62 POULTR?-CRAFT. 
69. Comparison of the Kinds of Fowls.— With other than pure bred 
fowls the progressive poultry keeper has little to do. With common or 
mongrel fowls he concerns himself least of all. That some mongrel hens are 
healthier and more prolific than some high class stock, is true. The converse 
of the proposition is equally true. As between all common hens and all pure 
bred hens, there is little to be said for common hens. The experience of 
most of those who are thoroughly familiar with both classes of stock has been 
that, with rare exceptions, they could get better practical results from thor- 
oughbreds taken at random than from the most carefully selected common 
stock. The pure bred fowl is the result of selections extending through a 
long course of years. However faulty selection may at times have been from 
the economic point of view, the general result has been infinitely better than 
the zatuwral selection which was given free course in the common fowls. It 
is not advised that a flock of mongrels doing well or fairly well be discarded 
out of hand, and a new beginning made with pure bred stock. It is advised 
that the mongrels be either graded up to the type of thoroughbred best suited 
to the keeper’s purpose, or be gradually replaced with thoroughbred stock. 
As between cross and pure bred fowls, it may be said that rarely is there 
produced a cross the good qualities of which cannot be paralleled in one or 
more pure breeds. Grades having three-fourths or more of the blood of a 
pure breed will usually be on a par in utility qualities with the average of that 
breed. Crossing and grading are ordinarily to be resorted to only for the 
purpose of utilizing stock on hand. They are emergency methods. A poul- 
tryman who continuously produces fowls of impure blood throws away one 
of his best chances of profit; for in the long run it costs no more to produce 
pure stock; and while sometimes pure stock of good quality has to be sold at 
the market price for poultry, it is certain that crosses and grades will not 
at any time bring much more than market prices — not often enough more to 
pay for advertising and cooping for shipment. It is the hereditary fixedness 
of certain desirable qualities and characters that gives the popular varieties of 
pure bred fowls — (whether bred for utility or fancy)—their superiority as 
money makers. 
or value of a breed. Breeds and varieties which never become popular with any class of 
poultry keepers are recognized in the Standard, while useful breeds quite widely popular 
are rejected. Of more than seventy varieties of fowls, (excluding bantams), described in 
the Standard, less than half are popular,—7. ¢., varieties commonly bred; and of these 
less than half, again, are popular in the sense of being commonly and extensively bred,— 
bred by those who keep fowls on a large scale. 
ENoTE. — American Poultry Association, —an organization of poultry breeder. and 
fanciers, composed of persons who, their applications having been approved by vote of 
the association, become life members on payment of a fee of $10. Though not a 
representative organization, its Standard descriptions are accepted by nearly all poultry- 
men, even those who breed for economic purposes breeding to Standard types as closely 
as they can without sacrificing utility qualities —as would be done in some cases by strict 
adherence to the Standard. 
