MAXIMS OF BREEDING. 69 



The crossing of two well-bred strains oftentimes produces 

 a distinct and new type which is very beautiful. To secure 

 this new type (which is in itself a fact that the two elements 

 producing were of equal strength, as neither controlled the 

 breeding), and to perpetuate it, it would in that case be wise 

 to select a dam of delicate though pure blood, thus giving 

 the sire all the chance possible to stamp its offspring ; then by 

 breeding his pullet back, to concentrate his breeding in his 

 grand-children, they also being his children; then we could 

 go on, by selections of coarser or stronger dams for new 

 blood for the strain. The American breeder is of a restless 

 nature; he wants something that is peculiar to himself ; some- 

 thing in which he can be identified. You find them all over 

 the country, chopping up the blood of their birds by the intro- 

 duction of new sires, first from one flock, then from another, 

 hoping thereby to have something different. They succeed ; 

 but when they have got it, they are disappointed because no 

 one else wants it, They then think the bottom has gone out 

 of the chicken business, and they curse the business and 

 retire. Of such I will say, the business is better off when 

 they do retire from it. Now, there is but the one way to 

 reach uniformity in breeding, no matter whether it is horses, 

 cattle, or fowls, and that is by "in breeding," and, like poison, 

 it may kill or cure, just according as we display good judg- 

 ment in its use. 



Whenever we introduce new dams to a strain, breed their 

 get back to a sire of the strain, and never use sires from 

 this new introduction of blood until the blood has become 

 thoroughly subjected to the strain. 



To explain : if the chicks of the mating of the pullets to 

 sires of the strain are not all in type like the strain, then 

 breed back again, and not use a male as a stock bird until the 

 desired affinity of the blood has been accomplished. As a 

 rule, use no male with less than seven-eighths of the blood of 

 the strain, nor females with less than three-fourths of the 

 blood of your strain as stock birds. 



If all the breeders would adopt this plan of breeding, and 

 would keep a record, they would see then the importance of 

 pedigree, and how beautifully all these things are governed 

 by a natural law. We can mix the blood of our birds as 



