A GUIDE FOR KEEPERS OF POULTRY 235 
“By continually selecting the best individuals in each 
generation line-breeding offers a system to the careful 
breeder whereby the quickest and safest improvements 
may be obtained. It must be remembered, however, that 
although no brother and sister matings are made, it is 
a system of inbreeding, and that faults in the stock will 
be intensified as well as excellencies. Especial care 
should be taken therefore not to mate together any indi- 
viduals which have the same faults in common. The 
practice of buying cockerels of unrelated blood each year 
to cross upon the breeding flock is a most common prac- 
tice of out-breeding. This tends to maintain constitu- 
tional vigor, but is not conducive to the perfection of 
type or egg-laying capacity. But as constitutional vigor 
is the most important factor in the breeding of utility 
poultry for the man who pays but little attention to his 
breeding stock the practice should not be too hastily 
condemned.” 
MARKING BETWEEN THE TOES.—As soon as 
the chicks are hatched a hole is punched in the web be- 
423 & G /0 1! 12/3 14 
 EEEEEEEEREEFL 
ror bbb EEEELE EE EE 
tween the toes. This hole will remain’ as long as the 
chick lives. The cut shows different combinations are 
possible and by keeping a record a number of differ- 
ent pens may be recorded and their breeding kept 
straight. Poultry markers for marking chicks in this 
way are for sale by supply houses, or an ordinary sad- 
