Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-04-20

a great many people nave asked
the question, (Which is the best all
purpose fowl?' / never saw salts
factory answer to that question and
thought perhaps it would be a good
idea to describe some Of the leading
varieties giving their good and bad
points.
There is in this country ten dis
tinct classes of the hen-the Ameri-
can class, the Asiatic, Mediterranean,
Polish, Hamburg, French, English,
Games, Bantams, Russians, Sultans
and Silkies, making total Of thirty
two breeds and seventy-nine varieties.
For instance, there are five American
breeds with eleven varieties and we
will begin with the Barred Plymouth
Rock. They are as everybody knows
a very popular breed. We have bred
them for eighteen years, not that we
liked them better than other breeds
but because they come very near be-
ing the farmers choice owing TO their
good size, early maturity, clean legs
and fair layers Of good sized eggs.
The only drawbacks we have ever
found in the Plymouth Rock is their
tendency to put on too much fat and
their everlasting broodiness. Where
they are allowed to feed with the hogs
on the farm they soon become too fat
for the egg business. The broodiness
diminishes as they are bred up true to
name. The STANDARD" gives their
disqualification as ''any feathers on
shanks or feet; permanent white in
the earlobes; decidedly wry tails, de-
formed beaks, red feathers in any
part OF the plumage." The cock
should weigh % pounds, hen q
pounds, cockerel S pounds, pullets
81 pounds. The plumage of these
birds when1 bred up to standard is
very beautiful. Each feather should
be light-sUraw colur or in the abb
sence of color call it white il
you wish and have from five to seven
black bars running across each feath-
err The black ana white of the feath-
er commingling together gives sky
blue appearance. Yet if the feather is
placed on piece of white paper it will
show just black and white. The tend
ency in breeding these birds is for the
males to run too light in color and
the females too dark. And unless one
is careful in mating them he will soon
have a flock of fowls that are
Plymouth Rock only in name. Re-
member in breeding them matching
them is not mating.
The Silver Laced Wyandotte is an
other American made" breed. They
are one pound lighter than the Ply
mouth Rock; are also blessed with
good appetite for corn and are not
brightly enough to work it off. Con-
sequently are apt to get too fat if al
lowed to feed with the pigs. Their
plumage is beautiful. The feathers
nave black centers with a lacing Of
white and where the feathers overlap
each other it looks like diamonds.
They are fair layers but their eggs
are not nearly so large as the Rocks
Neither are they prone to set 50 much.
The chicks are hardy and easy raised,
make very good frys at two months
old; they have clean yellow legs and
rose combs. The Standard gives
their disqualification as ANY teath-
ers on shauks or feet; solid, white
earlobes; combs other than rose. or
falling over to one side or so large IS
TO obstruct the sight; wry tails; de
formed beaks; crooked backs; shanks
other than yellow in color; solid white
breasts" Cocks should weigh 81,
hens s., cockerel 71, pullet 81. The
foundation blood in making this breed
was Silver Spangled Hamburg and
Dark Brahma, while the foundation of
the Plymouth Rocks were the old
Dominique and Black Java. Both
breeds are today an honor to Amefi-
ca and so much are they thought of
in Europe that thousands OF them
have found their way over there.
Long may the American hen cackle!