32 



THE ASIATICS. 



as given in the Reliable several years ago. I like 

 black point* in the females as well as in the males and 

 breed for it by mating my darkest males and females to- 

 gether sometimes. I like black mottling in the foot feath- 

 ering of the females as well as in the males, and believe it 

 is impossible to get uniformity of color in our females 

 where it should be and maintain it, unless I breed as above 

 stated. 



I always have some specimens of Light Brahmas that I 

 especially like, because I like shape as well as color, and 

 color as well as shape, in both males and females. Despite 

 the years of breeding this noble breed, I believe most breed- 

 ers, like myself, are very far from obtaining the acme of 

 perfection, but the few females I have have almost solid 

 black nights, heavy hackle edged with pure white, tails 

 black to the skin, with two or three rows of coverts edged 

 with white, deep blue under-color in backs and throughout 

 the plumage, heavy leg and toe feathering, mottled with 



A Pen of Mrs. Ella Thomas' Mammoth I^ight Brahmas. 



black, presenting the Brahma hen and pullet absolutely 

 beautiful to me. 



When it comes to pounds of meat and eggs in a year, 

 with a combination of beauty in shape and color of this 

 grand old breed, the west certainly leads at present, and has 

 for some years. After fourteen years' experience in mating 

 our gains and losses in mating for certain points. I keep 

 a number of such hens as a reserve of color, to increase the 

 and breeding this noble bird, I cannot agree with some of 

 our fanciers (I trust they will pardon me for this assertion) 

 who purchase many winning birds and advocate the same 

 methods as we of the west do, although some of them claim 

 to despise our methods. They will come to them by and by 

 when the successfully establish and breed their own strain. 



Those who contend for pure white in under-color in all 

 their birds will find to their sorrow, when too late, that they 

 will soon sacrifice the beautiful rich, glossy black wings, 

 tails and coverts that are plentiful in the west. Brother and 

 sister fanciers, avoid as much as lies in your power the char- 

 coal under-color. Do not cast away those grand old hens 

 that have some black spots in backs, even if they have some 



charcoal under-color, when they have the needful color in 

 wings, tail and hackle. Cultivate and work for the even, 

 bluish under-color throughout the entire plumage and to 

 extend one-half or one-third the length of the feathers from 

 the skin outward, and this, when everything is favorable, 

 will give us black wings and pure white surface color. We 

 do not need to breed for black on head to retain these char- 

 acteristics if we use judgment and pay strict attention to 

 color of birds in my own or my customers* hands that are 

 too light and to produce extra fine dark males with no dis- 

 qualification, and this I do by mating black and white males, 

 that is intense color where it is most needed, and I do this 

 by mating these very fine males to such hens or pullets. 

 We must breed our birds in such a manner as to produce 

 a strain that will reproduce good specimens in the hands of 

 the purchaser, or we fail to make a breeder of the 

 purchaser. I find that by breeding carefully for blue 

 under-color throughout the plumage and keeping in re- 

 serve the darkest old . 

 hens that are free from 

 black in back, to mate 

 with, a male near the 

 standard requirements, 

 I can produce offspring 

 that secures the high- 

 est honors in many big 

 shows. 



I am heart and soul 

 for the advancement of 

 the Light Brahma, and 

 am full of solicitude 

 for the co-operation of 

 the breeders in all 

 parts of our country, 

 feeling that whatever 

 is for the good of one 

 part of the country 

 would eventually be 

 for the good of all. Let 

 the west and east, 

 north and south, all 

 work for the advance- 

 ment of this worthy va- 

 riety, for you know "in 

 union there is strength" 

 and in union of minds 

 there will be mutual 

 benefit, and aid in producing harmony and _ zeal among 

 breeders in perfecting the fine points of our birds, in secur- 

 ing vigor, great laying qualities, perfecting them as a prac- 

 tical fowl, breeding for that beautiful shaped body that is 

 their characteristic, increasing the rich black markings and 

 bluish under-color that gives so beautiful a white surface 

 color. The whole, a grand make-up that never has and 

 never can be attained by any other breed than the Light 

 Brahma. 



In this article I have endeavored to give plainly, so that 

 a novice can understand it, a description of my methods of 

 mating this variety which after years of careful study and 

 painstaking experience I believe to be correct and best cal- 

 culated to advance the worth and popularity of the variety 

 from a fancier's viewpoint, while preserving to the 

 greatest extent the true value of the fowl for all practical 

 purposes. ' I am aware that the opinions of many, whose 

 experience and success entitle them to consideration, will 

 not agree with mine, but no other methods have given me 

 so much satisfaction. 



MRS. ELLA THOMAS. 



