THE LEGHORNS 



When the tail of a male Leghorn is carried as low as 

 cock No. 5 carries his and has such long plumage that the 

 sickles reach the ground, they do not keep the true sickle 

 curve, but their weight straightens out the latter half and 

 in this form they approach the type of tail found on young 

 males of the Long Tailed Japanese varieties and they 

 should not be considered ideal for the Leghorn. 



Among Leghorns that of late years have been of 

 special prominence at New York and Boston on account 

 of their rapid approach to.ward the modern ideal for the 

 breed, are those from the yards of D. W. Young, Monroe, 

 N. Y., in fact his annual exhibition at the New York show 

 has had much to do in assuring fanciers that it is possible 

 to reach the modern Leghorn ideal and that it is most 

 beautiful when attained. Up to 1905 White Leghorns of 

 good length and witli low tails were rarely seen in the 



1907, Mr. Young i;i his Edward 12th, No. 24, set the fash- 

 ion well ahead and produced an ideal worthy of repetition 

 for several generations. However, the production of this 

 cockerel was not to be so greatly wondered at as he fol- 

 lowed in line of descent the cockerel Edward 4th, No. 17, 

 group 3, that won at both New York and Boston, 1906, 

 and at New York in 1907. Geo. H. Burgott who judged 

 this bird in his class at New York said that he was the 

 finest Leghorn he had ever seen or judged. W. Theo. 

 Wittman said he beat any picture that had been drawn to 

 date and was nearer perfection than he thought it possible 

 to breed them. 



No. 8, group 2, the first winning pen cock at Boston, 

 1905, shows a generous sized body of good length with 

 profusely furnished tail, but he carries his tail above 45 

 degrees, so tlie back does not show its length to such ad- 



^m w ^fW^ w %^ 



13 14 15 10 17 



Group 3— Nos. 13 to 17: These males had exceptionally well formed tails tor their time. No 17, "Edward 4th," showed 

 a considerably lower tail than had heretofore been exhibited— 1806— on White Leghorn males with such fine style and finish. 

 He won at both New York and Boston in 1906 and as cock at New York in 1907. No. 13 shows sickles that are nearly Ideal in 

 '-roper lensth and curve. No. 14 is the same female as No. 9, group 2. in her pullet form when she won first at New York. 

 No^ 15 was the most symmetrical and finest finished cock of 1906. No. 16 was a trim, close plumaged female with fine head 



close feathered. Fanciers prefer tails spread somewhat more 



and she 



5,rd 



shoulder to rear of saddle for one 



New York show. In combining' length of body with 

 gracefulness of outline and general finish, the Leghorn 

 has made a more valuable and more popular bird. 



Some Noted Winners 



Two successful winners at the St. Louis World's Fair 

 owned by Elm Poultry Yards, the first prize pullet and 

 second prize cockerel, Nos. 19 and 20 in group 4, showed 

 not only long bodies but the pullet was particularly full in 

 lireast and was much admired for her wide-spread tail. 

 -Another characteristic noticeable in these two birds is that 

 their bodies are carried more nearly on the level than is 

 the case with most Leghorns. While this has never been 

 demanded in the breed, it can be seen by referring to the 

 few that carry backs nearly level that the saddle reaches 

 up on the tail better when the back is carried that way. 

 In the next cockerel, No. 21, this point is well illustrated. 

 With the back sloping greatly and with the tail carried 

 high, it is next to impossible to find or to train the feath- 

 ers of the saddle in a gracefully curved line up on the base 

 of the tail. In Nos. 15, 17, 21, 22 and 23, it will be seen 

 that the lines from the back to the tail have a graceful 

 curve. Such lines are always much admired Ijy Leghorn 

 fanciers. 



In cockerel No. 10 the sweep is also concave, but it is 

 short and the angle of back and tail is more abrupt than 

 has been -,een on Mr. Young's best winners of the last two 

 or three years. At that time, 1905-1906, he led in his 

 class wit! first honors at Boston. In the following year. 



vantage, nor does the saddle take so graceful a sweep as 

 is the case with Mr. Young's later winning males. The 

 improvement over this bird will be readily seen when 

 comparing it with a portrait of Edward 12th. 



A feature that always adds charm to the beauty of a 

 fine Leghorn female is a wealth of long saddle hackle 

 feathers and as some of the males develop. Old "Butter- 

 legs," No. 18, group 4, first Boston cock shown by Elm 

 Poultry Yards in 1907, possessed an extraordinary length 

 in this section. A glance also at No. 4, group, 1, No. 12, 

 group 2, and No. 15, group 3, teaches one the value of such 

 feathers to a show bird. In the pose of No. 12, although 

 the back does not appear long the exceeding great wealth 

 of saddle plumage adds much to the bird's furnishing and 

 his general high-class appearance. In natural spread of 

 tail, this cock, No. 12, exceeds any other male in the col- 

 lection. We imagine that this feature might be overdone, 

 yet we find all Leghorn fanciers pleased to see their birds 

 carry their tails well spread, the common fault being that 

 the tail is carried too much contracted, which makes a 

 poor display of the fine plumage the bird may possess. 

 We previously referred to Nos. 4, 15, 17, 21 and 22 as fine 

 Standard tails. 



The best formed Leghorn tails from the rear view are 

 not held close with the tail proper feathers tightly closed, 

 but open out at the bottom feathers perhaps two or three 

 inches, besides this the top of the tail should not be 

 formed like a sharp wedge, but should be rounded at the 

 base where the saddle will find ample support to rest and 



