POULTRY RAISING. 9 
garded as of much importance, for a lot of chickens of 
different varieties, if fed and reared in the same pen, will 
exhibit all shades of color in the skin from yellow to 
white. It seems natural to some breeds to secrete a fat 
that is yellow, while other breeds secrete a fat that has 
but little tint. 
A great deal has been written in regard to the merits 
of different breeds of fowls, and people are, generally, 
pretty well acquainted with the characteristics of each, 
so that it would seem almost an act of supererogation 
here for me to dwell upon this topic, did not my experi- 
ence in a measure differ from that of many writers. 
From extended and careful observation, I have arrived at 
the following conclusions : 
If a breeder intends to raise chickens for the Philadel- 
phia and other first-named series of markets, a cross of 
Plymouth Rock cock, one year old, on a two-year-old 
Light Brahma hen, produces the most desirable early 
“‘roasters ;” a pure-blood Plymouth Rock mating gives 
the best ‘‘ broilers” and late ‘‘ roasters.” In fact for my 
own table I prefer Plymouth Rock chickens, either as 
broilers or roasters, to all others. Of course, at present, 
Langshans and Wyandottes are too valuable to be taken 
into account as table fowls. 
Next to the above matings, for the markets named, a 
cross between a yearling Black-breasted Game and White 
or Buff Cochin, makes desirable broilers, but not so quick 
selling as those first named. 
In my experience, the principal objection to Plymouth 
Rocks and their crosses lies in their dark pin-feathers, 
which abound in the skin of broilers, and are very difli- 
cult to be removed, and when they are taken out thor- 
oughly the skin is often badly broken and marred by the 
picker. 
For the Boston and other markets named in the sec- 
ond list, I find that for broilers a cross between a year- 
