POULTRY KEEPING 521 



found a great help, as the methods of caring for the birds and of 

 marketing the products can thus be learned better than in almost 

 any other way. 



The question is often asked as to what is the best time of the 

 year for one to begin. When to begin is not very important, but the 

 fall of the year is a good time, for then stock can be purchased for 

 less money than at any other season. It is also advisable that the 

 fowls be moved to their new quarters before they begin to lay. If 

 the beginner has had experience in poultry keeping, it will be all 

 right to purchase eggs, otherwise he should begin with the fowls and 

 thus gain some knowledge of caring for poultry before attempting to 

 raise chickens. -(F. B. 287.) 



The American Poultry Association has recognized certain 

 breeds of fowls as "standard bred" and for these breeds it has 

 adopted a description and scale of points to be used in judging. It 

 has also noted the most common serious defects in these standard 

 breeds for exhibition purposes. It should be remembered that the 

 scale of points for the various recognized breeds as determined upon 

 and published by the American Poultry Association in a little vol- 

 ume known as The Standard of Perfection, has to do almost wholly 

 with exhibition birds and does not especially pertain to the produc- 

 tion of either meat or eggs. The standard, however, serves a most 

 useful purpose in maintaining the purity of breeding and in secur- 

 ing uniformity among breeders. 



Classification. There are over 100 standard and a large num- 

 ber of non-standard varieties of chickens raised in this country. The 

 standard varieties are divided as follows : 



1. American class: Barred, White and Buff Plymouth Rocks; 

 Silver, Golden, White, Buff, Black, Partridge, Silver-penciled, and 

 Columbian Wyandottes ; Black and Mottled Javas ; Rose-comb Dom- 

 iniques; Single-comb and Rose-com'b Rhode Island Reds, and Pea- 

 comb Buckeyes. 



2. Asiatic class: Light and Dark Brahmas; Buff, Partridge, 

 White, and Black Cochins; Black and White Langshans. 



3. Mediterranean class: Single-comb Brown, Rose-comb Brown, 

 Single-comb White, Rose-comb White, Single-comb Buff, Rose-comb 

 Buff, Single-comb Black, and Silver Duckwing Leghorns; Single- 

 comb Black, Rose-comb Black, and Single-comb White Minorcas; 

 White-faced Black Spanish; Blue Andalusians, and Mottled An- 

 conas. 



4. English class: White, Silver Gray, and Colored Dorkings; 

 Rose-comb Redcaps; Single-comb Buff, Single-comb Black, and 

 Single-comb White Orpingtons. 



5. Polish class: White-crested Black, Bearded Golden, Bearded 

 Silver, Bearded White, Buff-laced, Nonbearded Golden, Nonbearded 

 Silver, and Nonbearded White Polish. 



6. Dutch class: Golden-spangled, Silver-spangled, Golden- 

 penciled, Silver-penciled, White, arid Black TIarnburgs. 



7. French class: Mottled Houdans, Black Crevecoeurs, and 

 Black La Fleche. 



