The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1882-03-30

oughbred fowl a the common bull |
behind the Hereford and Jersey
but such 10 the fact. You hav,
been breeding in-and.in until tn,
common stock you started with ha
lost part Of its vitality, size and pro
ductive powers. Your flock Il lik,
Joseph's coat, and Ii an eyesofe Il
any one who has Q notion of thu
"eternal fitness of things; bu
while you have been doing this
others have been improving domes
tic fowls until now the thofoughbrd
Plymouth Rocks, Houdans, Leghorns
Bramahs and Cochins take rank
with the Short-horns, Herefords
Aberdeens and Jerseys. You buy q
thoroughbred stallion, bull, boar OF
ram. and pay . good round price for
him, because you know your invest.
ment will be returned with big inter
est. You know you will raise better
horses for general purposes better
beef, pork and mutton for the mar
ket ;and that your pure-blood cattle
will produce more milk and butter,
and better In quality, which will
bring higher price In the markets ;
and when you have bought these
blOoded animals you take good care
Of them, simply because you have
money invested and do not wish to
sacrifice 1t through any neglect OF
your own. Now, II you will follow
the same course with your poultry
you will reap the same benefits, and
they will pay you . much greater
profit on the Investment than any
other porduct of the farm.
The common fowl has been bred
for the past two centuries regardless
Of all the rules Of breeding "in and
in" breeding has been going on all
these years, and birds OF weak con-
and deformed bodies have
consOrted together until their of.
spring have lost the native vigor of
their race; their productive powers
have become weakened; the flavor,
quantity end quality Of theiI flesh
impaired, and their size decreased.
All of this results in the farmer losing
q portion of the profits he might Sc
cure if he gave his fowls the atten-
ton they deserve and require, and
which he could give them without
detrifnent to any Of his lother farm
interests.
Hens that under proper manage
fnent should lay one hundred aud fifty
eggs per year, only yield about half
that number, and birds that should
weigh from six to twelve pounds fall
sadly short of it. 1t costs as much to
keep these birds as Ii would to keep
better ones, while the profits from the
better ones would more than pay the
al n Sxf -
were selecting thoroughbred bull to
breed to your thoroughbred cows, or
common stock, you would select one
you knew to be well bred. and from
q line of sires that were noted for re-
their own form, stamina,
color and disposition. Ifthis bull prov
ed TO be a perfect sire you might breed
his own daughters back to him once,
but you would hardly breed them
back a second time, for fear that SO
close inbreeding might throw out
some defOrmity or weaken their stam-
ina. If you were purchasing COW to
breed to this bull you would select one
as well bred and strong in con-
stitutiOn besides this, you would
want TO know that she was q fine
that her milk was rich i'm
quality, and that she came of q strain
of good mixers. Knowing these
things you could feel certain that your
had been invested judiciously
and that il would come back to you
ian hundred fold" In the cultivation
Of poultry ii Is necessary to follow out
the same system of selection and mat
ing. Select u sire of sound cOnstitu-
ton, strong i'm color and good In SYM
metry, one that is full of vigor, proud
Of his hsrem and able to defend II;
mate him with females equally strong
in constitution, as good In symmetry
IL possible, and known to be prolific
Egg producers. Carry on this system
rear after year, always selecting the
pest male birds for sires, adding fresh
blood occasionally, and retaining the
daughters of your best layers for
purposes and II will not lie
ong before your poultry will become
! source of pleasure, as well ~ profit,
o you. When you have reached this
Joint il will not be necessary-as II
low is-tO remind you that nothing in
Inimal creation that has been domes-
icated can do its best without care
md attention, and fowls are not an
to this rule II you take n
urn him out i'm barn-yard, and leave
lin there without care and proper
Ood, he will shortly be unable TO make
lis mile in twice that time, and, of
curse, his value will depart with his
peed. So II IL with fowls. Many Of
'ou do not provide them with roost-
ny or nesting places, and let them
Iunt for food necessary to keep them
live. You let them roost in trees In
he coolest of weather, and if you feed
hem at all you throw few handfuls
4 corn on the snow, and retire, per-
laps, saying to yourself, with JUNCTION
f soul, that "a merciful man is mer-
iful to his beast" and when you look
or eggs and do not find them, you
- those poor frozen, half-starved
owls. Surprising, as an experiment,
on provide your fowls with comfor.
able quarters, and with good food and
'lenty of it, not neglecting to give
hem good warm meal I'm the morn
ny and some Vegetable food OCCASION
lily. and then see if they will disap-
oint you when you look for eggs:
hi IL y ou otC /" oui
eep common fowls, send them to
he market and purchase . breeding
EN- of either Plymouth Rocks. Hou.
ans, Leghorns or Black Cochin, or IL
on cannot afford this, purchase a
ockerel of either of the above varie- |
les. and let him run with your hens.
illing all other male birds on the |
lace, and remembering that one male |
ird should not be required to serve |
iore than ten females. Do the same |
hing next year. and see II there is not |
marked improvement In the looks |
your flock, aud also i'm their pro-
You have the strongest |
lotive possible to try this. and exper-
nee assures success.-Correspondence
} the Chicago Breeders Gazette.
Love Your Neighbour.