The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-25

on free range, although they will give profitable returns when yarded. As table poultry they have the same qualities as other Leghorns, being most profitable at broiler age-eight weeks. They the Jersey cows of poultry intended to produce large numbers of eggs rather than meat.
 blood, but, also, because 1t is superior to your own in vigor and other ways. It is very difficult to raise standard bred birds if new blood is added to the flock each year. You may buy pure bred male to mate with your pure bred females and later find that the two strains failed to mick" properly. That :, is, the mating may throw offspring with
 defective combs, disproportion or poor
 color, which will take several generations of special breeding to eliminate. In short, the advent of new blood is specula- tion.
 Two Divisions of the Same Strain A better way to introduce new blood is to take two years to do it, and ex- pertinent with individuals. Purchase a few hens of the desired strain and mate them to your best males. or secure ! couple of outside males and mate them to your best females; then study their offspring for a year, and if satisfactory,
 mate the new blood to the balance of the flock.
 There is no evidence to prove that Tine breeding initiates degenerac1 Providing reasonable care is exercised each year in selecting only vigorous
 breeders, and there is a large number of fowls from which to choose. The danger becomes even more remote if two divi- sons of the same blood are kept going year after year. This consists of keeping two distinct strains or matings on the same farm, both of which have common ancestry, but which grow farther apart every year. Every season the males of one line are mated to the females of the other line and vice versa, these lines
 having been started by mating the best
 male to the best female, and continuing the second generation by mating the original male to his daughters, or, the original hen to the son. Proceeding in
 a similar manner for the third genera ton, the original male is mated to grand daughters and the original hen to her grandson, which practically eliminate from each line it's original respective sire or dam. It is difficult to explain this system of line- breeding in writing, but if you will make a chart of 1t and get down to actual figures, you will soon see that it is very simple.
 Crossing Is Generally Bad Sometime in the career of every poul- tryman there is the temptation to cross Dre6QS WlLn a VleW tO improving OIlo OL their qualities. In most instances this crossing of two pure breeds is a mistake. The appearance alone of a flock of cross- bred fowls when compared with the pure breeds whence they originated should convince anyone that this is bad plan. The first cross is not so bad, perhaps, and occasionally it engenders some slight advantage in egg production or weight, but these "hybrids" should not be mated in, Uav nif q back to their parents. Therefore, to con- tinue cross-breeding at all practically, it is necessary to maintain two distinct pure breeds. year after year, and to de- stroy the 'hybrids' as soon as they cease to be profitable. This occasions many separate houses and yards for the sexes of each pure breed, and for the crosses, which is both expensive and troublesome. Sometimes it is profitable to grade up' a flock of mongrels, such as are found on many general farms by introducing pure bred males. Pure bred males of
 the same variety should be used year after year, however, and not the males from the offspring of the first cross. In the course of four or five generations, with careful selection, 1t is possible to grade up'' the original flock of mongrels to the level of the pure bred male in ap- pearances, but scarcely in breeding quail ities. There is always more or less
 chance of a reversion to type in breed- ing from mongrels, hence 1t is often cheaper in the long run to commence with pure bred stock. Barn yard fowls are better than none. of course, but why keep mongrels when pure bred birds can be had for almost the price of meat7 Those who appre- ciate the value of uniformity in body and eggs. and who realize the need of transmitting these qualities to the pro- geny, find no argument in favor of the manure pile diggers' There is more beauty and more dollars in the thor oughbred-be it hog, horse, COW or fowl How to Select the Male In selecting males for breeding pur- poses the first qualities to consider are those in plainest evidence-the general appearance of the birds Only such speci- mems should be chosen as meet with the standard requirements of particular breed. If bird has a poor comb, wry tail, color defects, or if he Is too large or too small, he should be discarded in1- mediately.
 At the same time the males are being judged for their appearance, their con- duet should be carefully noted for a fowls actions furnish one of the most reliable guides to it's breeding ability. The desirable breeding cockerel is al- ways on the alert, aristocratic in man. ner combativc--a good fighter, and one who believes in growing about it. Crow ing is an indication of vigor and vitality, and characterizes masculinity. A cow ardly bird Is totally unfit for the breed- ing pen. Fear and physical weakness usually go together The male that runs at the approach of another Is apt to be a degenerate
 After selecting the males for general appearance and conduct, final Judgment is passed on their physical qualifications. in other words, their shape and build. The body of the vigorous fowl Is broad, deep and blocky as contrasted with the long. thin, slender type. A birds plum age is apt to be deceivinE in this respect. consequently all candidates for. the hreed- ing pen should be carefully h1ndled and ifepected The male should be selected for the same requireemnts as the fe- nals.
 A commonplace inquiry Is: How many females to place with each male? No fixed rule can be given The breed, size of the flock. living quarters and the general health and vikor of the stock are all determining fartcrs n veneral
 rrpre males arc requiret @i{M the N.zs {cf 4da And <hA n rwi },>siN sf I<<,s