Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-10-02
THE POULTRY YARD.
WHY PURE-BRED FOWLS ARE SUPE-'
RIOR TO MONGRELs.

credulity the reports ofextrayagant prices
paid for specimens of fowls, the reason for
this disparity is a mystery. Why one fowl
dollars, is a question which does not tind
reply in their narrow philosophy. 'My
fowl is as large as yours" they exclaim,
''and my fowl is the equal of yours in beau
ty, why should it not be worth as much?"
And thus they contend. jndging only from
is as large and handsome as another, it
must, as natural consequence, be equally
valuable.
A pure-bred animal is defined as one
which will reproduce its likeness in form
and color. Here, then, lies the difference,
and the chief difference, between pure
bred fowl and mongrel. The person who
purchases well-bred fowl may select such
type as paeases him, and set about propa-
eating the breed with reasonable hopes of
having his expectations realized while one
who selects from mongrel stock number
of fowls uniform in form and color, and is
so rash as to cherish hopes of being able to
reproduce that particular type, will find
that his hopes Were vain. That like will
produce like is principle as firmly estab-
lished as the sun and that very fact is the
reason why mongrels do not-why they
cannot-reproduce their influences. Their
| competent parts are so many-too dissimi-
lar often-and, as result, the blood which
preponderates, or which is the strongest, de-
termines the outward form and color of the
progeny.
"But what has that to do with their use
| full qualities ?" you ask. Now, no one will
deny that there is difference in the useful
qualities of individual animals; as in cattle
for beef, the facility with which some take
ON flesh. while others, under the same in
f1uence, fatten with comparative slowness /;
and with makers the difference is apparent
| to all. So it is with fowls; some tatten
readily, while the more nervous, active
kinds can hardly be influenced to take OH
| flesh. And we venture nothing in saying
| that there exists as wide a difference in the
egg producing qualities of different fowls as
there is between the deepest mixer among
Ayrshires and the beefest Of Shorthorns.
Nor is this difference confined to individual
animals, or there exists as great a contrast
ia the flesh or egg-producing traits of the
various breeds. It is just as certain thai
six hens Of one breed will lay more eggs
than six of some others, as that six Ayr
shire cows, bred exclusively tor their milk
ing properties, will yield supply Of milk
considerably in excess ct the same number
of Shorthorns bred for beef alone.
A certain class of men are willing to al
low that some breeds, which have been brel
generations for eggs alone, are superior tt
the ordinary stock in which system ha
been followed, but ask, Why is not doubl'
comb just as good as Il single one? Doe
it affect the laying qualities of the fowl?'
Not at all; but observation has taugh
breeders of fowls that fowls having Ger
; tain form of comb were usually littl
larger than their relatives, varying in thi
particular. Why this should be the cas-
they know not but the fact remains, tha
+ they are larger.
i Observation has taught another breede
: that fowls having some point at varianc
I with their relatives were superior in SOM
y other respects.
Fl Upon this idea is mainly based the guild
$ to breeders. known as the Standard Of Es
E eellence. We say mainly, because the point
have occasionally been moulded by taste c
prejudice, instead of Judgments