BREEDING. 215 



result, in a good measure, by placing hens of different colors 

 side by side, or by increasing the distance between coops, till 

 no danger is manifest. ' 



Mr. P. Melendy, President of the Ohio State Poultry Society, 

 manages chickens as follows : 



As soon as they are batched, I take them and put them in a house 

 that faces the southeast, with glass windows, so that the sun shines 

 on them in the morning on this side. I have coops there about four 

 feet square, with lattice fronts. I cover the floor with fine dry sand, 

 and a little lime. I clean it out once a week. I keep them in these 

 coops till two weeks old ; I then transfer them to my chicken yard, 

 which is adjoining to my chick house. I place the hen in a yard that 

 is tight, with the exception of the front, which is lattice work, with 

 doors to close at night and stormy weather. The coops face the 

 south. My yard is a fine grass plat; the grass is kept mown close. 

 I keep them in this yard till weaned. I then transfer to my large 

 yard. 



BREEDIN G . 



The fundamental principle of breeding is, " like produces 

 like" but still, this is not an unerring one. For instance, we 

 may breed from any pure stock of fowls, and occasionally an 

 extra fine specimen will appear, and by breeding such specimens, 

 or pairs, we cannot obtain their like in all cases, but a portion of 

 their progeny will conform to the general characteristics of the 

 originals. Indeed, if we obtain a single pair in a whole season, 

 equal in size, &c., to such extra pairs, we may consider ourselves 

 fortunate. This rule refers, of course, to cases where such extra 

 fine fowls much exceed their parents in weight, model, &c. If, 

 however, we select the finest specimens produced by such fowls, 

 as breeders, and continue, from season to season, to select the 

 best samples, we shall ultimately arrive at our desire, and obtain 

 a permanent improvement on the original stock. 



This principle holds good in regard to all animate nature, 

 and the fine extra large stock of animals exhibited at our fairs, 

 will not, on this principle, produce their like, if they exceed in 

 size, model, &c., their progenitors, unless, as before stated, it be 

 a chance offspring. But we have no other way to improve our 

 stock of swine, cattle, poultry, <fec., and if we have a very short 

 legged hen, and breed her with a mate conforming to her as 

 nearly as possible, and continue to select the shortest legged 

 fowls, from season to season, as breeders, in time we may pro- 

 duce a change of permanency in the length of their legs, yet 



