412 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



forced much earlier, but this is not advisable, 

 and it is far better to date the time of hatching 

 accordingh'. 



The breed is not much used as a cross ; but 

 that with the Houdan is known as an excellent 

 layer and fair table-fowl and it is worthy of 

 notice that the produce of a White Leghorn 

 cock with a Barred Rock hens has produced the 

 only actual record known in England of an 

 average of 152 eggs per annum from an entire 

 flock of as many as fifty hens. 



Before proceeding to the individual varieties 

 of Leghorns, it may be well to remark that 

 there is one natural difficulty in breeding them 

 all. This consists in the natural antagonism 

 between bright yellow legs and pure white ear- 

 lobes. For some years attempt was made to get 

 recognised cream or ivory (not yellow) shade in 

 the ear-lobes, but it was ineffectual ; and there 

 is little doubt that a cross with the Minorca, 

 which is known to have taken place, was intro- 

 duced partly with a view to whiten the lobes. 

 By this cross was introduced more coarseness, 

 with some loss of the original sprightly type. 

 The real difficulty now is in regard to the 

 yellow of the shanks. There was also an at- 

 tempt, many years ago, to tolerate straw plu- 

 mage in Whites, as natural to yellow-legged 

 breeds ; but that also was ineffectual, and this 

 particular difficulty has undoubtedly been 

 somewhat lessened by the whitening of the 

 lobes. It is certain, at all events, that with the 

 establishment of white ear-lobes the plumage 

 of White birds has improved in colour. 



Of all the varieties of Leghorns, the White 

 has been longest known in England. It has 

 become much larger than when first imported 

 — many think too large — and it has 

 White suffered as much as any from large 



Leghoms. overgrown combs, which bow down 

 the necks of the poor birds in too 

 many pens ; but we have said enough on this 

 point. Mr. F. Tootill, so long associated years 

 ago with the late Mrs. Webster's successful 

 stud of White Leghorns at Hors forth, and 

 later as founder of the present successful stud 

 owned and exhibited by his firm, Messrs. 

 Whitaker and Tootill, of Pool, Yorkshire, has 

 kindly supplied the following notes on this 

 variety : — 



" It is with pleasure that I consent to supply 

 a few notes respecting the leading and most 

 popular variety of Leghorn. In doing so my 

 desire is to assist the amateur and breeder, and 

 to further the interests of the breed ; and with 

 this end in view any little knowledge I possess 

 IS most freely given, and I am in hopes that 



from the perusal of these notes those for which 

 they are intended may derive benefit. 



■' During the past few years the White Leg- 

 horn has been much improved, to such an ex- 

 tent that at present shows it is no uncommon 

 thing to find specimens staged which are equal, 

 both in size and head-points, to our best Black 

 Minorcas. In fact, this has been carried so far 

 that it has been questioned, and has been the 

 cause of long and heated controversy, whether 

 breeders were not now losing that beautiful 

 stately carriage of the typical Leghorn in their 

 desire to obtain size. Size is difficult to secure, 

 and, when once obtained, a breeder has reason 

 to be pleased with the result of his exertions ; 

 but we must have type in conjunction with it. 

 Experience tells us, however, that it is little 

 use nowadays to exhibit the small ' pretty ' 

 whites, our judges signifying their require- 

 ments by their invariable decisions in favour of 

 size, sometimes in preference to head-pomts 

 and general quality. This applies more par- 

 ticularly to the all round judge, and is to be 

 regretted, as type and quality should always 

 have prominent consideration. Only on one 

 occasion, in my experience, has any specialist 

 judge been so infatuated with mere size as to 

 have given the preference to a huge body and 

 ungainly carriage against a perfect head, with 

 good shape, on a smaller body ; but as this 

 was at one of the most important shows of the 

 season, such a decision may have a consider- 

 able effect on breeders. The position of judge 

 is as important as the task is an unthankful 

 one, and specialist judges at our principal 

 shows should not lose sight of the fact that 

 they have, to a certain extent, the destiny of 

 the breeds on which they adjudicate in their 

 hands. In White Leghorns, some years ago, 

 there was some foundation for the view that in 

 consequence of the tendency above noted we 

 were threatened with loss of type, the all-im- 

 portant feature. I am glad to say now, how- 

 ever, that breeders are paying much more 

 attention to shape than formerly. 



" Although it is a characteristic most diffi- 

 cult to put down on paper, the shape of a 

 Leghorn is totally distinct from that of a 

 Minorca, just as the Andalusian is. In breed- 

 ing I make this feature as important as purity 

 of colour. I place 'vital importance on type 

 and colour, because a Leghorn ceases to be a 

 Leghorn when it is not typical, just as it ceases 

 to be a WJiite Leghorn when the colour is 

 impure. It has been suggested that, to secure 

 the size of present White Leghorns, foreign 

 blood has been introduced, such as that of the 

 White Rock, White Malay, etc., etc. ; but this 



