16 



THE LEGHORNS 



I have been breeding the S. C. White Leghorns for a 

 number of years now, and I have often thought I would 

 like to know something of the history or origin of this 

 grand breed of fowl, but whenever I have asked the older 

 breeders than '' niyself and men who have been breeding 

 the Leghorns for years, they invariably say: "L don't 

 know; I can't fell you." But I have managed to pick up 

 a few odd notes, and thought perhaps there might be a 

 few more like'^yself who would like to know. And al- 

 though I ha\'e fething very definite to offer, I will try, in 

 my humble way, to give you these. 



A Mr. W. Simpson, of West Farms, New York, 

 claimed that' he was the first in America to breed this 

 variety of fowls. He got them from a young man who 

 had them oh board his |£»''' ^/ ^ 



ship, but what port the ^ijfij^ 



ship came from he did not jfir'^^^*-^ 



learn. This*' was M\ the 

 year 1853; he '' got one 

 cock, four white, hens and 

 one Blue Leghorn hen. 

 They differed from the 

 fowl of the present day in 

 that they were somewhat 

 larger and had white legs. 

 He bred these fowl in and 

 in, before |ie ' could get 

 any fresh blood to cross 

 with them, -and from the 

 blue heti he- bred some 

 magnificent D o m i n ique 

 Leghorns which he exhib- 

 ited at the American In- 

 stitute Fair in New York, 

 several years, where they 

 attracted much attention. 

 But, being a new breed 

 no prize was offered for 

 them. About the year 

 1860, he says, some im 

 portations of yellow \es, 

 ged birds were made an 1 

 that color being preferred 

 the white-legged ones 

 soon disappeared. He is 

 of the opinion that the 

 yellow legs and hardiness 

 together have been intro 

 duced by a cross with the 

 Asiatic, to which the 

 American breeders are 

 very prone, aiid which is 

 known to produce good 

 results. Mr. Simpson was 

 of the opinion that the 

 character of the head and 

 shape of the body were de- 

 cidedly of Spanish appear- 

 ance, with nice red combs 

 and wattles, and pure white 



Mr. Simpson stated that the White Leghorn was not 

 a superior table fowl, but very passable, but that it was 

 a remarkably good layer of large, white eggs, and Was a 

 non-sitter. 



Mr. Simpson also stated that in the year 1854 five 

 hens laid 954 eggs; in the year 1856 ten hens laid a total 

 of 1,528 eggs, and in the year 1858 five hens produced 813 



The American Agriculturist of March, 1869, contained 

 an article on White Leghorns, with an illustration, in 

 which the editor stated that his knowledge of the breed 

 dated back for about ten years, and described the bird as 

 follows: Rich, yellow legs, single comb, white ear-lobes 

 and white plumage, and somewhat resembling Hamburgs 

 in shape. He stated that recent importations were from 

 Leghorn, and not from Spain. 



Whether the original blood that produced the White 

 Leghorn flowed in the veins of Spanish or Italian fowls, 

 may have caused discussion more or less warm in the 

 olden times, breeders today are satisfied to class White 

 Leghorns as an American production selected by intelli- 

 gent breeders of fifty or more years ago, from the Med- 



iterranean breeds imported into America in the middle oi 

 the nineteenth century. 



Origin of Buff Leghorns 



A. Armstrong, Petaluma, California, in an essay on 

 Buff Leghorns, written for the Los Angeles Poultry As- 

 sociation in 1895, refirs to the origin of this new variety, 

 as follows: ■;_,'.'" 



The best'English authorities claim that this breed 

 originated in Denmark. Mr. Edward Brown of the "Fan- 



■ciers' Gazette," England, 

 in 1887, saw Buff Legho 

 low Italians." They we 



hile at the show in Copenhagen 

 s, or as they were called "Yel- 

 imported to England in 1888, 

 from that time attracting 

 the attention of the Eng- 

 lish fanciers. When I first 

 read this statement I 

 knew not whether to be- 

 lieve it or not, as there 

 were so many fanciers at- 

 tacking the breed and 

 claiming it was manufac- 

 tured by crossing the 

 'n and White Leg- 

 horns, Mrs. Lister Kay 

 contending that such a 

 cross could not produce 

 Buff; but Pyle Leghorns. 

 In an interview with Mr. 

 T. Sachan, a native of 

 Denmark, and a reliable 

 man, now living in San 

 Leandro, California, he 

 told me that the Buff 

 Leghorns were a genuine 

 breed and that his father 

 kept them in Denmark 

 twenty-five years ago; 

 and he remembered well 

 gathering the large eggs 

 tor his father. He said: 

 "They were called 'Yel- 

 low Italians' and were 

 considered the most 

 profitable breed in Den- 

 mark." As Mr. Sachan 

 was not a breeder, and in 

 no way connected with 

 the industry, his unbiased 

 statement convinced me 

 that they did originate in 

 Denmark, or at least were 

 known there for over a 

 quarter of a century. 



BUFF LEGHORN COCKEREL, 18D4, 



-lobes, and white plumage. 



Introduction Into America 



Mr. August D. Arnold, 

 of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, 

 was, I believe, the first one to import them from England, 

 the first lot arriving in 1890. I have always admired thf 

 Isuff color, and when I found I could get a Buff Leghorn, 

 I was not long in taking them up. I clt>im to be the 

 first breeder of this variety on the Pacific coast. The first 

 Buffs I owned were a very great disappointment to me, 

 as they had so much white in plumage and I came to 

 the conclusion that no matter where they came from 

 they had been sadly neglected, — in fact, it seemed a fraud- 

 ulent transaction to offer eggs or birds for sale from a 

 breed that did not breed truer to color than they did the 

 first year of their introduction into the United States. I 

 soon found, however, that there were many good speci- 

 mens, and that by careful selection, good true Buff color 

 could be produced. I have bred them four years and like 

 them better than ever. 



Mr. Hesford, in his book, "Leghorns of All Varie- 

 ties," London, England, 1896, gives the following informa- 

 tion relating to the formation of the Danish and English 

 Buff Leghorns: 



The Buff Leghorn is not like the Pyle and the Duck- 

 wing — a new variety. It belongs to the class already 

 spoken of as "italiens" and was somewhat common on 



