No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 297 



have been breeding barred Plymouth Rocks for four or five years 

 of the Thompson strain and you think you ought to have fresh blood, 

 go back to Thompson tell him what you have, and get something 

 along that same line. 



Having bred one of these varieties for fifteen years, I was im- 

 pressed with the idea that possibly I might be breeding too close, 

 so 1 purchased two male birds mating same with ten hens, which 

 represented about the average of my flock, and as a result I got the 

 veriest lot of mongrels that I ever had on my place. You don't want 

 to do it; you don't want to run the risk; you want to start at the top; 

 don't start down at the bottom. Take advantage of what some- 

 body else has done; don't ignore the work that has been done by 

 others and throw it away and attempt to do something yourself 

 that will only lead to failure. 



These Leghorns are the great producers of white eggs; all of the 

 Mediterranean varieties produce white eggs, if you keep them warm 

 enough, but you must have a house free from the wind in winter; 

 you must have them in a tight house in winter. You don't need 

 artificial heat to breed them. All over the State of New York they 

 are breeding them by the tens of thousands without artificial heat. 



I hope that I have succeeded in calling your attention to a few 

 of these points which are of importance in the breeding of poultry. 

 Now I would say to you, give that boy or that girl a chance on the 

 farm to have something of his own or her own, something that 

 every member of the flock will be as nearly alike as possible, some- 

 thing that will represent the sort of poultry that the people will 

 want and something that is worth more money than the cost of the 

 feed which you provide for them. 



MR. DYE: Mr. Chairman, I don't want you to think that in all 

 the flocks of the State of New Jersey there is but one bird that 

 looks alike as my friend Orr seemed to intimate. If he will come and 

 travel with me over the State of New Jersey I can convince him 

 that we have very many over there that it would pay him to visit. I 

 wish also to state that I have enjoyed this meeting very much. It 

 has been one of great instruction and pleasure to me. 



DEPUTY SECRETARY MARTIN: Mr. Chairman, we have been 

 especially favored at this time and honored by visitors from our 

 neighboring states. Yesterday we announced the visit of Mr. Dye, 

 of New Jersey, and of Mr. Agee, of Ohio. Now to-day we are hon- 

 ored by the presence of Hon. W. L. Amoss, Director of Institutes of 

 our neighboring State of Maryland. Mr. Amoss will please come for- 

 ward and let us hear from him. 



Mr. Amoss spoke as follows: 

 20 



