, 1878-03-15
Hints From TOdd's Handbook.

How MANY VARIETIEs2-Keep no
more than can be kept well. A breeder
who keeps but one variety may be other
wise engaged, so as to neglect it more
than the breeder who keeps two or more,
and makes poultry thorough study and
business. The number of varieties one
kpeps is no criterion by which to esti-
mate the grade Of his stock, more depends
mon skill, thorough management and APP
,,iication. We are not of those who be-
iiave no person capable of successfully
keeping but one breed, and making a
snecialty of it. We do believe one breed
is all great many people ought to keep,
and more, too, while there are others who
can keep a large variety and breed them
alI well. We hold there is no limit to
mans capacity to acquire knowledge and
develop the mind in any given direction.
With ample room where poultry breed.
inc is made business and study, no one
can afford to run but one breed, and no
one breed will satisfy the desire or crafty
the tastes of mind large aud active.
NV fowls are kept on high, dry ground,
in small groups, with free range to grass,
and scattered in fields and orchards.
Nv "Flyng Breeds" are farmed out, only
one variety in place, and all are kept
pure and thrifty, in the hands of trained
and experienced assistants. 1t will be
found that correct knowledge and untir
ing vigilance are the price OF success in
poultry breeding.
WHAT BREEDS TO KEEP.-That de-
pepds upon where fowls are kept, and for
what purpose; if the object be eggs, then
select the non sitters--Leghorns, French,
Hamburgs; if Tor meat and market,
mostly Asiatics; if for eggs, market and
general purpose fowl, get Plymouth
Rocks, Asiatics, Dorkings. For the town,
the Asiatics are best.
To give an idea Of the profit Of poul.
try, practically, it costs about dollar to
raise and keep an Asiatic pullet till
year old, which at that age will have
laid eight or ten dozen eggs, and will
herself sell for 81 for market, leaving u
net profit Of about 81, or 200 per
cent. The cost of raising and also the
profits would vary in different sections.
NUMBER OF HENS TO A CoCK.--of
Asiatics, to 13; of Games, Leghorns,
Houdans, Spanish, and the smaller
breeds, dozen to 40. All breeding
cocks should be strong and vigorous.
When eggs fail to hatch, the cock is in
variably blamed, which is not necessari-
ly the case. Too few hens with the cock,
want of exercise, overwhelming, over
feeding, are all certain and prolific causes
of steriity.
MATING AND BREEDING. The breeder
must be the architect of his own success.
He must form in his mind the ideal Of
the bird he desires to produce, and breed
for it.; to limited extent he may draw
upon the skill of others, but if he has no
skill of his own, or love for the business,
failure will likely follow his undertak-
ing. When the breeder selects and
mates up his breeding yards, he is mould
ing, for better or worse, the young stock
of another year. There is much in care and
feeding, but it is in mating the breeding
0 stock that science and skill are most APP
parent In this we form the shape and
develop the bird in any given direction,
or in all essential points. A mistake,
and the outlay of the season is lost. A
hit in improving upon the parent stock,
and a step is made in the line of pro-
gress that will benefit all interested in
the breed. The rule of like producing
like can not be ignored, but we do not
always obtain the best results, either in
shape or color, by breeding together ex-
hibition birds 1t is important, then,
for the breeder to understand the model
of what he wants, and then mate his
birds to attain it. AS a rule, the best re-
suits are produced by mating so as to
balance the defects on one side, with
high perfection on the other, avoiding, as
much as possible, all serious defects.