34 



type like the Plymouth Kock and Rhode Islands or Wyandotte, yet 

 remains to be seen, but I think we are hewing pretty closely to the 

 line when we use only pure breds to get uniformity in type of fowl 

 and quality of eggs, hatching quality, feeding qualities and beauty 

 in appearance. 



We also secure in pure breeds the one greatest factor of all, the 

 ability to transmit these desirable qualities, whatever they may be, to 

 the next generation. When we estimate the value of any breed we 

 should not do so primarily on the eggs they lay nor the value of their 

 body for meat, valuable though these qualities are, but we determine 

 the value of our flocks and stock by their power to transmit these 

 qualities. Eggs that sell for one dollar each bring the price, not be- 

 cause they are worth more to eat, but because they are worth more to 

 hatch chickens to use for breeding. The price that a fowl will bring 

 over and above its eating quality will depend upon its breeding 

 quality, that is, whether or not the bird has the power of transmitting 

 that quality to the offspring. Grades cannot do it, neither can mon- 

 grels nor crossbreeds. We must depend upon pure breeds. 



GRADING UP THE FARM FLOCK. 



(R. C. Lawry, Yesterlaid Egg Farms, Pacific, Mo.) 



How many of us have not visited farms where great effort has 

 been expended to increase the yield of corn from an acre, by intro- 

 ducing tested varieties and selecting only uniform and perfectly filled 

 ears for seed ; where the indifferent herd of cows is being profitably 

 graded up by the use of a Holstein bull from some wide-heralded dam 

 which has made the advanced registery; and yet on this same farm 

 have found a flock of "just chickens," without any particular house 

 to go to which can be called their own or without any special amount 

 of care which would differentiate them from sparrows or rats or any 

 other scavengers about the farm. 



Many men who take so much interest in their crops and in their 

 herds have neglected the poultry because it has not occurred to them 

 how easily and quickly the ordinary flock of nondescript fowls can 

 be graded up to high and profitable production by the introduction 

 of a pure-blooded male. 



A great many farm flocks are not improved because it is felt that 

 $10.00 or $25.00 is too much to give for a trio of pure-bred fowls with 

 high egg producing power. 



As a rule it is not the best policy to advocate crossbreeding stock 

 of any kind, though it is much more profitable to have high-grade 

 crossbred fowls or dairy cattle than to have mongrel stock without 

 any infusion of carefully bred, high producing blood. 



If one can not see the wisdom of investing $10.00 to $25.00 in a 

 trio of pure-bred fowls then the next best thing is to buy a pure-bred 

 bird and mate it with the hens already on the farm. 



