THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



almost surely resemble the father, while the 

 females will be like the mother, strongly- 

 marked birds but too dark for show-room 

 requirements. For blue ribbon females, stand- 

 ard-color pullets must be chosen and mated 

 with a male of lighter color, belonging to the 

 mother's family father or brother or son 

 it is immaterial so long as relationship is on 

 the maternal side. You will probably say, 

 " Why, that is inbreeding," which, of course, 

 it is ; but as only the best-shaped and generally 

 perfect specimens are chosen for such propa- 

 gating, it is not likely to cause any trouble. 

 Periodically it is well to procure a cockerel 

 from some branch of the same family, which 

 has been outbred, and make an experimental 

 mating with one or two pullets. If the prog- 

 eny of either sex are good, keep them, and 

 infuse new blood into the breeding pens, but 

 always remember to keep the matings to stand- 

 ard color on the sire's line for males, and the 

 mother's line for females. And also remem- 

 ber that shape and vigor are as important as 



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