No. 7. DEPARTMENT OE^ AGRICULTURE. 325 



PROF. \^'ATTS: A few years ago I conducted au egg test, one" 

 upon a single-comb lii'own Leghorn and another upon a single-comb 

 White Leghorn. The single-comb Brown Leghorn so far excelled 

 the White Leghorn in laying that I have since disposed of all my 

 White Leghorns. I would like to ask what is known concerning the 

 variability of different strains of the same breed? 



MR. CAMPBELL: That is a big question. It would take the 

 whole half-hour to discuss that question. We cannot, as farmers — 

 and I am treating this from a farmer's standpoint — we cannot 

 undertake to determine this. The only thing a man can do to-day 

 is to study and profit by what the other fellows have already done. 

 We have strains — single strains of White Leghorns bred in a con- 

 tinuous line for thirty years. It is just like breeding for the dairy 

 cow. We must start right in where the other fellow is leaving 

 them or where he is, and then continue to breed this old strain. 

 As soon as you begin crossing strains you get left. Stay within the 

 strain; when you get a laying strain, stay within that strain. A 

 stock-breeder will know what I mean by that. 



MR. HOOVER: Isn't it a fact that hens, as a rule, are a good 

 deal more productive by using warm food during the winter, and a 

 good proportion of that food, animal fats? Is it not quite a help to 

 them to produce eggs? 



MR. CAMPBELL: Yes, it is. I want to say first, that perhaps 

 [ did not answer Prof. Watt's question satisfactorily. There is no 

 reason why the Brown Leghorn should not be as good as the White 

 Leghorn, but she is not; the reason is, she has not been bred to that 

 fine point of egg-laying. 



There is a man down here at Leona who holds the world's record 

 on pure Plymouth Rocks. I can't give his name now, but I can 

 find it. He has got that by years of breeding within that strain 

 and keeping what he wants in view all the time. 



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A Member: What do you regard as the cheapest and most satis- 

 factory feed? 



MR. CAMPBELL: The animal meal is the cheapest feed to-day 

 that is on the market, when we take the digestible nutriment that 

 it contains into consideration. If you will refer to Bulletins Nos. 

 81 to 85 from the Experiment Station at Morgantown, West Vir- 

 ginia, you will find some valuable information on this point. 



