6 THE CALL OF THE HEN. 
For a half century the fanciers and poultrymen generally have 
devoted their attention to the showroom in the development of shape 
and color. No opportunity has been offered or anything specially 
done to encourage the farmer and poultryman to develop the natural 
resources of the hen—her ability to lay eggs. A few of our best experi- 
ment stations have made some investigations along this line and done 
some very valuable work indeed. Here and there an occasional poultry- 
breeder has given some thought and attention to breeding for egg-pro- 
duction; but certainly, as a whole, the attention of breeders generally 
has not been along this line, and it seems that this important matter has 
been too much neglected. ; 
Haphazard methods of mating and breeding don’t pay, and in- 
discriminate methods cannot prove successful in building up a flock of 
laying hens. There never was a time in the history of this country 
when poultry and eggs were in greater demand; the price at which 
poultry and eggs sell has increased much more in proportion than has 
the price of feeds necessary to produce these products; but because the 
industry is flourishing today more than ever before does not justify 
us in continuing indiscriminate or foolhardy methods. The opportunity 
is ours to insure greater profits, if we will but carefully and systematically 
solve the problem which is facing us: ‘How can we insure a reasonably 
high average egg-production?” 
The interests of the fancier are served through the showroom. If 
a breeder enters birds in a showroom and is beaten, he tries to improve 
his flock and perfect it by introducing new blood or by improved methods 
of breeding and careful selection. If he wins, he tries to keep his flock 
in that high state of perfection. It is just as important, and even more 
so that he know just what his flock can do in the matter of production, 
and he ought to use the same care in trying to perfect his strain of layers. 
There are exceptions to all rules. You will find some exceptions 
in selecting, testing, and breeding your poultry according to the method 
described in THE CALL oF THE HEN; but many breeders have tested 
it for some six or eight years; many of these have doubled their egg 
yield in this time. We feel certain that Mr. Hogan’s method of selec- 
tion and breeding will prove him to be to the poultry industry what 
Burbank is to horticulture, Edison is to the electrical world, or Darwin 
or Mendel to the breeding kingdom. That the mastery of this method 
of selection and breeding, and sensibly applying the principles revealed 
herein, will mean much to the poultry industry, is our honest belief. 
AMERICAN SCHOOL OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY. 
Leavenworth, Kansas. 
