THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



plumage. Though I started my thorough- 

 bred pens with prize birds, I had quite a diffi- 

 cult fight to get the bars to run straight across 

 the feathers. They were good to the tips, but 

 there they either mixed on the black line or con- 

 formed to the round of the feather. After 

 two seasons I sent to the person from whom I 

 bought the original trio for a very dark 

 cockerel from the same females and mated 

 him with quite light pullets. The first season 

 I succeeded in getting two cockerels out of 

 the chicks reared, which had perfectly straight 

 bars and were all right in general color. The 

 following season straight bars predominated, 

 and the one show bird we reared amply repaid 

 us for all the trouble and time. 



From barred Rocks I skipped to buff vari- 

 eties, Cochins and Wyandottes, trying both 

 the same season, and fortunately for the pros- 

 perity of the farm, I discovered that it was a 

 mistake to try all sorts and kinds of birds, and 

 returned to my original love for the white 

 Wyandotte, from which I have never since de- 



345 



