BLACK WYANDOTTES MATING AND JUDGING. 57 



securing first-class birds, and running chances of getting some with- 

 out the objectionable white. This is a very injudicious policy,' as 

 the white is bred into the stock, and will " crop out " now and then, 

 if not in every brood. Present expediency should never be at- 

 tempted, when everything shows that it is going to work injury for 

 years in the breeding fowls, not only in the yards of the one who 

 has caused this injury, but, also, in the breeding fowls of those who 

 unfortunately purchased some of his stock. 



" Make haste slowly " is a good maxim to follow in cultivating 

 new varieties. The " almighty dollar " has such weight and influence 

 over the flexible conscience of some breeders, that they will not take 

 time, nor put themselves to any unnecessary expense or trouble, in 

 obtaining a male or female which would be free from such objec- 

 tionable points, and, if granted that such birds are " few and far 

 between," at least, they have it in their power to wait until the 

 variety has been bred long enough to remove such defects as would 

 disqualify them in the show-room, and not breed a disqualified male 

 in the hopes of procuring a Standard offspring. 



JUDGING. On this point the defects are, sooty black or dead 

 black color of plumage; white in hackles, wings and tail; white in 

 under-color; dusky shanks, feet and toes. Sometimes gray appears 

 in hackles, back and breast, and those males which show bright 

 yellow legs (supposing yellow is the standard color) are almost 

 invariably troubled with white in tail, and sometimes in hackle, too. 

 Of course, such defects often appear in old varieties, but these are 

 exceptions, as a rule, and it is to be expected, in the course of time, 

 that Black Wyandottes will breed as true to color as other black 

 varieties. The scale of points for judging this variety should be the 

 same as for whites, as already mentioned, and the degree of defects 

 from a rich glossy black is to be cut accordingly. In all other sec- 

 tions, aside from color, the defects in each will be the same as 

 in other varieties, consequently, the cut for each defect will be the 

 same as already scored in the laced birds; all must conform to one 

 standard, and all defects must be judged alike. 



