The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-12
Shows Instill Enthusiasm, Create Interest Among Amateurs and Bring Fan ciers and Farmers To- gether
Educational Value Is Great; Helps Beginner to See the Strong and Weak Points of His Stock
By MICHAEL K. BOYER Poultry Editor of the Farm Journal
 .t-ul.

fowls at their best are interest stimu- 1ators and are often the cause of poul- trymen adopting better methods. In this article, MT. Boyer advises the anna teur to take an interest in poultry shows and also tells how to breed prize winners.
 Sixty-one years ago the first poultry show was held in America. The exhibi- tion was given in the American mu- scum in New York city, owned and operated by P. T. Barnum, the great show man.
 It was at that show that 20 judges were employed. among whom were such noted men as the late D. D. T. Moore. editor of Moore's Rural New Yorker, and the late Luther Tucker, editor of the Country Gentleman. An association was formed under the title of the National Poultry society and the late P. T. Barnum was elected pres ident. Among the list of vice pres idents were Horace Greeley. Orange Judd and George P. Barnum. A. B. Allen, the noted agricultural editor. was chosen recording secretary.
 ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED 1873
 History does not say how long this national organization existed, but 1t is presumed that it held up until about 1873, when, at a meeting In Buffalo, N. Y, the American Poultry associa- tion was organized The object of the latter society was to get up stand ard of excellence for the guidance of judges in awarding prizes.
 The first American Standard of Ex- cellence, now known as the American Standard of Perfection, was adopted by the American Poultry association at the meeting held January Is, 1874
 As stated, the first regular poultry show was held 61 years ago QS6Q. Prior to that the only public displays of fowls were held at county fairs. These were mostly in open cages, out of doors. somewhere about the fairgrounds, and received only a passing notice. The judges chosen were men who were any, thing but experts, but by common con- sent their judgment was final and was gracefully accepted by the exhibitors. COMBINE FANCY AND UTILITY The fancier deserves a whole lot of credit He is the bone and sinew of I the business. He has made for us new | breeds, and he has improved the old ones. There are two classes of poul v
 trymen-the fanciers and the utility men. The formers occupation is to 1 perfect the old and create new breeds. l They keep the breeds in their purity l It is up to the utility man to im- prove the practical qualities In other words, the fancier gives us the breed as it should be in size, in style. 1T l symmetry.
 The practical man then must by se- lection and breeding, bring out the egg | and meat qualities. The meat qualities are largely already created by the | fancier, since he must put shape ans | size to the birds.
 | Now while the fancier and the poul- | try farmer are working along two dis tinct lines it is important that they , "get together" The former, In mak- ing or improving breeds, should keep IT
 mind the requirements of the latter l The latter, in turn should make his improvement without sacrificing the l characteristics of the breed In hand. A case in point is pen of exhibi- tion White Wyandotte fowls which the
 writer purchased some years ago. They
 were only ordinary layers. Trapnests | were used. At the end of the year one | half of the flock were selected (ac-
 cording to their egg records) and bred I to a male that was matched from an egg laid by high record hen. Each year thereafter similar matings were made, until today my White Wyan- dottes are not only excellent layers | but are wonderfully well possessed o1 show points. This goes to show thai to a considerable extent the fancy and the utility can be combined.
 l DDonTrrINc HEAVY LAYERS