Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-05-30
Growth of the
Poultry Industry

The growth of the poultry indus
try in the United Statesis one Of the
marvels of the time. The American
Standard of Perfection, as drafted
and copyrighted by the American
Poultry Association. names over a
hundred varieties Of fowls, all of
which are due to the development
of man except one. The original
fowl was a comedy, wild thing, which
made its home in the jungle along
with the rest of the primeval crea-
ton. 1t is a long call from this anci-
ent fowl of ungainly proportions to
the lordly Langshan or the massive
Cochin of the present day, but the
ancestry is certain. The relation
can be traced back farther than the
time of Christ.
Europe, Asia and America all have
contributed to the development of
the poultry family, and the many
and varied strains that now exist are
the result Of centuries of improve
ment. England and America have
been foremost in the work, however,
and the results accomplished by the
fanciers in these two countries in
recent years have been nothing short
of remarkable. Byintelligent breed
ing these fanciers have produced
fowls of all sizes, from the diminu-
tive Bantam to the mammoth
Bronze Turkey, one tiny bit of
feathers and vanity, weighing only a
few ounces, and the other bulky
fowl weighing from forty to sixty
pounds.
Results equally as wonderful have
been accomplished in color effects.
There are varieties in red. black,
brown and white, with nearly all
possible combinations, besides buff
and Andalusian blue. Not content
with this, the fanciers have shown
that they can lace, stripe, spangle
or bar the feathers of their birds in
any way to satisfy their individual
fancy. In fact, it seems that about
all there is left for them to do along
this line is to put their initials on
the feathers of their birds, which in
the light of what they have already
done, is not as impossible as it may
sound.
The pigeon fanciers have kept
pace with the poultrymen, and the
results they have obtained are truly
wonderful. They have given us the
Fan Tail, a little bird with
a tail big enough to almost tilt its
body out of kilter. In the case of
the Fan Tail the fanciers have simp-
ly bred to a deformity. The improv-
ed strain is merely a line bred mon
5trosity. Some fellow found a pigeon
in his flock with tail feather turn
ed the wrong way. He got the idea
that bird with all its tail feathers
turned the wrong way would be a
good thing, so he sought a mate for
MS freak, paired them, and the Fan
Tail was soon with us. Along comes
another fellow who thought he
would like to see a pigeon with two
'ows of feathers turned the wrong
way. We now have them with three
'ows, and the end seems far off.
These Fan Tails have all the vanity |
# Solomon. In their coops they |
Troop about with very little show of |
ife, but when taken out they
Immediately spread their ample fans
nd strut about as pompous as yon
'lease. When placed in front of
mirror they try to Guido the image
n the glass, and the attempt is some
hing laughable.
AS a close second to the Fan Tails
ONE the wonderful Tumblers.
here are two kinds, Indoor and
outdoor Tumblers. The parlor
erformers will turn somersaults in
he most artistic manner. The out
cor specie will sail up in the air
everal hundred feet, and then fall
downward, turning over
nd over as they come. They right
themselves before they reach the
round, soar skyward again, and
erform the same astonishing gyra-
ons until you tire of the perpor-
lance. The explanation of the
umbler is simple. The breeder