Cross Breeding. 129 



by means of a judicious cross, fowls can be obtained that 

 will retain the good laying qualities of Leghorns, and yet be 

 vastly superior for table purposes. Of course, the distinctive 

 colour and shape would be largely done away with, and, 

 therefore, if this were objected to, such a cross should not 

 be made. As we have already said, there must be a certain 

 amount of in-breeding among pure-bred stock, which natur- 

 ally weakens the system, and reacts upon the commercial 

 properties of the fowl. For profitable purposes, therefore, we 

 strongly recommend cross-breeds, as they are much superior 

 to the pure breeds, if properly mated. Hap-hazard mating 

 of birds will do no good, but rather the reverse, and there 

 must be an object in view in all that is done, or more harm 

 than good will certainly be the result. 



There is yet another advantage in having pure-bred fowls 

 to breed from, and that is, there are many persons all over 

 the country who have room for only a few fowls, say, half-a- 

 dozen to a score, and who only wish to supply their own 

 tables with eggs, and, in a few cases, with a chicken now and 

 again. Many of these have not space sufficient to allow 

 them to' go in for breeding, and others only want to rear a 

 very few chickens every year, say, one or two clutches at 

 most. Such persons do not care for showing, but at the 

 same time like to have pure-bred fowls. They are generally 

 willing to give two dollars for a good cockerel, and two-thirds 

 as much for a nice-looking pullet; or, when they take a fancy 

 to rear a few chickens, they prefer to obtain a few eggs from 

 another yard, and will pay two or three dollars for a setting 

 of eggs. There are some poultry yards where hundreds of 

 settings of eggs, and hundreds of birds, are sold in this way 

 every year ; and we do not see why every farmer who goes in 

 for poultry should not do a little in this way also. Of course, 

 if every one did this, each one would make less out of it. 

 than those who have it all to themselves now do ; but, as there 



K 



