POULTRY FOR PROFIT 125 



Rocks, and it was found that in all cases the size 

 of the offspring was between the size of the Leghorn 

 and that of the Rock, but chickens produced by the 

 cross of Leghorn male on Rock female were larger 

 than those produced by Rock male on Leghorn 

 females. In other words, size followed the female. 

 Professor Rice says : 



"We gained nothing in constitutional vigor, egg 

 production or meat production over the pure breeds, 

 but we did do this, namely, by bringing together the 

 magnificent pure-bred varieties, Single Comb White 

 Leghorns and Barred Plymouth Rocks, which have 

 taken somebody from fifty to sixty years to develop 

 in pure breedness, we have in one season undone the 

 careful breeding of half a century." 



A similar experiment of my own in crossing a But- 

 tercup male with Buff Orpington females had the 

 same results. The offspring were larger than But- 

 tercups but smaller than Orpingtons, and their color 

 was nondescript. 



INBREEDING 



Inbreeding, that is the mating together of fowls 

 too closely related, has been blamed for nearly all 

 the troubles the poultryman is heir to. Failure of 

 eggs to hatch, failure of chicks to grow, failure of 

 hens to lay, are all laid to the door of inbreeding. 



It must be kept clearly in mind by the beginner 

 that line breeding and utility breeding are two dis- 

 tinct and separate things. Line breeding belongs to 

 the fancier and must be left in his hands. Utility 

 breeding is the only thing that concerns us. 



In line breeding there must of necessity be in- 

 breeding, though not the mating together of brother 

 and sister, which is the worst form of inbreeding. 

 Daughter is mated back to sire, and son to mother, 



