The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-10-06


nish the source of revenue Go back
30 years and there were few breeds
of standard poultry. When ohe
found pure-bred hocks on the farm
/ they we're kept with some definite
object in mind. 10 it was eggs the
farmer wanted. Single Comb Brown
Leghorns were found; for the gener-
al supply of eggs and roasting chick
ems and heavy fowls for either table
or market the farm flock was compos-
ed of either Brahmas or Langshans;
if a combination of these qualities
was desired the Barred Plymouth
Rock predominated. Today, how
ever. we have fewer flocks of Brah-
mas and Langshans and more flocks
of the utility and Mediterranean
breeds.
Where at one time we had only one
color in Leghorns and one color in
Barred Plymouth Rocks, today we
have five and six varieties of each
one of these breeds. Other breeds
are now on the market having the
same qualities and belonging to the
same class as the Plymouth Rocks
and Leghorns.
In the general purpose fowls. of
which the Plymouth Rocks form
part, we have the Rhode Island Reds,
Wyandottes, Sussex and Buckeyes
In the Mediterranean class, to which
the Leghorns belong, we have the
Minorcas, Andalusians, Campines
and Anconas.
The Mediterranean breeds are rec
ognized as heavy producers of white
eggs. The average weight of the
Mediterranean pullet is from 3 Z to
4 pounds, and they mature and COM
mence laying when about five months
old. The general purpose breeds
produce as many eggs, but the eggs
are brown in color. The general
purpose breeds are recognized as late
fall and winter layers. Cold wealth
er does not have the same effect on
the heavier breeds that it has on the
Mediterranean. The general pUr-
pose breeds do not mature as early.
and as a rule do not lay much be-
fore seven months. OF course, a
poultryman can not grow I pounds
of flesh on a utility fowl as uickly as
he can ~ or pounds on the
Mediterranean. Neither can one ex-
pect the feed ration for the flock of
100 hens of one of the Mediterran-
can breeds to be the same as that
necessary to produce a given egg
yield in like manner number of Z
pound fowls in the American
class.
There is no "best breed" of poul-
Try, for if there were a best breed it
would soon be adopted by all farm
ers to the exclusion of all other
breeds.
Right now is the time to visit the
local county fair, or perhaps the
state fair, and spend some time in
the poultry showroom. Ask ques-
tions of the different breeders and
decide definitely for yourself which
breed appeals to your fancy and
which comes nearest to being really
what you want on your farm. After
the selection is made, eight or ten
good, thrifty well matured pullets
and male bird a year or two old
can be purchased, or perhaps one can
find ten or twelve year old hens and
an exceptionally well developed
cOckerel of high quality to mate with
them. They would be better breed
ing stock. In order to be successful
decide definitely on one breed and
continue with that breed using new
blood from time to time from the
best flOcks in the country.
Nothing is ever gained by cross
ing pure breeds of poultry. Perhaps
the first crossing will be successful,
but the second generation will lose
all that has been gained by the breed
ing and selecting, and one has no
assurance that the progeny will be
either egg producers or market
fowls.
There is no farm large enough in
Tennessee for two breads. If a
farmer will take one breed and
spend his time and energy on it he
will find that at the end of five or
six years he has been more success
full financially and has derived more
pleasure from the work than any of
his neighbors who divided their time
with two or more breeds.-Memphis
Commercial Appeal.