Ellsworth American., 1881-10-13
4arm aaS boussbe!S.
"FOr Eggs Only"

To the novice about starting in poultry
keeping, and sometimes for the more or less
advanced breeder, it is essential TO decide in
advance what object is proposed to be ac-
comphshed before the wisest decision can
be reached as to the breed or family to be
invested in. One man desires fowl good
for all purposes OF breed from which he
can sell a portion of his finest stock to other
breeders at fair prices which will furnish
stock for marketing when good prices can
be procured, and is also good for egg-pro-
ducing and chicken-rsising. This man
must select carefully, for only few breeds
fill these conditions. Another makes
specially Of early chickens for the market,
and his purpose is best met by large fowl
maturing early, Of which the HoudAn is q
good example but the HoudAn would not
answer the purposes of No. l, as it Is non
sitter, and he must look elsewhere for moth
ers for his chickens. And whoever would
raise Houdan chicks must depend upon
hens with the incubating instinct or upon
the patented article, which unfortunately,
is not brought within the reach Of breeders
Of ordinary means.
Another party-snd this man is the rep
iesentative Of large class-desires the fowl
that will furnish him absolutely the most
eggs. Other qualities are Of no special ar
count but the greatest number Of dozens.
This man will unquesuonably find his ''bes,
hold" in the Leghorn family. With no dis
parsgeuent TO the other good egg ma
chimes" many of which have their ardent
champions, il seems established that for the
purpose Of egg furnishing alone the Leg
born must be regarded as standing al the
head. OF the various ub-breeds-black,
white. brown. dominique -no~ known to our
standard, and spangled, few Of which are
bred, but not yet recognized in this country.
We are not sure that it would be Just 10
designate any one as leading the oth-rs.
All are about alike excellent in this regard,
as We can affirm from personal observation.
And whoever has one branch OF the family
is naturally apt to believe tina, none Of the
Others can quite equal his own.
1t iss mistake to suppose, many do,
thai the egg Of Leghorn is necessarily
bulk the egg produced by fowl three or
four times as large, but in proportion 10 the
bulk Of its body the Leghorn, under proper
treatment. will yield eggs that are thorough
ly respectable in size and the only wonder
is that when comparatively small bodies Of
the fowls are taken into account they can
BY any process of nature produce the weight
Of eggs yielded up every season during
their period of usefulness
Then. too a flock of Leghorn fowls are
real beauties about any gentleman's place,
and no less around the cottage Of the hum
blest laborer. To be sure they have not
the magnificent solidity of some of the lar
ger breeds. but solidty of bulk and magni-
tude Of size do not by any means constitute
beauty. Neither have they the ornamental
plumsge Of the breeds whose greatest at
fractions are in feather But there is no
more perfect black plumage than tha. Of the
Black Leghorn, no whittier purer than that
Of the white branch Of this family. while
the Brown Leghorn, cock and hen alike are
gifted BY nature with q dress Of beauty
which may well invite the careful study Of
the most gifted artist. But his "style" is per
hAps the principal glory of the Leghorn
cock Of all varieties, and more wide awake
independent. self-responsible appearing fel-
low it would be hard to find in al the fami-
iy Of Gallus. Look at him as he leads his
graceful lady companions in search of the
choicest worm or the most toothsome bug.
Admire the dignity, the pride, the grace
with which every movement is attended.
There is no afectAtion in the fellow. You
may think so al first sight, but he is not a
dapPer young gentleman" polished up for
the occasion Every movement is his own,
is born with him, and will be carried through
his brief existence. The counterfeiting is
not on his side and as to the young man
well. We are not writing about him nov. Ii
is no wonder that the breeders of this varie-
ty grow enthusiastic over their good quail
ties, and that the thousands of owners far
and near admire their inherent beauty, while
other thousands. who probably never owned
8 pure-blooded fowl in their lives, point to
their best reproducing mongrels with en-
phatic pride and assert that "shes got Leg
horn blood in her She's the best LAYER
ever saw Am. Poultry Yard.