The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
RTGB PRICES IN POULTRY.
Pure Bred FONl 10 q Necessity and FRnCIerS
PePDetuaae Them.

@
A sale OF n Buff OrpingtOn hen at York.
Pa, for t4OO was a news item of the last
week. and a. tho fowl weighed only four
pounds, to tho general public IL looked a
high price for poultry. To a community
that grunbles about paying % cents n
pound for the Christmas turkey II seems
a ridiculous sum for one small hen. To
breeders of thoroughbred poultry IA a
fancy or a business the price is only an
indication Of the trade value Of the Orping-
ton at this time. for the buyer needed just
what this hen possesses in color. plumage
and shape 10 strengthen his own flock
! so that he can get more. money for his show
birds. With many outsiders. too. the
Orpington is an ~unlIpown breed Of poultry.
and they have been puzzled to know II the
500 was paid FOR the hen AS a rare fneak
OF featherdom.
The breed Ia a new one and only became
recognized as a distinct fowl in 1895. when
the Black OrringtOn was admitted TO the
chicken stud book. a term that describes
exactly the function of the British and
American standard Of perfection" The
standard tells TO a feather just what a thor.
oughbred fowl IL in the recognized breeds.
and classification is not given to a new
type until 1t has been fully demonstrated
that il il one that ~reproduces itself as a
distinct family. The late William Cook,
an English fancier. created the Orpington.
For many years he raised 10000 fowl a year
for the British market and sold eggs on the
same scale. During the Boer Var Cook
had a contract to supply the British troops
with poultry and eggs and he established
two great farms for the purpose in South
Africa. Cook attended the New York
poultry show OF 1908 and exhibited In the
OrpingtOn classes, but the American OrpinR-
ton Clu had been established before that
and the breed had been seen at our hows.
In creating the Black Orpington. Cook
had combined the MinorCa, Plymouth
Rock and Langshan breeds. but he added
other strains to create the White, Bull.
Speckled and Spangled sorts. each a dis
tint variety. He experimental for ten
years to make the Buff Orpington and il
took Cook seventeen years to bring the
SpanGled Orpington to a standard type.
The fowl is valuable both for the table and
as an egg producer Inc OrpinSton sug-
the old English cottage breed, but il has
four instead OF five toes and Is taler and
heavier. II is a clean legged breed and
includes both single and double comb va
rietics.
The value of pure bred birCs to the poultry
industry is that hybrids. however good FOR
the table or for eggs, are not considered
suitable for breeding from. h cross
DTeu IOWb ueJeTlOTdJB vi All ROON pOtuNS III
a breeding farm and the pure brceCs have
to be maintained TO freshen up the stock
of the market breeders. This accounts for
the high prices OF pure bred types that are
exceptionally good individuals. The SLOWS
OF poultry and pigeons, for tho situation is
somewhat the same with the ] tier. to De
held zach year in all the cities and at the
country fairs are the distributing places
TO the buyers for utility puT p OF the
pure bred stock. The New YORK show.
Vvhich Goa hn0p hald FIR ri uhfnAD vOala ia
the largest. and the finest types of each
breed are On view the e. Az the last show
there were $3.50 exhibits in the poult y and
pigeon divisions.
for an English prize winning chanticleer,
but a Black Orpington cock which was only
fourth in the class was taHged at 81 900
There were a dozen Orpingtons Of different
types priced from SEQ TO $500, and SIS was
the lowest priced one OF the +Gl In tho
classes. As a new breed many amateurs
have taken up the O~rpington. and W. l..
Davis of Berlin, Z Onn., brought his home
breds TO New York in a private poultry car,
which is the latest whim of the gentleman
farmer. The greatest display at New York
is in the two American breeds, Plymouth
Rocks and Wyandottes, 627 and S5A being
the respective number at the last show.
Leghorns, the s producing Mediterranean
type, came next with sos Xhibi
Plymouth Rock exhibitors DO not price
their birds as a rule. The Orly Barred
Rocks priced at the last New York show
were a coo Serel at s35 and a pullet at $50, but
rs the same men havo won the first prizes
year after year il is to be presumed that an
outsider who tries to buy will find himself
up against a corner in the stock, a they
say in Wall Street. Prices Of $50 TO slC0 dot
the catalogue for White Buzz, Pencilled or
Partridge Rocks, and amateurs are more
prominent az winners in these strains. An
actor, W. Barry Owens, who has his farm
at Vineyard Haven, is a leading exhibitor OF
Orpingtons and White Plymouth Rocks.
and Thomas A. Wise, also a comedian, ex-
hibits FaneroIles and raises them at Croton-
on-the- Hudson in the season when the
theatres are closed. Every pure breed in
poultry is IN demand by both amateurs AMI
the business fancier.
Turkeys are not priced, but a show
bird cannot he bon ght for less than 500.
Prize geese are quoted from $50 TO 5000.
and especially good imported ducks cost
the breeders from SIS to $50 each Show
bantams are priced frOeh 81 to S25. but
rare sorts are held NJ prohibitive figures.
A pigeon fancier thinks nothing Of giving
500 for the cock or hen he needs. PyRnY
Pouters al, Just now a fad in the pigeon
world. Aleck Smith, the professional golf
champion, who first became a fancier in
Scotland, is one Of the new American
collectors OF pygmy pouters. Fantails,
jIcObins and magpies year in and out
bring the highest prices. The pigeon
fsncier is not backed by the demand from
utility breeders. as the poultry fanciers
are. and III is a collector from the love
of il and should he ranked with the amateur
collectors Of the rare or beautiful in art.
books or china. for his zeal Is heartfelt.
PheasantS are the highest priced Of
all poultry breeds and tho ~costiicst to raise.
A sstting OF eggs Of the Monaghan or
fingnecKHd pheasant costs FROM $50 to
$50. all risks to be assumed bv the buyer.
while a bird of a rare variety nav cost
$500. Ths stately and giantesdue Indian
game breed commands from s25 20 5000
for "A cock or hen, but a few years ago n
Crystal Palace winnin" cock was imported
ut a cost Of ~. 900. This is an exhibition
breed primarily, hut az valUabIe as the
fountain head strain "a the English bull
dog is to the doG breeders.
LANGUAGE or DIPLOMACY.