No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 295 



the ground. Some one has said that Hogarth's line of beauty is not 

 found in live stock as thoroughly developed as it is in the Wyan- 

 dotte bird, which is notably a bird of curves and not of angles. 

 When you get a bird with angles, you get a bird that does not prove 

 to be very satisfactory in egg production. 



(Mr. Orr produced one of the specimen birds and stated that it 

 had been brought there from a distance of 350 miles. He then 

 exhibited the points of this bird and described its characteristics, 

 saying it belonged to a line that had been bred for 25 years for a 

 particular purpose. It was especially intended to illustrate a prin- 

 ciple of potency in inbreeding with special reference to egg produc- 

 tion). 



I have no use for miscellaneous uncertain breeding, but I want 

 to say to you that what has made the Jersey cow what it is to-day 

 and what has made the thoroughbred horse what it is to-day is 

 found illustrated along lines following the same principles of breed- 

 ing as we find in the American fowls, in their shape and outline, 

 more fully than can be seen in any other lines. 



You will observe a great egg type in this bird, if you please (re- 

 ferring to a bird which he then held in his hands). She is a repre- 

 sentative of the family which has been a great egg producer. This 

 particular bird has been a good producer beginning at five months 

 of age, her mother and grandmother before her were also great 

 egg producers. Her mother was shown five years ago. 



(Mr. Orr spoke of the advisability of selecting such poultry stock 

 as would convert the feed given them into something which would 

 be worth more than the feed, either eggs or marketable and well 

 chosen flesh-producing breeds.) 



(Referring to a bird held in his hands.) This bird is a great egg 

 machine. I think it is not improper for me to say that there are 

 some varieties that will lay twice as many eggs as others. I have 

 two strains of white Wyandottes, one of them is here, the other one 

 is not here; one will produce twice as many eggs as the other, and 

 that is a matter of breeding, of specialty breeding. It must be fol- 

 lowed up successfully and if so would result in making many a dollar 

 now lost. (Taking out another bird.) This bird in shape is very 

 much like a Plymouth Rock; the Plymouth Rock is medium in length 

 of body, while the Wyandotte is short; this hen is long, too long 

 in body to be in typical shape. It is characteristic of this strain 

 to produce eggs rather than shape; they all do it, and I know 

 by personal experience there is no type that will produce more 

 eggs. The little brown hen that I showed you a moment ago, as I 

 said, is a type of this and a good one, but I want to show you here 

 for a moment and to call the attention of all those here who mav 



