The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-23

ton as many eggs each year as she
does today. 1t is through selection and
breeding that the annual egg produc-
ton has been increased from 10 or
20 up TO 200 eggs in gear. with still
a higher egg yield in the future,
when more knowledge and the prac-
tice of the same is INDUCED in
Let us see what is taking place
with the miscellaneous bred hen. or
mongrel: the principal called by biol
ogists atavism. that mysterious force
which dra gs the St. Bernard pug and
collie back toward the type and char
acteristics of the wolf or jackaL the
common ancestor of all varieties OF
dogs. The same force that develops
stripes on the neck and shoulders and
sides of horses. left wild for a sea-
son upon the pampas of South Amer
lea and brands them with the brand
of their brothers, the zebras, is drag
ging our highly-specialized and useful
domestic hen with their 20O-egS rec
ords back toward the Bankiva, with
i record of score or less.
of all the lines of development and
specia Iization in the domestic hen by
far the most valuable are those of
prolific egg production. hardness.
size and delicacy of flesh flavor. The
other lines. such as form. color, etc.
may be called incidental qualities, or
characteristics. and may be consid-
cred useful only as all things are in
a way useful
1t is a law as deep and wide as
civilization that among all the works
of man only the useful persists From
this it is seen that the standardized
fowl possesses to 4 constantly in
creasing extent. and certainly trans
mits, those qualities or traits which
the world wants and which are use
fuIwhiIe the mongrel has been and
is slipping back toward the practical
ly useless jungle fowl of southern
Asia.
1t follows then that any standard
breed is better than a degenerate
of that breed. or the mon
grel of any other breed. But how is
one posted on poultry to select
ones breed? 1t is we'll TO select 4
breed along the lines of the essential
traits or qualities. viz. egg produc-
tiveness, hardness. size, flesh. flavor, /
etc. rather than along the lines OF
Incidental or ornamental qualities or
traits. viz. color, penciling, barring |
feathers on legs. drop of comb or /
and size serratiOns-
Why not seek both the essential and I,
ornamental qualities This fact is to |
be borne in mind-the fewer the char /
differs from the original ancestor the /
less the breeder has to fight against |
atavism in maintaining the highly /
developed characteristics of that ami |
mai, the FEWER the portals one mas 10 /
guard. the stronger the castle If one {
were working for egg production. |
size and hardness only one is more /
certain to hold our own or make i
Roadway than We are if we had in /
addition to guard the color. shape. /
leg feathering or no feathering, size /
and Serrations of comb, etc |
Hence one would choose a breed /
strong in the characteristics and hold /
fast to them and leave the fancier to |
further develop and establish the in !
ciCantal or orna mental characteristics.
The best way to start in with a new
breed is to buy a few mature birds, |
perfectly mated. one can set the eggs
from them, during all the spring and 1
a part of the early summer, with the +
Likelihood of securing enough good (
birds for fajr-sized flock for the |
next season.
With eggs even from the best
Yards there are many culls. or in !
'erior birds. and the beginner seldom
eels like purchasing a large number
f sittings of eggs to give one a fair
lied flock of first-class birds for the
econd season. and so his flock has
q percentage of inferior birds. The /,
emptat9on is stronger TO spare the !
poor bird when there are but a score |
select from than when there are a /
hundred, and moreover the ethics of