REPRESENTATIVE TYPES OF WHITE LEGHORNS. 



Reading from left to right: 13— Ezra Cornell's first prize winning White cock. New York, 1901. 14— First cockerel Pan- 

 American Exposition, 1901. Purchased by White Leghorn Poultry Yards, of Waterville. N. Y. 15— First cock Pan-American 

 Exposition. 1901. Purchased by E. G. Wyckoff, Ithaca, N. Y. 16— A first Boston (1902) cockerel, shown by CJiarles J Fogg, 

 Waltham, Mass. 17— A Hrst prize Chicago cock, shown by White Leghorn Poultry Yards, 1905. 



\V. Wliiti 



y first hon- 

 much corn- 



opinions between breeders and that judges will not al- 

 ways agree in their decisions. The truest Leghorn sym- 

 metry as it is accepted among American fanciers, has not 

 been secured where size or length of limbs were prime; 

 factors for picking the winners. 



No. 13 was a first cock at Madison Square Garden 

 exhibited by Ezra Cornell in 1901. This bird and the cock- 

 erel and cock (No. 14 and No. 15) which follow in the 

 same group, are good representatives of this type, which 

 appeared somewhat stilted. The.-e birds were larger and 

 somewhat heavier than the majority of Leghorns in 

 America excepting the strain shown by V 

 about that time. 



Mr. Whiting's White Leghorns won n; 

 CIS in New York and Boston shows and ws 

 mented upon. They were of unusual size, larger than any 

 other strains of Leghorns in America with coinbs and a 

 number of points a trifle coarser than specimens that 

 could not approach them in size. Their appearance had a 

 wholesome influence upon the Leghorns as a breed, set- 

 ting the example which iv.ade small Leghorns unpopular. 



On examination of these three plates one at once per- 

 ceives that these birds were closely feathered, giving them 

 the well tucked up appearance underneath, which, in the 

 minds of many fanciers, is desirable. This quality does 

 present a smartness when the limbs of the fowl are very 

 well formed and when not overdone, and helps the showy 

 style of the Leghorn. This closeness of plumige, how- 

 €ver, throughout the entire figure of the specimen, often 

 fails to present the gracefully curved lines that a little 

 fuller undercoat and a greater wealth of outer plumage 

 would effect. Angular lines on the Leghorn have never 

 kept long in vogue among American fanciers; it is the 

 Leghorn of graceful curves that lives on as the ideal of 

 ■our leading breeders of this race of fowls. 



The present practice of selecting for as large size as 

 obtainable, among Leghorns that possess known purity of 

 blood, and, as near as possible, ideal form and carriage, 

 proves the safest course. There seems to be a liipit in 

 this procedure, and the breeders of America have learned 

 that progress in size of the Leghorn cannot be attained 

 too rapidly. Yet we believe that the majority of our 

 breeders in this country are quite willing to improve size 

 in the breed, just as long as the true Leghorn ideal is 

 reproduced, but this, in fact, means very cautious, accurate 

 breeding, and slow improvement, which is the only safe 

 system with such a fine, pure old race. 



In cockerel No. 16 we have a model that shows con- 

 siderable above the average size. This cockerel was pro- 

 duced when both the full-boned type, bred by Knapp 

 Bros., also by D. W. Young and others, as well as when 

 the F. W. Whiting birds were making things interesting 

 in the eastern sliow rooms. This cockerel was shown by 

 Mr. Chas. J. Fogg, of Waltham, Mass., winning first at 

 Boston in 1902. 



This cockerel in appearance was a type, which, blend- 

 ing the D. W. Young strain with the F. W. Whiting stock, 

 might have produced, and is a very useful style. 



Another type. No. 17, makes quite a variation from 

 the Ezra Cornell models. The long tail with extended 

 ribbon-like sickles reminds one of the Duckwing Leg- 

 horns that contain quite a strong cross of the Phoenix, or 

 Long-tailed Japanese race of Games. It is surprising to 

 find that although this bird has very unusually long sickles 

 and hangers, that its saddle hackles do not extend even to 

 a length equaling the preceding cockerel; in this case 

 being an exception to the rule, as most Leghorns having 

 extia well-finished tail plumage, have also the long saddle 

 hackles. 



