POULTRT-CRAFT. 157 



style and life. These are qualities that a flock takes generally from the male. The other 

 sections should, of course, be as near Standard requirements as possible ; but the writer 

 believes that more improvement can be made in comb, eyes, wattles, lobes, color of legs, 

 and many minor points with the female, than in color of plumage, length of leg, and 

 general appearance. 



[THE FEMALE]. The females selected for this mating should be dark in color of 

 back and wing, with dark undercolor throughout. The color of the neck should be as 

 near red as possible, and the stripe as near a metallic black as can be had with the other 

 requisites. The comb should be small, and very evenly serrated. If it stands erect it is 

 rather an advantage than otherwise. Such females are prone to have pale or black legs. 

 In this case they should not be used if others with the same general characteristics can 

 be procured ; and while a pale leg may be tolerated, a black, or dark colored leg should 

 never be used. Should either male or female fail in this respect, the breeder should see 

 that it is strongly offset in the opposite sex. 



Mating for Exhibition Females. [THE MALE]. The mating for exhibition females 

 should first of all possess a male bird that is the son of a splendid female, and was sired 

 by the son of a splendid female. The further this line can be followed back the more 

 certain the breeder may feel of a large percentage of exhibition females in the flock 

 reared from this mating. This male should have a five pointed comb, smooth and straight 

 over the beak ; a light orange hackle, with a fairly good black stripe. His saddle should 

 be the same shade of color as the hackle ; but the black stripe is not wanted in the saddle 

 of a pullet breeding male. The wing bow should be about the same shade of orange as 

 the back, and should be large, running well down into the wing bars. 



[THE FEMALE]. The females should be the best exhibition specimens procurable. 

 Far better to breed from a single pair or trio than to use inferior females in this mating. 

 The female of the present Standard is a rather light colored specimen as Brown Leghorn 

 females run. She should have a nicely lopped comb, standing straight in front, and 

 gradually drooping to one side, and a small, smooth, white or creamy white lobe. 



The style of female just described, and the male, which is very clearly described in 

 the Standard, can be bred successfully only by the double mating system. 



The Single Mating System. 



The single mating system might, by chance, produce fairly good specimens of the 

 types ; but even so, the blood must be properly balanced, and who is to foretell that such 

 is the case? The single mating is one in which the best exhibition male and the best 

 exhibition females are mated together to produce exhibition birds of both sexes. Its 

 merit is not known under the present Standard. Its fault is that it seldom produces a 

 bird of either sex of exhibition merit. It has for a recommendation only the beauty of 

 its simplicity. It will become of use only when males and females of a medium shade of 

 color are in vogue. 



The Intermediate Mating. 



A plan of mating that advocates of a single mating very often use, and, no doubt, 

 think is a single mating, though it is not, but may be called an intermediate mating 

 will succeed very well, but not as well as the double and separate matings. This plan 

 involves the selection of a male mid-way between the types described for breeding 

 exhibition males and for breeding exhibition females. That is, select a medium colored 

 male, and mate him to females of both types. 



These are the methods employed, given in a general way. The details must be 

 observed and studied by the individual breeder. 



