364 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



(2) The general-purpose breeds, or American class 

 Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, etc. 



(3) The egg breeds, or Mediterranean class Leghorn, 

 Minorca, Black Spanish. 



(4) The ornamental breeds Polish, Game, Bantam, etc. 



The meat breeds correspond to the beef breeds of cattle. 

 The egg breeds are smaller and more active, and corre- 

 spond to the milk breeds of cattle. The meat breeds origi- 

 nated in Asia. They are very superior for meat-production, 

 but are such poor layers that they have never become 

 very popular in America. 



There are a number of varieties of Plymouth Rocks, 

 Barred, Buff, White, etc. Of the Wyandottes, the chief 

 varieties are White, Silver and Buff. All of these origi- 

 nated in America and all lay brown eggs. 



The Barred Plymouth Rock is the most widely dis- 

 tributed and most popular variety in the United States. 

 It is large enough for fair meat-production and is very 

 good for egg-production, nearly equal to the Leghorn. 

 It is a quiet breed and so causes little trouble on the farm. 

 The hens will incubate their own eggs, which is an essen- 

 tial consideration where incubators are not used. 



The White variety is the most numerous of the Wyan- 

 dottes. It is much like the Plymouth Rock in form 

 and utility. 



The White Leghorns are the most popular of the egg 

 breeds. They are medium-sized, active birds. They lay 

 white eggs, and large numbers of them. They are a non- 

 setting breed, and are more difficult to control, so that 

 they are not so popular as the Plymouth Rocks or Wyan- 

 dottes on farms where only a few hens are kept. They 



