‘154 POULTRY-CRAFT. 
Let it be fully understood that to breed from birds decause they are related, 
without making selection for points desired, is as wrong as to refuse to mate 
related birds. The whole matter is well put, in a nutshell, by a writer on 
cattle breeding when he advises to ignore the fact of relationship altogether, 
and breed from the best individuals obtainable. Then the question for the 
poultry breeder is whether he can get, or can afford to get, better birds than 
he has. By breeding only from vigorous selected stock, and observing the 
-rule not to mate fowls having bad defects in common, mating together only 
fowls which in individual merit and in pedigree — whether akin or no kin — 
are what they should be for the purpose of the mating, a breeder may be sure 
that he is avoiding the mistakes of those who miss it when they inbreed, and 
also of those who miss it when they do not. 
213. Cross Breeding.— To breed crosses regularly, is not good policy 
for any poultry keeper. /¢ ¢s not a rude that crosses are hardier or better 
layers than fowls of pure blood. Some crosses give good results, others do 
not. As to comparing all crosses with all pure bred fowls: the breeder of 
crosses generally, very soon leaves them for thoroughbreds. In crossing, the 
breeds selected should have such unlike qualities as when combined to form 
an intermediate type, would give the result sought. The cross of two breeds 
having a bad fault in common, should never be made. Crossing to give stock 
vigor, is not better than using vigorous blood of the same variety ; it is not as 
good. Crossing two weak stocks in the hope of producing a strong one, will 
give satisfactory results in very very few instances. Some good crosses are 
White, Brown, or Buff, Leghorn and Light Brahma, or Buff, or White, Cochin ; 
Brown Leghorn and Partridge Cochin; White Plymouth Rock, or Wyandotte 
and Light Brahma; Golden, or Buff, Wyandotte and Buff Cochin; Indian 
Game and Light Brahma, or Buff, or Partridge, Cochin, or Plymouth Rock, 
or Wyandotte: all these give yellow skin and legs. Good crosses, not right 
in color for ‘‘ yellow” poultry, are Indian Game and Langshan; Black 
Minorca, or Houdan, and Langshan; Houdan and Brahma. In crossing birds 
differing much in size, males of the small breeds and females of the large 
should be used. In color, cross bred pullets most often resemble the sire, 
cockerels the dam; though the likeness is not very complete, and often quite 
different colors result. In shape and size, the progeny of both sexes is mostly 
intermediate. Occasionally the cross offspring are larger than either parent. 
214. Mating Standard Fowls.— With a copy of the Standard and an 
illustration of his variety before him, a novice who has studied the remarks 
on selecting for shape (203), will not need to have the points of shape 
desired explicitly set forth in the directions for mating each variety. The 
matings as described in the following paragraphs are mostly color matings ; 
but a few points on shape which need special mention are introduced, and in 
