American or English Class 81 



old breed, lacking the yellow legs but good general purpose fowls. 

 The Wyandottes are also general purpose fowls and these can be 

 seen in all colors. No other breed of fowls have quite as much 

 variety in feather and most of them are beautiful. Like the Orping- 

 tons the Wyandottes are very quiet and docile, while rocks are more 

 pugnacious. There is good lighting blood in the Barred Rocks, but 

 if you get a good strain they are wonderfully good fowls. 



We see a few specimens at a poultry show at odd times of the 

 old breeds, such as the dark and light Brahma, the Dorking and 

 English Red Cap, but their day has passed; the newer favorites have 

 taken their place. And while we had a real liking for some of them, 

 I think it is a case of the "survival of the fittest." 



At the present time we have so many good breeds, and all colors, 

 both solid color and parti-colors are to be found in each breed, that 

 it would appear as if any fancier can get just what he likes best, and 

 as it has been said many times, "It is not exactly the breed that 

 spells success but the man behind it." 



This is true, for some men will not succeed with any kind of poul- 

 try, because they are not adapted to the work, while others succeed 

 with any and all kinds. 



Neither does it take any more to feed an Orpington hen than a 

 small hen of any breed, because she utilizes every particle of food 

 for the business of egg or flesh making. 



As shown previously, the general purpose fowl embraces the 

 American class, the English and the French, and nearly all colors 

 and varieties can be found to please everybody, as also the color of 

 shank and skin for those who have a prejudice or a liking. 



Tliere is one thing to remember in opening up a general purpose 

 farm — all these fowls, except the French breeds, lay a colored egg. 

 And when eggs are plentiful, these eggs are discriminated against, 

 generally to the tune of one cent a dozen. When eggs are scarce, 

 as they usually are in winter, they bring top price just as the white 

 egg does. So this is such a small matter it is scarcely worth 

 mentioning at all, but that this question generally comes up when a 

 person is trying to decide and it is well to have the facts. I believe 

 the prospects for selling eggs by weight was never better than at 

 this time, and whenever that occurs, the breeds that laj' the dark 

 egg will surely come into their own. 



For a general purpose fowl, there can be no mistake in choosing 

 a breed from either the American class or the English. Get good 

 birds to start with and keep them good 'by introducing new blood 

 which tends towards vigor and health. Unless the intention is to 

 breed for the fancy, you need no line breeding chart or other frills. 

 Find a good, reliable breeder of pure bred stock and recruit your 

 flock by his blood once a year. In this way, by branding the chicks 



