The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-11-01
PO ULT X Y
THE VARIETIES TO BREED.
Geo. e. Bergen.)

In all my articles published in the
poultry press I have said very little
on the subject of what varieties to
breed. | am fully convinced that the
man. woman or child who has an ad-
miration for any particular variety can
make that variety complete success,
and do it easily, while the same man,
woman or child, if limited to variety
for which he has no admiration or II
given a mixed flock, will generally
make a failure, even though doing the
work carefully and industriously. The
elements of love and interest are most
closely identified with successful poul-
try raising.
Above all things, wish my readers
would dispose of mixed fiocks that
prevail so generally. With all shapes,
sizes and colors, their origin lost IN
the shuttle" you have no opportunity
to secure one of the most essential
elements in either fancy or CONNER
cial poultry-uniformit And please
do not imagine, because you have no
dung hill or schulz stock In your
1ocks. that you are raising pure bred
poultry. The pure bred flock for one
or two years that was top-crossed Win
Brahma males to get STRAIGHTFORWARD
for one or two years by Leghorns for
egg production, then by Wyandottes
for a year or two to get plumpness'
and finally, for year or two by Fly
mouth Rocks, is in state or mixed.
ness more hopeless than a Hook OF
dung-hills pure and simple, for the
renrOductive powers of some OF those
males used at various times is quite
likely to come out at any time to vex
and puzzle you. If you must grade up
flock by top crossing, if you cannot
start a small flock with some pure
bred variety and keep it pure, l beg
of you to always keep one OBJECT IN
view and always do your crossing WIFI
the best obtainable males or one par
ticular variety.
Keep getting year by year nearer
and nearer to pure bred stanoaio
of YOUR chosen ideal. Any variety IN
it's purity is better than any mixture
or cross. There is no longer any ques-
tion as to the truth of this statement
among those competent to express an
opinion. The question for you to de-
eide. then, is what breed is best suited
To vour requirements. Let me denne
some terms. Thus, the American fam
ilv includes the Java, Plymouth ROCK
and Wyandotte breeds. The Plymouth
Rock breed embraces three varieties,
Buff, Barred and White. 81
The Asiatic family, and Engnsh
family and other families are DIVIDED
into breeds and sub-divided into varle-
ties in the same way, thus MAKING
over one hundred varieties found IN
our Standard today.
Before deciding on your speclal'y
decide what line of the poultry lndus-
trv YOU will follow-eggs for market
live or dressed poultry for market, or
the fancy trade, with the market lines
for eggs and poultry to help us up
vour surplus stock and to occupy the
time of your hens the eight months Oh
the year outside the breedlng season
If eggs for market is your opJecC'
and YOU are sure you can regularly
supply comfortable houses (and IN CnlS
cold climate some artificial neat Will
he necessary in winter then one ol
the T,eghorn varieties will suit you.
IF YOU want a good all-round BIRD
hens good layers, cockerels good Dig
roasters a six months and IL turned
info canons superior birds at ten or
eleven months-then one OF the Plym-
ont Rock varieties will suit you. rms
is undoubtedly the most popular iowi
in the world today The market char-
acteristics of this breed are round,
nlumn yellow skin bodies on short
legs. 1t carries flesh of the finest quail
itv and cleans a large percentage OF
choicest meat