The Question Box. 169 



best fowl. More education in this line will make better judges, 

 but cannot change the many opinions. 



Question. — What is the cause for black appearing in the flights 

 and tail of buff-colored fowl ? 



Mr. McGrew. — The original Buff Cochin had considerable 

 black in wing and tail. This has not been entirely driven out as 

 yet. In fact, some of the best specimens produced each year still 

 show a tendency to black in tail and flights. They being one of 

 the foundation crosses for the production of both the Buff Ply- 

 mouth Rocks and Buff Wyandottes, it is not surprising that the 

 black still appears, and in addition to this, both have been crossed 

 with other Wyandottes, also Rhode Island Reds, the combination 

 having bestowed upon them almost an endless heritage of black 

 in wing and tail. 



Question. — Is it safe entirely to breed out the black which 

 appears in the flights and tail of buff-colored fowl \ 



Mr. McGrew. — It is quite safe to do so if it is possible to gain 

 pure solid color and maintain the true buff shade. The great 

 danger in so doing is considerable loss of color, followed with 

 white in undercolor. The safest method for obtaining and main- 

 taining true golden buff is to continue to mate together the truest 

 colored specimens year after year, so as to establish a strain that 

 will breed true to color. When black must be present, it should 

 be confined to a shading or penciling of darker color on the main- 

 tail feathers. 



Question. — Isn't there a tendency for Plymouth Rock breed- 

 ers to breed too much toward Wyandotte shape, and vice versa? 



Mr. McGrew. — There is entirely too much licensing, on the 

 part of all, as to our positive demand for true breed characteristics. 

 This is not only true with the American breeds, but too true with 

 all. The cushion has no right upon the back of the Plymouth 

 Rock. At the same time, it is favored by many. The Plymouth 

 Rock family have the medium length of back and body; the 

 Wyandotte the short, compact form. Breeders, as a general 

 thing, pay rather more attention to color than to form. 



Question. — Would you breed from an otherwise valuable male 

 single-comb White Leghorn if he had a strong tendency to squirrel 



tail? 



Mr. McGrew. — I should not make use of a squirrel-tail Leghorn 

 under any conditions. They are often used for the following rea- 

 sons: If you have a lot of females that carry their tails too low 

 and close together, it is thought that such a male will help to ele- 



