THE LEGHORNS 



our friend prefers, is laid down in the English and Amer- 

 ican Standards as a disqualification, and will not in all 

 probability find much favor with the Leghorn fanciers. In 

 another part of his paper he says in regard to the tail of 

 the cock: "It is not an uncommon thing to see a good 

 cock, when strutting about, have his comb and tail meet 

 above his back." Here again he is at fault, for if he will 

 turn his attention to the general description of shape of 

 the Spanish class in the English or American Standard, 

 he will discover that the tail of the cock must not be 

 carried over the back, or be "squirrel-tailed." In relation to 

 the legs, I think it a mistake to put too much stress on 

 shortness; I should prefer to have them long enough to 

 prevent a squatty appearance. I shall most cheerfully 

 agree with him in what he says in regard to size, not only 

 in relation to the Leghorn, but also in relation to the 

 Brahma, in a former paper on that breed, for I honestly 

 believe that some of our most valuable breeds have been 

 utterly ruined in tlie strife for weight, and I am rejoiced 

 to see that a reaction is about to take place. 



I regret to feel obliged to be thus critical in my re- 

 marks, and I wish it to be understood that I do so with 

 the kindest feeling toward my friend, Mr. Felch, for 

 whom I entertain the greatest respect, and to whom, as 

 well as to his brother, the poultry world is so largely in- 

 debted for their labors in perfecting one of our most valu- 

 able breeds. 



The belief expressed by the above writer that both 

 White and Brown Leghorns are of Spanish aucestry was 

 shared by many others at that period, but others were 

 firm in their belief that Brown Leghorns were distinct 

 from White Leghorns in their ancestry, the supposition 

 being that they were made by crossing the Black Breasted 

 Red Game with the so-called "Brown Italiens" that came 

 to our shores from Italy. The more slender limbed and 

 longer bodied White Leghorns at that early period were 

 often white in shanks and in carriage and head points re- 

 sembled the Spanish fowl. The fact that White Leghorns 

 lay larger white eggs than the Browns, and the tendency 

 in the earlier strains to show considerable white in the 

 face of the males, add much weight to the statement that 

 they are lineal descendants of the ancient Spanish race of 

 fowl. The smaller and occasionally tinted eggs laid by 

 Brown Leghorns indicate the same cross, although we 

 believe Spanish blood was also used in the early construc- 

 tion period of this breed, especially for the purpose of 

 obtaining the white ear-lobes. Up to 1865 Leghorns were 

 shown as Spanish fowls, and it was through the efforts of 

 I. K. Felch that they were finally properly classified, as 

 will be seen by reading his statement published in the 

 "Poultry World," November 1873: 



It will be a hard fact for soime, but if the truth must 

 be spoken. Leghorns have not been allowed to be exhib- 

 ited as such until since 1865. 



At the first exhibition of the Worcester Poultry Club 

 (which all know to be the pioneer of all poultry societies 

 in the United States), Mr. Houghton, Mr. Childs, and 

 myself, were forced to enter out Leghorns as Spanish 

 fowls. We did so under protest. On the second day. 

 Mr. Flint, then secretary of the Massachusetts Board of 

 Agriculture, was present, and we carried our case before 

 him. And these were the arguments we used to show why 

 we should not be compelled to exhibit them as Spanish. 

 We claimed: 



1st. That our birds did not have as long legs in pro- 

 portion to their bodies as the Spanish did, and that the 

 legs were vellow in color. 



2nd. That they were different in shape, their combs 

 being coarsely serrated. 



3rd. That their faces were red, and also the earlobes, 

 and not white like the Spanish. 



Mr. Flint was disposed to favor us, and, at the next 

 exhibition, the Club received them as Leghorn fowls. Mr. 

 Flint was then managing the "New England Farmer," 

 and during that year I, with others, wrote articles upon 

 the subject, which were published in that paper during 

 the winter, I think, of 1865. In writing upon poultry, I 

 say: "Tell the truth and shame the devil." 



Mr. Felch, a few months after, made the followinij 

 reply to "B. Leghorn's" criticisms of his first communica- 

 tion on the origin of the breed, in the "Poultry World": 



I cannot see anything which should make me change 

 my base; but I can see, as he did, how incomplete rny 

 article was, which compels me to answer him. And in 

 answering the first twenty-one lines of his article, I will 

 say that the date 1855, in my article, was a misprint, and 

 that it was in 1853 that the first Brown Leghorns came 

 into the country; and that the Brown Leghorns of today, 

 in color of plumage and purity of blood, and as breeders 

 of type and feather, are not one whit ahead of them. The 

 only difference is, that the Leghorns of today are larger. 

 The fact that since they have come into public notice, 

 others have imported specimens that have, in each in- 

 stance, bred true to form and feather, should be proof- 

 positive to every reader that they have some pretensions 

 as a breed at home; and it is a fact (to speak from my 

 own experience, of which I do not guess), that these 

 fowls have always, since 1858, been bred and known as 

 Leghorns- by the breeders. Childs and Houghton, of 

 Worcester, and myself, well know that the reason they 

 were not generally known to the public was because there 

 were no poultry exhibitions in the country, after their 

 advent, until 1864, and at the show in Worcester that 

 year we were compelled to exhibit them as Spanish,' which 

 we did under protest. On the second dav of the fair, Mr. 

 Flint, then secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Agri- 

 culture, was present, and we appealed to him, and the 

 characteristics of the Leghorns, in comparison to the 

 Spanish, were discussed; and it was there they were first 

 acknowledged publicly as Leghorns, all conceding that 

 the two breeds were different in form and plumage and 

 general characteristics. 



In answer to the next two-thirds of a column, I ask, 

 is it any the less strange that English people should fail 

 to know the existence of the Leghorn breed? America 

 failed to appreciate the Silver-penciled Hamburgs until 

 they had been long bred in England, and came across the 

 Atlantic as "Bolton Grays," as was the fact in the case of 

 the first importations. His argument seems to be that 

 Ijecause England failed to recognize the Leghorns, there- 

 fore no Leghorns could exist, — which seems to imply an 

 inveterate prejudice in favor of England, amounting to a 

 conviction in his mind, that "no good can come out of 

 America." I, for one, am willing to excuse Mr. Tegetmeier 

 from writing of the Leghorn, when, at the time he wrote, 

 the breed had not come to notice, either in England or 

 America. 



In reference to Mr. Tegetmeier's "mongrels," I have 

 fully answered above. I believe that they were a breed 

 when they came to our shores.. In answer to his remarks 

 about hens with upright combs, I will say that, perhaps, 

 in my article to which he refers, I was not particular 

 enough in my meaning. I do not think the poultry fan- 

 ciers of New England would believe me foolish enough 

 to try to win a prize on hens with upright combs. I 

 assert that a strain of White Leghorns which will produce 

 ten per cent, of the pullets with upright combs, will pro- 

 duce cocks, ninety per cent, of which shall possess combs 

 which stand straight on their heads, and are consequently 

 marketable. I also assert that a strain which produces 

 hens, all of which have thin combs lying flat over the 

 side of their heads, as spoken of in the October number 

 of the "World," by me, will produce at least forty per 

 cent, of the cocks whose combs will lop before they arc 

 even twelve months old. In the one case, gentlemen, you 

 have forty per cent, of disqualified birds; in the other, 

 twenty per cent. Now, which strain will you prefer? I 

 still say, the hen whose comb is inclined to be upright is 

 sure to be the best breeder; and the experience of ten 

 years breeding them, has made me believe it. A cock with 

 a lopped comb is as much disqualified as a hen with an 

 erect comb, and, in value, is worse off; for no good breeder 

 would use the cock, while he would the hen. 



As to the "squirrel-tail" spoken of by him, he should 

 have understood that I was writing about the Brown Leg- 

 horns as I first saw them. They were, in carriage, much 

 like Bantams. 



I agree with "B. Leghorn" as to the color most de- 

 sired, and heartily accept a little more length of leg, 

 which does much to destroy the Bantam appearance of 

 which I have spoken. I should be glad to meet and know 



