59 



is not a very serious objection. Where there is high, dry ground and plenty of 

 range and a person fancies the Dorking color or type, they are worthy of con- 

 sideration. 



Meat Breeds. 



Brahmas. The feathered legged breeds are not very extensively kept. The 

 most popular of these is the Brahma. This breed is very hardy, and lays very large 

 brown eggs. They are rather slow to mature and the feathers on the legs are not 

 altogether desirable from a farmer's standpoint, in that they are apt to get wet 

 and freeze readily. Brahmas make the best roasters, but are somewhat slow to 

 mature, and the females, in our experience, have not been very good layers, although 

 there are some females that do well. This breed is yellow skinned. 



Langshans. Langshans are also of the feathered leg breed, but have white 

 skin. They are longer in tlie legs than the Brahmas and are not so heavy. 



Games. By many the Game would not be considered a chicken suitable to 

 farmers. The exhibition Games, as they are known in the standard, are altogether 

 too long in the legs and head, and too weak in constitution for the ordinary farmer, 

 but the Cornish Games and what is known as the Old English Game are worthy of 

 consideration. The Cornish Game is a very large, tight-feathered, full-breasted 

 chicken, and probably carries more meat on its breast than any other breed. The 

 objection to the Cornish Game is that it is a poor layer. The English Game, some- 

 times termed "Pit Game," is a hardy bird. They are fair layers and make fair 

 roasters. The most serious objection to this breed from a farmer's standpoint is 

 that there is a great tendency among the young cockerels to be very pugnacious. 

 This is sometimes carried to such an extent that they kill one another. Other than 

 this, they make a fairly good farm chicken, especially where the mothers are 

 required to protect their young. 



Special Purpose White Egg Breeds. 



The high price of eggs during the last few years has increased the popularity 

 of this class of chicken very much. Of all breeds in this class the Leghorns are 

 the most popular, and of the Leghorn breed t]ie White variety is bred more exten- 

 sively than any other. Leghorns probr.bly mature a little earlier, and eat less 

 food than tlie heavier breeds; they make fair broilers, but are comparatively use- 

 less as roasters. They lay a large number of good-sized eggs during the natural 

 laying period. As winter layers they are fair, but in our experience more susceptible 

 to changes in temperature than are the heavier breeds. This much must be said 

 in their favor, than their eggs usually hatch better than those of the heavier breeds, 

 and the chickens are very hardy. Of the other Leghorn varieties, the most popular 

 ones are the Brown, Buff, and Black, these varieties not being so popular from a 

 market poultryman's standpoint, owing to the color. 



Minorcas. There are three varieties of Minorcas. The Eose Comb Black and 

 the Single Comb Black are more commonly bred than is the White Variety. This 

 breed is larger than the Leghorn, and also lays a larger Qgg. They have very large 

 combs and wattles. 



