THE BANTAM FOWL. 



63 





small as possible. Our preference is for the V or leaf comb. 

 Having, as they do, the muff or beard, and being naturally 

 the better formed Bantam, they should have the preference. 

 To breed these successfully, select a male perfect in form, 

 qjest and beard; he should also have a large, well propor- 

 tioned tail for his size. Legs should be of blue color and 

 very smooth. His beak should also be blue and crest should 

 be large and perfect in form. He should be mated to a 

 small female as perfect in all these points as possible. A 

 hen should be preferred rather than a pullet for producing 

 strong chicles. It is always best to select as breeding siock 

 birds that have the largest knobs for the crest to grow upon. 

 Always select a crest that is well filled in front and as 

 round as possible. 



The other variety is or should be the same, only the 

 single comb as small as possible. They have silver colored 

 legs and beaks, in other points the same, only no beard. 



In all olher varieties of Polish Bantams the Standard 

 for the larger varieties should guide, excepting the size. 

 This in all Polish Bantams should be quite small. Do not 

 try to produce these beautiful fowls and call them Bantams 

 when half the size of the larger Polish. Their beauty de- 

 pends on their miniature size. 



Since writing the above Mr. P. B. Zimmer, of Glovers- 

 ville, N. Y., has shown me his flock of Bearded White 

 Crested White Polish, and produced evidence to show me 

 that he was not only the first to produce this variety, but 

 the only one thus far to produce them oi proper size and 

 shape with all the other features of this variety in so 

 marked a degree as to assure reproduction of their high 

 Qualities. His strain of Bearded White Polish is, beyond 

 all dispute, the best in all the world. 



A new variety of Polish Bantams is just now before us 

 — the BufC I.,aced Polish Bantams. To be of correct type 

 thoy must resemble the larger Polish of the same variety 

 in all features and conform in size to other Polish Ban- 

 tams. 



the; SUlvTAN OR BOOTED WHITE POLISH. 



- The Sultan or Booted White Polish we mentioned with 

 the Booted Bantams. Nothing could be more beautiful than 

 nice, well kept Sultans. They would help to swell the num- 

 bers for a Pc>lish Bantam club. 



A BREEDER ON POLISH BANTAMS. 



New York, March 13, 1898. 

 Mr. T. F. McGrew: 



Sixteen to seventeen years ago I started in the pla n 

 Polish Ban'tams and thirteen or fourteen years ago I brought 

 -out the entire original stock. They originated in Massachu- 

 setts, near Agawam, as much by accident as any way. At 

 about that time (thirteen or fourteen years) there was as 

 good as none outside of my flock. The Standard just let 

 them in and, as you know, called for single comb and white 

 legs. (I do not know who made this Standard.) Many of 

 the chicks had blue legs and I was not as particular then 

 as I am now and sold lots of these disqualified birds after 

 telling customers, but they were crazy after them, so they 

 went. Being interested personally, I have kept my eyes open 

 for Polish Bantams, and I never saw an English bird that 

 was white, nor heard of one, with V comb and blue legs in 

 America. And after I wrote our bearded Standard as it 

 now reads, I never heard of any English being imported 

 and am certain all those that are being shown in America 

 now are from my stock, that I bred from big Bearded Eng- 

 lish Polish and my non-bearded birds. I will not assert 

 that England never had a bird to conform to our Standard 

 of Bearded Bantams, F. b. zimmer. 



SILKY BANTAMS. 



The Silky Bantams are very scarce, and are known of 

 the following varieties: Whites, Yellow or Golden, Browns 

 or Blacks. Some of these have single combs, others the 

 walnut comb. They are quite small, rather hairy, and said 

 to be good sitters and mothers. Their native land was 

 Eastern Asia, about Malacca. Early writers call them the 

 woolly hen. Their feathers being almost entirely fluff giv3 

 them the woolly appearance. Their skin and bones are of 

 a purple or blue color. This makes a distasteful looking 

 dish for the table, for when cooked they have a dark, unin- 

 viting appearance. In the early days of the Cochin some of 

 them were called Silky Cochins, their plumage being fluffy 

 to the very end of the feathers, showing the infiuence of 

 home cultiva,tlon of the fancy in the Orient. Thus writes 

 an early fancier of these fowls: "Silkies may be classed as 

 purely fancy, having only their own peculiarities to recom- 

 mend them. In place of feathers they have silky hair; the 

 skin and legs are blue; face and comb deep purple; ear- 

 lobes tinged with white. The best of them have five toco 

 and pure white plumage." 



NEW BANTAMS. 

 The desire to produce new breeds is almost a craze with 

 us. Not content with improving those we have, our atten- 

 tion is attracted toward new things. The new rule adopted 

 by the American Poultry Association will close the door, 

 for some time a't least, against imitation breeds or varieties, 

 as may be. 



As a matter of record, I will mention a number of styles 

 and kinds of Bantams that have come and gone, many of 

 them with merely passing notice. The most attractive of 

 these are the Penciled and Spangled Hamburg Bantams. 

 They can be produced by crossing Hamburgs and Sebrights 

 together, and reduced by inbreeding and selection. The 

 Silver Penciled of these varieties' is the most attractive, and 

 we have seen some fairly good ones for the first cross. 



Minorca, Andalusian, and Leghorn Bantams of fairly 

 good form can be produced by proper crosses and inbreed- 

 ing. We have seen Andalusian Bantams of fairly good color 

 and comb, fashioned after the old style of Game Bantams. 

 Bi-own Leghorn Bantams can be produced by crossing a 

 small Brown Leghorn male with an old style Black Red 

 Game Bantam hen. Inbreed and select the most perfect 

 specimens of small size and breed from them late chicks. 

 White Leghorns can be produced in the same manner, using 

 small White Games for the cross. 



Bantams called Centurions, buff in color, resembling . 

 White Wonders, are bred by crossing Golden Sebrights, Jap- 

 anese and Buff Cochin Bantams with BufC Wyandottes. In 

 our opinion the same or better results might be obtained 

 by crossing the Golden Sebright on the Buff Cochin Ban- 

 tam. This would give the buff color, the feathered legs and 

 ro.se comb in much shorter time than the other numerous 

 crosses. Buff Plymouth Rock and Buff Wyandotte Bantams 

 are produced by similar crosses. In fact, almost every 

 kn.jwn fowl has to-day its counterpart in miniature form 

 of more or less merit. This may do very well as a pastime, to 

 please the fancy of those who produce them, but to have 

 any real value they must possess the characteristics of the 

 breed they imitate and reproduce of their kind moderately 

 perfect specimens. 



BLACK SPANISH BANTAMS. 

 Our attention has been called to the fact that they now 

 have in England a most perfect little Black Spanish Ban- 

 tam, about the size of the Rose Comb Bantam. It is claimed 



