252 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



of Wyandottes, and, I think, some White Leghorns lay, 

 chiefly, eggs that are lacking in natural gloss. 



Now let us go back for a minute to the thought with 

 which this chapter started, the grading of eggs. Un- 

 questionably, it means a great deal of work to grade lots 

 of " common mixed " eggs. But, if this seems scarcely 

 practicable to the small gatherer, we may look at an- 

 other method which is thoroughly practicable. It must 

 be remembered that " common mixed " eggs are chiefly 

 the output of common mixed fowls. To raise fowls of 

 one breed only is to cut off, by this one action, much of 

 the necessity for color grading. Other gradings will 

 still have to be made, such as for shape and size, and in 

 the case of brown egg breeds there is still much varia- 

 tion in tint. But selection of the most nearly ideal eggs 

 for incubation will be more effective than any other 

 plan of "grading." The fancier cannot always do this, 

 as it may chance that his best hens, from a Standard 

 point of view, lay the poorest eggs from the market 

 grade view. But the egg fancier can do it to a very 

 great degree. He is first to select his breeders from 

 the best and most uniform layers, then from the eggs 

 of these he again selects for incubation the specimens 

 most ideal in every respect. Thus he will soon obviate 

 most of the necessity for actual grading of market lots. 

 In selling through a commission merchant, he would 

 then gain several cents extra price per dozen, which 

 would demonstrate to him very quickly the value of 

 grading. 



One who has not seen the general market offerings 

 can hardly imagine the poor appearance and small size 

 of many of these. I once saw the receipts and letters 



