254 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



scuttles. When the nests are in some seclusion like the 

 above the fowls are less liable to eat their eggs or break 

 them by two or three hens getting into one nest. 



BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



The value of any breed depends much upon the care 

 exercised in selecting the breeding stock. Thus a strain 

 of barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, or Wyan- 

 dotts, may be built up, remarkable for their laying quali- 

 ties; another for early maturity as broilers, while another 

 may develop large size for poultry. So, too, by neglect 

 a great laying strain may soon become poor layers or 

 slow in maturing. No breed, perhaps, can combine 

 all the desirable qualities, but it should be the aim of 

 every grower to select for breeding those fowls that 

 possess the most desirable qualities. In every flock 

 there will be chickens that from the first are larger and 

 more vigorous than others. These should be carefully 

 removed and given especial attention, with the aim to 

 produce large fowls. Selection of fowls for laying is 

 more difficult, but if the flock is not too large we may 

 select those that begin laying early, and by trap nests 

 may determine the number of eggs laid by each one. 

 When it is determined that certain fowls are more pro- 

 lific layers than others, and of larger size, or more per- 

 fectly marked, they should be marked or separated so 

 that when the breeding season comes on their eggs may 

 be utilized. 



The eggs of the different breeds as well as those of the 

 same breed vary much in size and color, and attention 

 should be given to this point, for one market prefers a 

 white egg while in another the dark egg is in demand. 

 If this process of selection is carried on skilfully for a 

 few years pedigree stock of high character will be the 

 result. The breeds most in use in Eastern United 



