400 



BOARD OF AGKICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



than by breeding from thoroughbreds. Though, as has 

 been said, man}^ thoroughbreds are by no means all that 

 they should be, it is always possible to get specimens of 

 some popular thoroughbred variety having the qualities 

 one desires well developed ; and from such stock as a foun- 

 dation a careful breeder can accomplish more in three years 

 than he could in three times as many years if he began with 

 stock of no particular breeding. 



This is a point which has been demonstrated over and 

 over. It is a point which needs to be emphasized often, for 



one of the most 

 prevalent errors 

 about poultry 

 breeding is the 

 opinion, held by 

 many who have a 

 very good idea of 

 what they want, 

 that they can de- 

 velop it themselves 

 by the careful im- 

 provement of in- 

 ferior stock more 

 economically than 

 by paying the high 

 prices which it is 

 frequently neces- 

 sary to give in or- 

 der to get good 

 stock of the type wanted. I would not advise any one who 

 needed to consider economy — as most of us do • — to buy 

 fine breeding fowls in large numbers at big prices ; but it 

 is often the best economy to pay almost an extravagant 

 price for a few good birds, to be used as foundation stock, 

 rather than give time and attention to the development of 

 a larger flock of less meritorious quality. 



The principle is exactly the same as that upon which a 

 farmer or gardener, who wants some of a new variety of 

 vegetable, grain or fruit, so expensive that he does not feel 



Ideal White Plymouth Rock Pullet. 



