THE CALL OF THE HEN 105 



mom made the rule that all birds were to be judged according 

 to tl e condition they were in at the time they were judged. 

 And while this rule may be all right in judging the fancy bird 

 and the beef type bird, it will never do for the egg type bird 

 as the reader will see when I relate an incident that occurred 

 during the show in Ingle wood, which was held in Match. A 

 gentleman had entered a White Leghorn hen that he \ad trap- 

 uested a ] ear uj. to tlic previous November, and hi 1 her 

 record with him. The hen scored (as near as I can retuetuber) 

 two En^eis abdomen, two fingers out of condition, and 3-16 

 pelvic bone, and according to the rules of the show I w r> oblig- 

 ed to give her credit for 78 eggs her first laying year, when .c- 

 cording to his trap nested record she had laid 180 eggs. He 

 said she had been sick and had just commenced to improve 

 shortly before he sent her to the show, and he wanted to prove 

 whether or not I could tell how many eggs she had laid her 

 f rst laying year. I told him I could not tell how many eggs 

 she had laid but I could tell how many she could have laid if 

 she had been fed and cared for right, barring accidents and 

 sickness. That her capacity was 190 eggs her first laying year. 

 He then showed me her record which was 180 eggs. 



In the autumn of 1911 George D. Holden, ex-president of 

 the American Poultry Association judged the fancy, and the 

 writer judged the utility birds at the Pajaro Valley Poultry 

 show held at Watsonville, Santa Cruz county, Calif. In judg- 

 ing that show full credit was given each bird both male and fe- 

 male, as to what they were capable of doing, whether in meat 

 or eggs, and for prepotency, without any regard as to how their 

 owners cared for them. Or in other words without regard to 

 their condition. And the owners of the birds who were inter- 

 ested in knowing, were instructed how to rectify any deficiency 

 there may have been in the birds. It seems to me this is the 

 best way to encourage and develop the poultry industry. I am 

 sure the American Poultry Association could formulate a code 

 of rules that would greatly aid in judging utility poultry, and 

 thereby add greatly to the interest of our poultry shows. In 

 fact I am advised that such a proposition is being considered 

 at the time I am writing this, July 25th, 1913. 



