io WYANDOTTES. 



market such fowl; advised cooperation in breeding high-class stand- 

 ard birds and exposing frauds. This, together with the confidence 

 of their admirers, won back their former popularity, and now it is 

 universally conceded that it rests on a foundation as permanent as 

 the everlasting hills. 



GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



The value of Wyandottes rests not alone on their comely 

 appearance, good size and excellent flesh qualities, but also on their 

 fairly good laying merits and quiet disposition. By common con- 

 sent, they are called handsome; both male and female claim their 

 respective shares; still, the peculiarity of their lacing and penciling 

 will admit of greater improvement and perfection in all points. 

 They are scored too high at present by all judges, perhaps owing to 

 the reason that there is no ideal standard in their minds to which 

 the specimens should approach. There is much of the surface of 

 the body, thighs and rear part of the hen's back that needs improve- 

 ment to correspond with the head, neck and breast. 



There is no question regarding their usefulness, as that is con- 

 ceded by all breeders who have given them proper attention and 

 compared their merits with other breeds. Indeed, there are some 

 well meaning fanciers who make extravagant assertions of their 

 superiority over all other breeds. Such statements must be taken 

 with many grains of allowance, as they are not equal to the Dorking, 

 Houdan and Game in quantity and quality of breast meat, and not 

 equal to the Leghorn, Minorca, Hamburg and Red Cap in egg pro- 

 duction; but when we make a comparison with either of the breeds 

 named, on the basis of general usefulness, that is, an all-round, 

 general-purpose fowl, fulfilling the desires of the farmer, cottager 

 and fancier, the Wyandotte is to be preferred. 



There are many reasons why the Wyandotte is so popular in 

 this country and Great Britain, though possessing scores of good 

 breeds. In the first place, the lacing is unique; the size and weight 

 is the most desirable for market; the carcass has not the grossness, 

 coarseness of flesh and heavy bone frame of the Asiatic, nor the 

 light and spare body of the small varieties. The color of the flesh 

 is much in their favor, as the majority of our fowl consumers prefer 

 yellow skin to pale color, as it suggests richness of meat. Whether 

 this notion of color in the flesh of breeds adds to its real value or 

 not, we will not discuss; so long as people hold that notion, any- 

 thing contrary to it might not change or benefit any one. If the 



