes a good ap
pearance on the tabl^ond which will,
at the same time, produce a goodly
number of eggs.
With possibly one exception, the only
really general purpose fowl is found In
the varieties composing the American
class. The possible exception is the
Houdan, which has a medium-sized
body and produces liberally of large
white eggs. The only objection to the
Houdan Is in the color of the skin, this
being white, as are almost all fowls of
European origin.
Whether one chooses Plymouth
Hocks, Wyandottes or Rhode Island
Reds makes little difference. Any va
riety of the»2 breeds will come to the
table plump and finished at any age
from eight weeks to full maturity. All
* the American varieties are early to
feather and take on the mature shape.
An eight-weeks-old Plymouth Rock,
Wyandotte or Rhode Island Red shows
the characteristics of the breed in shape
and color almost as-perfectly as it will
when fully matured. For this reason
they make excellent broilers, fryers,
soft roasters or mature fowls/
Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes
come in so many varieties that the one
who could not suit himself in color
among them would be hard to please.
Whites, bulTs, blacks and parti-colored,
varieties may be selected with, the as- % t
surance that any of them will breed i
quite as true to color as the varieties of i
any other breed.
While the varieties of the American!
class will not lay so many eggs os those !
In the Mediterranean claw, they sell
better as fowls., and weigh more as in
dividuals when 1 sent to market.
The Orpingtons are claimed to be
general purpose fowls and are, to the
extent that they are usually good lay
ers and tiot really persistent setters. If
they had yellow skin, there would be
nothing left to wish for this variety
from the American point of view, as
they have a beautiful shape and the
Black and White Orpingtons are beau
tiful birds. A good Buff Orpington Is a
thing of beauty, but as yet the Buffs
are inclined to throw too many white
or black feathers to make them the best
bitds for the beginner to start out with
pnless he seeks the diversion of building
up a strain and staying in the fancy..
This may be said: Good Buff Orping
tons sell at long prices and the one who
produces them will not need to send
them to market to And buyers.
As a general purpose fowl, the Lang-
shan deserves to be mentioned, but Us
color is Its drawback In this country.
One who studies poultry from the utili
ty point of view is likely to lose pa
tience with those who judge a fowl by
the color of the feathers or skin. To
our mind, color should cut no Agure
in selecting fowls for utility purposes.
Fanciers Ignore color prejudices, but
the American housewife has in some
way imbibed the notion that black
feathers and a white skin .denote
quality of poultry below the best, which
is purely* an imaginary distinction
based on nothing more substantial
than a baseless tradition. English and
would come to us os a market poul-
tfyman. m
It is Impossible for one person to see
with the eyes of another with sufficient
clearness to give advice which safely
can be followed to the letter. One
might be situated in a locality where
Leghorns would pay better than any
other breed, yet there might be certain
things to consider which would make
it advisable not to select Leghorns. A
good many who live on farms like to
have pure-bred stock, yet they do not
like to take the trouble to fence against
the smaller breeds and for these
larger and more quiet breed would be
best, even If they sought to produce
eggs as the chief source of the revenue
derived from the poultry.
In a general way. we may be com-
A. E. Vandervert lip Poultry
I have always been a greater admirer
of the Wyandotte. Its ideal shape ap
peals to one more than any other va
riety. The various colors and mark
ings of the Wyandotte allow every one
to indulge his fancy. Altho all varie
ties of Wyandottes have good qualities
alike, it is my purpose to speak a few
words regarding one of the best and
most beautiful of the Wyandottes, vis,
the Partridge Wyandotte. In shape,
color of leg, etc., this variety should
conform to the Wyandotte standard
and in color It Is identical to the Par
tridge Cochin. The Partridge Wyan
dotte is a breed whose origin none can
question and a fowl whose Inherited
merits none can disregard.
To produce a perfect specimen is the
Photo by Mathewson.
' A RIBBON WINNER. 4
Grandson of tha famous Buff Orpington cock, "King,** winner at Crys
tal Palace show, owned by Mrs. L. L. Upson, Orpington Grove.
sible that, when a chick, had a well
penciled breast, and when he Is ma
tured, if his breast is glossy black, you
will get both good colored males and
females from a single mating. His
back, hackle and saddle should be a
dark red with a black stripe, extending
down the center of each feather. In
tall, wing, coverts, body, Auff and
thighs he should be a greenish black in
color. Primaries and secondaries should
be black edged with red, forming a red
wing bar when the wing is closed. His
comb should be of good Wyandotte
shape and 1 would not sacriAce other
good points merely for the sake of the
comb as long as it is rose. His eye
should be bright red and legs and toes
yellow.
The females should have a bright red
or orange red hackle, having a broad
black stripe running down and taper
ing to a point at or near the extremity;
the stripe in the lower neck feathers
being penciled with brown. Her breast,
back, fluff and thighs should be a rich
mahogany bay with a triple penciled
marking running parallel with the edge
of the feather. The wing feathers
should be black with brown -penciling
on the outer web. Tall feathers should
be black, except the first two, which
may be penciled with brown.
I have already spoken of the Impor
tance of shape, but I wish to call your
attention to this again. T. F. McGrew
says in one of his books: “Shape should
come before color; It Is shape .“that
makes the breed, color the variety.”
Try your best to stamp the true Wyan
dotte shape Into your flock. A Wyan
dotte with a high, pinched tail, long *
body and legs, flat breast and slim neck
Is not a true Wyandotte. Breed good
sized birds. I do not mean the great
big over-sized ones are to be preferred
to those nearer Standard requirements,
but the under-sized and Immature birds
should not be used. Health and vigor/
are of much importance, for a speci
men lacking in stamina, no matter how
good other ways, should never be placed
In the breeding pen.
Good cara-fs an essential matter. You
can bqy the best that you can. mate the
best you can, but if you don’t take caro
of the birds you will ruin all. Start
right and get good stock from a reli
able breeder whose birds have a good
reputation In the show room.
The Partridge Wyandotte has come
to stay. They are beautiful, the best of
table fowl and for laying, they’re al
ways “at it.”
When attending a noultry show, no
tice how visitors inspecting the birds
will always atop in front of a coop of
Partridge Wyandottes and express their
admiration of the beauty of the birds.
They are one of the most beautiful an I
profitable of this great breed yet pro
duced and bestow great credit on the
work of the American fancier’s art.
Now, dear readers. If you are think
ing of breeding fancy fowls for pk
ore or profit or both, don’t fall to j
the Partridge Wyandotte a
trial.
petent to give advice; but to lay down
general rules Is all we can do. as each
Individual case must be considered in
connection with the environment be
fore definite advice can intelligently be
given.
The beginner who is in earnest in
his efforts to obtain the best- informa
tion can. by studying ail the advice ob
tainable and making his deductions
from this, select a course which will
make the business most pleasant and
French cooks are in every way as dls- profitable to him.
criminating as those of America, yet
the French codk selects with deliberate
Intent the white-skinned Houdan or
the black-plumaged Crm Coeur,know
ing that the flesh of these varieties Is
as good as can be found anywhere.
It is probable that this prejudice j that almost any one can afford to suit
against white skins and black feathers} his fancy and make his start with
Fortunately men differ in their like
and dislikes and the beginner who til-
lows any one to convince hjin against
his will makes a mistake at that tim:.
The difference in the returns received
from the different breeds is to small
gradually declining, as the poultry
press, the marketman and the fancier
are all working to dissipate the false
notions which have grown up concern
ing .these things. Prejudice aside, the
Langshan Is a magnificent fowl. It is
beautiful in color to begin with and as
a layer it can not be excelled by any of
the larger breeds. The world s record
breed that satisfies his notions of
beauty without making any large sac
rifice of profits.
Without regard to which of the va
rieties is chosen, he who begins with
a firm Intention of doing the very best
he can starts with the strongest pos
sible element of success in his favor.
Keeping poultry, is no boy’s work. If
for egg production Is held by Lang- I it is properly attended to. and the be-
■ hnr« both for one vefir uml for twrn * irinm-r should not exnect to float to
shans. both for one year and for two
consecutive years. This breed is hardy,
domestic and really a valuable one. for
it is the only breed ever brought out of
Asia which was perfect when first taken
up by Europe and America. The Corad
Langshan of England ai\<d the standard
type in this country are almost identi
cal with birds of recent Importation
from China. The Langshan lays a large
egg and lays very well In winter.
it should be remembered that in dis
easing this question we do so with
out prejudice. In fact, if we were to
begin now to make poultry breeding
our sole business, we would not follow
altogether the advice we have given,
because we would deliberately take up
a variety which we do not think the
best one for any particular purpose.
We would do this because we fancy
the variety we have in mind and would
consider the satisfaction we would get
from breeding It to perfection would
counterbalance any financial loss which
pinner should not expect to float to
fortune on flowery beds of ease. Long
ago we remember one of our teachers
drilling us over and over on the sen
tence “There is no excellence without
great labor,** telling us never to forget
that sentence. In the 40 years since
this sentence was impressed on us. we
do not remember a single instance
where this saying would not fit with
precision. One can be a poultry keeper
and still not be a poultry breeder. The
one keeps his poultry and lets nature
take its course. The other thinks about
his business, makes his matings with
care, studies his birds and tries to im
prove them In every way. Such a one
draws away from tbs crowd, sooner or
later, making a reputation that adds to
his pfifits and becoming known as a
careful and skillful fancier whose stock
Is worth more than the common kind
because it has bred Into It the skill and
experience of one who has profited by
every year.
one Question that confronts the fancy
breeder. An ideal has been set by man,
and fanciers in their efforts to Idealize
their birds are devoting much of their
time In hard work and study, striving
on to mold nature into their ideal. Win
these students of nature ever complete
ly fathom her curious and intricate
way and give to the world & specimen
faultless in shape and perfect In mark,
ings? We fanciers all ahn for perfect
specimens, yet our efforts fall short Of
producing it; but to attain it is within
the realm of possibilities. If the hu
man mind were large enough It could
be done.
How to produce Specimens that ap
proach perfection is a question diffi
cult to answer. 1 will give a few sug
gestions on the mating of the Partridge
Wyandotte. In selecting breeding
stock you must first see that they have
the true Wyandotte shape, for a bird
quite faulty in this section is of but lit.
tie value. Shape or breed character
istics are of the greatest importance
and should be given precedence over
ail other features. The Wyandotte, not
unlike other breeds, has a shape pe
culiar to itself. It is a bird of curves
Well arched neck, wide, short, cush
ioned back tod low. short, well spread
tail, a broad, well rounded breast and
a short full body set upon a well spread
pair of legs.
The ear lobes and wattles of v both
male and female should be bright redi
free from white, and above all, do not
allow in your breeding yards any va
riety of Wyandottes except the white, a
bird having white in it* plumage, for
If allowed to creep In It Is almost im
possible to breed out.
Id mating Partridge Wyandottes some
prefer. double mating, but whilst the
double mating may be all right, I pre
fer the single mating. As the male is
half the pen. take great care in his se
lection. See that he bas the proper
symmetry- In color of his breast he
should be black, free from red, with a
good slate under color. Do not select a
male with too dark an under color, as
It is difficult to get good colored females
from such a bird. 8 elect a bird if pos-
A GOOD MIXTURE.
• Four cornmeal, 2 wheat bran, fit
middlings, l oil meal. 1 alfalfa. S beef
scrap. Dry and feed in hopper open at
all times. Also keep charcoal, oyster
shell, grit and ground bone before them
constantly. A good many people be
lieve that chickens can be grown suc
cessfully on chick feeds, but our emt-
rience shows us that we can not vie*
velop large chickens on cracked.smfcts
alone. Chickens starve, that have ground
feed right straight thru until they qn
twelve weeks old. ?aey were eating
all the time trying to get enough vft the
dry mash. '
Charcoal is a corrective. Salt Is put
in feed for hens.
Here is a most important statement
and one that must be borne in mind by
all feeders of live stock. Make all
changes gradually. Periods ought to
lap over a week or two.- For a person
to go abruptly from one ration to an
other. he will find troiible.
Another important principle Is to see
that the youngsters every day of their
lives either go hungry trr come hsngry.
Make good use of what they get before
they get anything else, and, more im
portant than anything else, is the close
attention, the care, the regularity, the
neatness of the person doing the work.
JULY CHICKS.
Do not hesitate to hatch chicks In
July, for there is ample time for them
to become well grown before cold
weather. Of course. If one wishes to
have pullets laying in the fall, they
must be hatched out in February or
March, but by careful observation for
a number of years 1 have come to the
conclusion that the June and July
hatched chicks mature Into the more
perfect specimens. Early hatched-pul
lets lay early, hence stop growing, and
In the following spring appear to be in
ferior to the later hatched ones that
kept on growing until fully matured.
Of .course, you will have less trouble
with lice and mites with the early
chicks, but the June and July chicks
have the advantage of' feeding on
worms and bugs, which no doubt help
materially in making them deyelop Into
more perfect specimens.