24 



THE LEGHORNS 



^ 



prove such a conclusion. Langshans carry the tail at a 

 high angle, Sumatra Games carry theirs quite low, and 

 both class high in the scale as egg producers and breeds 

 of exceptional vigor. 



Leghorn experts in convention with the revision com- 

 mittee of the American Poultry .Association in 1893, de- 

 cided upon forty-five degrees as the most desirable ele- 

 vation for carriage of tail of Leghorn males, and forty 

 degrees for carriage of the tail of the female. 



The Leghorn race first reached .America frotn Italy, 

 and was from here taken to England. Mr. Lewis Wright, 

 for many years the great English authority on poultry, 

 appears to accept the Leghorn as a branch of the Spanish 

 family, and many fanciers of England have made their 

 selections as considering it of that class. The late con- 



Ntroversy on the Leghorn type appearing in British poul- 

 ftry journals, plainly emphasizes that many breeders there 

 Vstill desire to breed it as a Spanish variety. Mr. Lud- 

 ;Jow, who has always stood first in portraying the British 



/ideals in poultry, plainly shows what the White Leghorn 



was in England in 1876-7. At the time when we first be- 

 came acquainted with the strains of Leghorns in the 

 East in the early 90's, there were exhibited three fashions 

 in Leghorns. 



The sketch of the first prize cock at New York, in 

 1890, (Plate 12) was made at the first show in the new 

 Madison Square Garden. This bird was winner of special 

 for most typical Leghorn male in the show and represents 

 the finest show type in males previous to the selection for 

 the fashion of low tails and longer saddles. This fully 

 matured cock showed nicely rounded body lines, well bal- 

 anced on fine boned limbs of length proportioned to the 

 body and other sections. Head fine, comb, wattles and 

 ear-lobes close to the description of our present Standard. 

 The body is rather toward the level now desired, and the 

 saddle plumage is long and profuse. The tail is not so high 

 as in those illustrated in the early 70's, although a good 

 deal higher than the forty-five degrees demanded by the 

 present Standard. This cock was one of good size, ele- 

 gant style, show temperament, and such a bird as was al- 

 most sure of winning anywhere at that time. 



Another family were those bred and shown by Ezra 

 Cornell and Willard Knapp, afterward owned alone by 

 Ezra Cornell, and finally, (after the death of Ezra Cornell) 



sold to Mr. E. G. Wyckoflf, of Ithaca, N. Y. This strain 

 produced quite a number of the style which later, during 

 the 90's, made a number of good winnings and gained 

 quite a degree of popularity. They had clear, white plum- 

 age, nice heads, and were peculiar in being of unusual 

 length of limb. This latter feature distinguished a num- 



that 



Madison 



ber of show birds of this 

 Square Garden and other shows. 



One of the most common failings with fowls selected 

 to a type with long legs appears always to be that the 

 li.Tck slopes and the breast fails in depth. In the practical 



12— Wlnnei of first and special foi most 

 tvpical Leghorn male at Madison Square 

 Garden in 1S90 Owned by Knapp Bro= 

 of Fabius, N 1 



poultry yards where Leghorns have been kept in large 

 numbers for production of eggs, many assert that the 

 medium sized birds on legs of moderate proportions, 

 prove the most productive and profitable. However, there 

 have been others who desire those of a somewhat larger 

 type, so that in exhibitions there are apt to. be differing 



