24 "A LITTLE JOURNEY 



They are of the Spanish group, being somewhat larger than the leghorn. The 

 plumage is beetle-green ground (almost a jet black), the feathers tipped with 

 white, evenly mottled throughout, with no tendency to lacing. Shanks and 

 toes yellow or yellow shaded or mottled with black. Wattles red, ear lobes 

 white. They are non-setters, and exceedingly good layers." 



When one begins to search out the history of Anconas, it takes one back, 

 naturally enough, to the ancient Jungle Fowl of India. It was probably 

 from thisgamey, wild-eyed bird that our modern egg-machines have descended. 

 The Jungle Fowl laid no more than a dozen or twenty eggs a year, and even 

 these were not in demand as articles for the ancient table. The difference 

 between this 20-egg Jungle Fowl and the modern 300-egg breeds represents 

 the achievement of centuries of poultry culture. 



In tracing the antiquity of the domesticated hen, the following facts have 

 been mentioned: When Peter denied the Saviour the cock crowed thrice, 

 which shows us that the fowl was domesticated at the time of the Christian 

 Era. Mention is made of cock-fighting in the Codes of Mann, a thousand 

 years or more before Christ. A Chinese encyclopedia, 1400 years B. C., 

 mentions the fowl. Figures on Babylonian cylinders show that fowls were 

 known in the seventh century. Ancient Greek authors, living about 500 B. C. 

 refer to the fowl as if it were fairly common. 



Thus one can see that in many lands and many centuries ago, the Jungle 

 Fowl had been tamed and had already begun its long and honorable career 

 of service to mankind. 



Before I leave the subject of Ancona History, I wish to emphasize one point 

 again. You probably noted that the first importation of Anconas to Europe 

 was made with this single purpose Winter Egg Production. The company 

 organized to this end was open and above-board about it. They came right 

 out and said that they were going into business for the purpose of importing 

 hens which would "lay throughout the winter"! 



And just to show that the modern Ancona still possesses this winter-lay- 

 ing habit, I am going to quote from a few of my many enthusiastic letters 

 from customers on this point: 



40 Degrees Below Zero 



North Dakota. From the original start of eggs that I purchased from you, 

 my utility flock of 40 pullets laid during the month of February 435 eggs and 

 there was not a day during February that the thermometer registered above 

 20 below zero here and about 10 days out of the month is was 40 below zero. 

 These same 40 pullets produced 884 eggs in March and the first part of March 

 was cold too. They did not hit their stride until the middle of March and 

 and after that I'll tell you they have been going some. H. W. 



