Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-19

The following from q letter Oh an
old Black Minorca breeder to Gus
toner gives experience in breeding
that may be useful regarding other
fowls:
1 give color, shape and size all the
preference over bead points. V1gor
counts most with the egg man and
shape next; color is most important
in the show room-for the most, size
is the fad Just now and long legs
which are conducive in size are not
in fashion, though long legs are not
demanded by the standard. weight
often goes back on the breeder, ana
1t stands him in bad to use his heaviest
birds whether good, otherwise or not.
Shape, vigor, egg production ana dls-
position are readily inherited; ana
once established in the parent stock
usually appear in the offspring, but the
Standard calls for heavier and larger
bodies than nature does; so that these
continually revert to the smaller ana
shorter and higher tailed type OF the
vast majority of the ancestors OF MOD
ern Minorcas. Tail carriage does not
count enough in the scale or polhts NOT
show we'll enough in exhibition coops
to warrant breeders in sacrificing other
points to get it, so the Minorca is not
improving rapidly in this regard.
The low tail is no more natural to
the Minorca 0n fact it is less SOD than
to the Leghorn, but 1T is necessary
to make the back look long ana Is
therefore beautiful"
Color requires the most sklil anu
observation and counts most in the
Standard scale-i. e., is most important
in the show room-and l believe tnat
IL a man could learn all ABOUT MS
flock and it's ancestry, he could pro
duce the desired green sheen TO nice
ty. AS matters are, 1t is largely guess
Cnnnim9nS
shows are cut for purple luster. Tnere
is no question but that the green OF
this black bird has been most improved
bv breeding straight for it-thaI Is,
bv getting good colored Minorcas from
parents showing the green-black pluln- UNI
age-but many breeders oppose tils
and thereby delay the development OF
The breed. The highest scoring bros
are often the offspring of dull Diack
males mated to good green hens. These
snacimens are not instrinsically the
hest but they score highest. Inc score
card Judge cuts each section IN Whlcll
he finds purple. If the luster is ho'
very good he does not nnu niuon e ,,+ pua
nIe and usually makes no cut for want
~ hrilliancy. This Is simply case III
which the score card initiates against
The development of the ideal type;
Comb is the most tickle, and If there
Is any great amount or science III
comh breeding, l am Stlll lsHol ah' ~, %
a. Mate a smooth -combed male win
civ noints to good six point females
and the offspring will have four TO zen
noints in their combs; some rough
some Jagged, many thumb-marked'
and some having such lot or ilttie
saw-teeth climbing up from the Dill 10
where the large points begin, tnat you
naver can tell how many points the
comh has I think the majority OF those
hreeders who give special attention
to conh use two matings; one Tor pull
lots having large thin combs, no mat
Tor how many thumb-marks. III tne
cock,s comb is too high at the PACK,
no matter at all; and If 1t mas twls'
over the bill, all the better. Then an
other for cockerels-strong symmetrl.
col combs. free from thumb-marks. III
hens, combs stand erect. all the pet
Tor and thew must not have the doupie
fold over the bill required by the stan
dard Most strains of Minorcas nave
suffered from this kind OF preeuihs'
II is nrobably real help for produc,
mo show birds, but 1t surely is reai
danaee to most of your customers
Smno DO not know what you have been
doing and do not care to carry out
your plans :, uoonraar in
Large or small combs reappear II, III
the progeny and become ralriy wen wen
aged after several generations. LATE q
combs mated to small ones 90 h4s To-
rive medium sized but assorteo' II II
the cock is particularly prepotent. II
ma iority of his offspring Will resempie
him; if he is lacking In prepotehcy 'he