16 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



primary object, and especially where capons and roasters con- 

 stitute the main marketable product. Recognizing these thfee 

 distinct types, the breed should be selected which personally 

 appeals to the poultryman, and which produces the best type 

 or combination of products for his particular object or markets. 



II. Make Special Selected Matings for Breeding 

 Purposes. 



The aim of every poultry keeper, if he expects to remain in 

 the business, should be to continuously build up his flock by 

 breeding. Where the poultry and egg production is the primary 

 object, the breeding efforts will be along two distinct lines. The 

 first is to develop the most efficient egg machine which it is 

 possible to breed. This means that his birds must be capable 

 of turning out a maximum number of eggs of good quality 

 during the winter season of high prices. This machine must 

 be maintained at the minimum cost for feed and labor. The 

 second object should be to develop a bird for table purposes, 

 which will attain a sufficient weight in the shortest possible 

 time, the flesh being of high quality and put on with the least 

 expenditure for feed, thus securing the greatest possible margin 

 of profit. 



Paralleling these two aims in breeding should be the contin- 

 uous effort to breed for vigor and stamina. I would that there 

 were words in the English language which would enable one to 

 express the great importance of vigorous stock. During the 

 time that one is breeding for the so-called ability or commer- 

 cial characteristics he should not lose sight of breed charac- 

 teristics, and by selection and careful mating should improve 

 his birds in respect to the body conformation which is required 

 of that respective breed; and in order to maintain uniformity 

 and an attractive appearance about the farm he should study 

 to fix more permanently a uniform plumage pattern. 



These results cannot be accomplished by promiscuous breed- 

 ing, but they can be secured by continuous selection and the 

 making of small special matings each year, following out a 

 definite scheme of inbreeding and line breeding. A brief dis- 

 cussion of the most available method follows. 



