64 Poultry that Pay a Profit. 



number of eggs laid, to show how they compare in that respect 

 with the general flock. I aim that in each of the breeding 

 flocks there shall be, as nearly as possible, the same number, in 

 order that one shall have no advantage over another in the 

 amount of room occupied, and they are always fed and cared 

 for exactly alike. 



After I have succeeded in getting together a satisfactory 

 flock, I find that they will answer pretty well to the following 

 description : large-boned, rather long in leg and neck ; long on 

 the back; deep up and down behind, with legs set fairly well 

 apart ; breast-bone somewhat prominent ; flesh hard, strong 

 and muscular ; in good condition, but not fat ; comb rather 

 above the average in size ; eyes bright and full ; disposition 

 lively, but not scary ; more inclined to follow after and crowd 

 about the attendant than to run and fly at his approach ; 

 large consumers of food and always hungry when fed regu- 

 larly and given a chance for exercise. 



One of the greatest difficulties has been to find suitable 

 cocks whenever I wish to introduce fresh blood, as I do every 

 second year. My plan has been to get some one interested in 

 the same line to mate a pen of his best layers whose records 

 have been kept for the last year, showing their laying quali- 

 ties, with the best cock to be procured for the purpose, and 

 then select from the chioks cockerels when about six weeks old, 

 and grow them, selecting from among the number some of the 

 best in strength and vitality. As I find that a good layer is al- 

 ways a strong bird, I pay particular attention to mating with 

 strong cocks. What I would like for this purpose would be 

 cocks bred from a long line of ancestors of noted laying quali- 

 ties. Such, however, are at present very hard to find, as 

 nearly all breeders applied to can refer me only to the points 

 their stock will "score " when judged by the Standard of Ex- 

 cellence. 



In building up a strain of extra layers, while it has become 

 a well-established fact with me that the selection of the breed- 

 ing stock is of great importance, it is also a fact that feeding 



