/'/, V MtH'TH ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 59 



generations. In such instances, the individual that originally 

 possessed and first transmitted this characteristic is often spoken 

 of as being very prepotent. 



The most generally accepted theory of explanation has been 

 that by constantly selecting and breeding specimens with certain 

 characteristics, these characteristics become fixed in the progeny, 

 and after a certain number of generations, more or less, the 

 aforementioned characteristics are transmitted in a remarkable 

 degree by certain individuals. 



The qualities transmitted vary. That is, a bird may be pre- 

 potent in certain characters and fail to transmit others. One 

 bird might transmit its constitutional vigor, or the shape of 

 comb only, while some birds impress their characteristics so 

 generally and perfectly upon their offspring that we note a gen- 

 eral resemblance to the parent of the same sex. It is not uncom- 

 mon for an individual of wonderful constitution and vigor to 

 throw several offspring bearing a striking resemblance to the 

 parent in a single season. 



The Value of Prepotency The value of prepotency can 

 hardly be overestimated. When that quality is possessed by a 

 female of high egg-producing capacity, its worth increases with 

 each generation, according to the egg-producing capacity, and 

 as the number of the descendants in the flocks increase. 



Male One-Half the Flock. And then, if the foregoing is true, 

 how important an asset prepotency must be in any male which, 

 because he exercises his share of influence upon each and every 

 female with which he mates, is obviously one-half the flock. If 

 the male is of unusual merit, or especially if he possesses more 

 merit than the average of the females associated with him, and if 

 through his ability to transmit his own characteristics he exer- 

 cises such an influence upon the progeny that he becomes more 

 than one-half of the flock, we can readily see the advantage of 

 prepotency in such males. 



Sex Control of Characters. Breeders generally prize prepo- 

 tency in a male. Ample explanation has been offered by pointing 

 out how the male is one-half the flock. There is, too, the grow- 

 ing belief that the male is responsible for certain qualities, but 

 opinions as to just which ones differ materially. Some think the 

 male has most influence upon color and head points, while the 

 female controls the shape of body, etc. But it must be admitted 

 that no tangible proof of these various opinions can be secured. 



Constitutional Vigor. That constitutional vigor is a vital 

 factor in all branches of poultry husbandry will undoubtedly 



