Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-01-25
BOOMING rhE BREEDS.

IN
one of the curious things connected
with the poultry industry is this; Al
certain periods certain breeds are IL
vogue and all others suffer temporary
eclipse. People rush into fancy poui
try, not as fsnciers, not from genuine
love OF fowls, not 10 improve breed
simply 10 make money. They buy ths
breed In fashion, pay the price OF ths
fashion, and In turn take hand at the
bellows, and puf the breed. Not only
the poultry papers, but agricultural
Journals yield 10 the pressure, aud be-
fore all ewes the favored breed Is placed
All possible adiectiyes describe It's per-
fection, aud the public Is led 10 believe
that total excellence Is found In IL alone,
and that other breeds not only lack both
excellence and beauty but are possessed
OF positive faults. Yet la fact the vaunt-
ed breed may De actually inferior In
beauty and In utility TO many others.
Everything in this country goes IN
wsves-tidal waves, which sweep over
the land. as did the HioraS mHltjcdaitS
speculation years ago. The mulberry
tree and six worms were 10 I'LL the land
with wealth. Mulberry trees were of
fabulous value. | never learned that
apy one made cent save those who had
trees TO sell. Then came the hen fever.
The Shanghai was all the go; old estso-
lished breeds were forgotten; he who
had Shanghai fowl WAS the favored OF
the gods; and steady old farmers were
carried of Their feet hy the Using tide.
But that same Shanghai and the tide re-
ceding left the seeds which have since
grown into the poultry fancy and the
poultry shows OF to-day.
Then there was the Jerusalem arti-
choke, which, according 20 the exagger-
ated language Of the day, was the great
est boon 20 the human race ever dis
covered. Farmers planted IL, every
BODY planted Il. Ny own particular
connection with IL Was ss a boy breaking
nv back 20 get the pestilentiAl weed out
OF our garden. Then We had the west
ern land fever; alas, how many Of our
old New York families wrecked their
fortunes Ia the forties in Illinois and
Iowa wild lands, This lesson aud all
lessons OF experience were forgotten in
the boom OF town lots In the eighties.
Still farmers 20 into horses when horses
are high, and sell their cattle when low
20 buy horses; sheep are sold low to
buv high-cost dairy COWS; now IL il hops,
now II l. this, that or the other thing
which Is on the boom, into which the
majority rush.
Thus il l. in poultry. aud sterling old
breeds take seats In rear of the new. lt
seems 70 he the rule here that "eyerv
fowl shall have its day" After the war
when poultry began 10 come 10 the front
again. Il was the Light Brshms which
led the procession. The Asistics hsd
yellow legs; right here came into the
American mind vellow-legged chickens.
At that time cannot recall = single
large breed OF fowls that had yellow
legs except the Asistics. The Black
spanish. the Polish, the Hamburg, the
MinOrcs. the Dorking-Slmost COM
plete li.i Of breeds AZ that period-none
OF these had yellow legs; think IL safe
20 say that We owe the craze for yellow
legs 20 the Asiatics.
Next In order of booms came the Ply
mouth Rock with its various sub-booms,
as the white and buff sub-vsrieties were
evolved. Then the Silver Wyandotte.
the LSngshsn, the Indian Game, the Buff
Ieghoru and now the Minorcs. The lat
ter made but little impression In the
tif,ies, bat we had II Just as IL il to-day.
Its turn has only Just come, long delayed
Il /. true, but its merits are being press
ed ss IL Il were new discovery aud not
one OF the good old sorts which under
went eclipse when the shanghai aud II.
Brahma held the boSrds. Fifty wears
sgo the Ninorca was the layer of the
largest eggs of all fowls, Just a. now.
The Black spanish should surely fall In
and take 20 booming when Minorcss lag,
and hope 10 see all the good old sorts
take their turn again. Not one OF the
laiter-dav creations has ever exceeded in
utility or beauty those Thoroughbred
the Dorking. the Polish, the Hamburg,
the spanish and the old English Game
They have only excelled a. the latest
fashions exCel-in selling.
But the fancy i getting 80 large and
poultry shows 40 numerous that no one
breed can now take everything In sight
Managers Of poultry shows have learned
that the public will no longer pay to see
a displsy OF American and Asistic classes :
only. The beauty breeds must be IN the
show room or the public won't be-. The
point wish 20 make Il this: Consult
vour own tastes a. 10 breed. IL viii
boom 10 its turn. Newspaper commen-
dstions don't sffect real usefulness or
beauty. but only indicate the fashion OF
the dsy. All the stock Of sdjectives will
not be exhausted on the breed which l.
the favorite, but will remain 10 be used
in favor Of the next candidate for boom
honors.
The same methods which doomed the
Shanghai. mulberry, srtichoke, wild
lands and town lots, work now As well
AS ever, and the thing 10 do Is commen-
dstory. persistent advertising, which can
De made 20 sell the good as easily "a IL
has sold the poor. III In poultry, =
handsome. useful breed is neglected. or
a breed is declining in demand, 1t l. only
because In the one case il has never been
well advertised. and in the other, adver-
tising is checked. Study the rise and
fall OF booms in breeds since 1870, and
see i'll have not told the truth. Then
don't discard the breed YOU love because
for the moment better advertised breed
i more in demand. Stay by your
favorits. and avail yourself OF Its
temporary eclipse to buy the best speei-
mems at low priees.-Cor. OF Country
Ga,rian.p