102 POULTRY BREEDING 
either could be used as suggested without reference to 
kale. if 
CRATING FANCY FOWLS.—\\Vhen fowls are sold 
for breeding purposes it is very desirable that they should 
not be injured on their journey to buyers and they should 
be carefully crated so as to go comfortably and safely. 
Crates are now easily procurable for this use, but where 
they are not convenient they may be made of old boxes 
that can be bought for a few cents at any store. The 
corners should be reinforced with posts at least 1” square 
and the sides and top should first be slatted and then cov- 
ered with thin muslin, as express companies discriminate 
against a crate made with muslin sides only. Make the 
crate large enough so the birds enclosed can turn around 
comfortably and pass each other easily. Make it high 
enough so they can stand erect with a few inches to spare. 
If they are going to be on the road more than 30 hours 
put a tin cup in one corner, nailing it to a post in such a 
way that the express messenger can fill it with water 
without difficulty. Also put in the crate a supply of feed 
for the trip. If the birds are to be several days on the 
road tie to the crate a small bag of feed and on the top 
tack a request to the express messenger to feed at noon 
each day. The writer has shipped breeding fowls to 
every part of the United States, to Canada and Mexico 
and has never had ene injured on the road in any way. 
Express messengers take good care of fowls in transit as 
they have orders to be careful with all breeding stock. 
(See cut of shipping crate on page 247.) 
CROSS-BREEDING.—Poultrymen in this country are 
prejudiced against cross-brceding pure breeds, although 
this very often results in fowls better than either of the 
parent breeds. In [england cross-breeding is very cam- 
