The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-09

different environment. when brought
together have something of the effect
of a union of unrelated fowls. En-
vironment seems to have modifying
power upon their blood, and to obviate
some of the ills of inbreeding. The
Black Sumatra is suffering somewhat
from the effects that are common to
rare breeds. Its size is hardly what
its admirers could wish it to
be. and hardly, Vt seems to me,
what it was ten years ago. 1t
in ten years l have seen birds of
this breed that were of Il gooG size,
and. owing to their plumage. looked
really large. 1t is also possible thatits
constitution would not be injured by
an outcross with large, vigorous,
short-Iegged Black Game, breeding out,
of course, the antagOnistic Characters
tics which such a cross might intro
duce. The beauty of the fowl war
rants a determined effort on the part
of its admirers to make it'all thatit is
capable of becoming. The plumage is
a solid black, as lustrous as any color
can be. shining and shimmering in the,
sunlight. The tail of the cock long,
full and carried rather low, the beautl--
full sickles- and abundant coveFts al
most sweeping the ground The comb
is triple, not as perfect as the pea
comb. and might be improved by care
full selection The legs are rather
short and, as they ought to be, black
in cellar. The outlines OF the fowl are
graceful in. the extreme. One pecnl--
iarity of this breed. whichlis possessed
by some pheasants, but whichiI do not
reeelleet as being possessed bE other
fowls, is the number of spurs the cock
has In nearly all of our domestic
fowls a single spur- upon each shank
serves the cock as Il weapon, OF offense'
and defense. but nature has provided
more literally for the Sumatra,. the
cock frequently having, two spurs upon
each leg. and sometimes three. Some
have hat. one on each leg, and the ex-
ira numberis of no practical Or orna--
mental value fora domesticated fowl
Many have argued from. this fact and.
from. the peculiarly long and some
what horizontally carried tail that the.
Sumatra is descended from, the pheas--
ant, but while pheasants,and domestic
fowls do sometimes producehyhTid,o Off
si,rIng. L believe there is no recorded
Instance where such, offspring. has,been
fertile. Every one. has proved TO. be
sterile,. incapable of breeding with
either parent race, and of course
would be incapable. of breeding with
another ny brid of like parentage. Hy-
brids are some times fertile when. bred
with either parent. but when bred inter
So are almost invariablyst SOthere
is nO,good reason for supposing that
the. Sumatra is, of pheasant origin.
The Sumatra is a plump, fowl. and
though small must make. a bOethsOme
bit of poultry. 1t has the reputation
of being an excellent layer OF fair
sized white eggs. But it is not kept so
much for its practical as for its orna-
mental qualities. 1t illustrates very
we'll the difficulty OF accurately classi-
fving fowls into practical and Orna-
mental, for all practical fowls are more
or less ornamental, and all ornamental
fowls are more. or less practical There
IS no breed or variety of domestic
fowls that has not both utility and
beauty, and classification upon such
principle can be made only as utility
or beauty seems to be the paramount
quality, and sometimes these elements
seem so evenly balanced that one is in,
doubt to which class to assign the
fowl. In the ease of the Black Su-
| matra. however. the beauty of the
fowl is so great that it fairly over
shadows it's Htility, and one does not
hesitate in classifying it as an orna-
mental fowl--H. 5. BabcOck, in Orange
Judd Farmer.