Group 1:— Nos. 1. 2 and 3 are birds illustrating the stilted type of t 

 No. 3 has a short, sloping back with high contracted tail. No. 4 is a Bosto 

 body with full breast and a tail carried a trifle above 49 degrees, 

 that were spoiled in conditioning. 



years ago. No. 2 has a long but flat back. 



■inning cockerel of 1903 with a nearly level 



5 has a low tail and long sickles and hangers 



White Leghorn Bodies, Tails and Le^s 



Illustrations That Show the Improvement That Has Been Wrought in the Shape of White 

 Leghorns During the Past Years. 



Franklane L. Sewell 



Leghorn import 

 ed by August D 

 .\ r n o 1 d. Dills 

 burg, Pa., 1S94. 



They are the 



<=? NTERNATION.^LLY popular is the 

 H Leghorn, because of its record as an 



vWv J egg producer, therefore the subject of 



mE^ I the iinprovement of this race of fowls 



^.TS I is of constant in'erest to the pro- 



■t^i I gressive breeders of them. 



^"■*(J The short-sighted man may say, 



<.ori nf H„ff "So >o"g as I get eggs a-plenty, why 

 trouble about the looks of the birds that 

 lay them," but breeders of Standard- 

 bred fowls do not take that view of the 

 matter. They have learned that there are types from 

 which we can expect the greatest number of eggs. Fan- 

 ciers have found that it is well to select birds that ap- 

 proach the accepted standards which are ideals that have 

 become established because they have proved to be in 

 harmony with the most highly developed individuals of 

 the breed they represent. 



Leghorns are not bred to great 

 "little Italians." It is their nature to 

 be active, busy, constantly foraging. 

 In shape they are a combination of 

 the most graceful lines found in do- 

 mestic fowls. The last ten years of 

 Leghorn history have been especially 

 interesting to fanciers who have wit- 

 nessed the progress in their ideals 

 brought about by the selections of en-, 

 thusiasts who have been ambitious t.j 

 further improve and beautify this al- 

 ready charming race. 



Fanciers and judges decided 

 sonic'ten years ago that loiiger'bodies 

 would add to the value of the breed. 

 Long bodies at that time were almost 

 unheard of, excepting in 'individuals 

 of the coarser type arttl these too 

 often possessed the flat form of back. 

 The production of longer bodies and 

 backs with a graceful concave sweep 

 from the shoulder^ put on the 

 tail, together with th« much desired 



No 6— A White Leghorn cock, wii 

 ler at an English show in 1905. He r 

 embles a Minorca in shape, having 

 ong body, -with rather low tail, bi 

 le is very coarse and angular. 



lower carriage of tail and long saddle and tail covert plum- 

 age with all sections in agreeable proportion, has not 

 proven easy to accomplish, nor have birds possessing 

 these qualities been exhibited by many. 



A good length of body is considered by practical 

 minded breeders as essential for the Leghorn that is to 

 be an egg machine. Fanciers demand that the show Leg- 

 horn shall be not only practical but beautiful and they are 

 succeeding in a wonderful degree in establishing this 

 happy combination of qualities in their favorites. 



In 1899 it was possible to win first place with such a 

 short backed, high tailed cock as No. 3 of group 1. On 

 this Madison Square Garden winner the tail was not only 

 high, but much too closely held and his back was not only 

 short and sloping but narrow at its juncture with tail. 

 Comparing his breast with that on the next one in the 

 group. No. 4, it will be seen that it was far from being full 

 as a good Leghorn's breast should be. The first three 

 cockerels in group 1 appear somewhat stilted on their legs. 

 Modern fanciers of Leghorns do not 

 — ^^^^^^^^^— like short legged specimens, but these 

 three males are rather high on their 

 legs to be truly symmetrical Leg- 

 horns. Of the three birds No. 2 is 

 the most symmetrical and he is rather 

 longer than the average in all sec- 

 tions of his frame, but it will be no- 

 ticed that length is secured at the ex- 

 pense of graceful lines, the back in 

 I)articular being severely straight and 

 jciining the. tail with an abrupt angle. 

 Xos. 1 and 3 are deficient in br-east 

 ilevelopment, while ingenefaj style 

 N". 2 leans toward the 'typff'Tesired 

 in t!ie Minorca. He shows tl^ stilted 

 carriage, the long, straight "Sack and 

 the underline of the body running 

 nearly parallel with that of the back. 

 The sickles on the tail of both 1 and 

 2 do not extend high enough up 

 against the tail proper. Even in No. 

 1, which was a mature cock, nearly 



69 



