S'UCCBSS WITH POULTRY 



87 



lesson, I should then buy eggs of the breeder each year as 

 long as I thought I needed them and so keep tab on his ma't- 

 ings and his way of doing things as well as"on my own way. 

 With each purchase I should stand side by side with him, 

 having immediate representatives of his improvements to 

 compare with my own work. Thus, at a small outlay I 

 would get the results of his years of patient labor and could 

 adopt his way of doing things and at the sanio time see 

 the results of my own way. I should try to better all his 

 improvements if I could, and should have as good as he had 

 direct from him, if I could not surpass him. This is a brief 

 outline of the way I should build up a strain of my own. 



H. S. BUEDIOK, New York. 



Would Start With Stock— One Variety and Onll Closely. 



If I wished to establish myself in the standard-bred 

 poultry business and knew what I know now I should pur- 

 chase stock in preference, to eggs. I tried 'about ten or 

 twelve- years ago to establish myself through the egg route, 

 but for me it was a failure. I should purijhase the birds 

 in the fall preceding the spring I intended breeding them, 

 as first-class breeding birds can be bought cheaper at that 

 time. I should visit the yards of several first-elass breeders 

 and exhibitors, selecting birds from the one that suited me 

 best. I should buy males and females from the same yard 

 if I could find what I wanted; if I could not get the male 

 and females from the same yard I should get a male from 

 the yard that came nearest in type,,,ghape and color to the 

 one from which I got my females., I should expect to 

 pay a good price for the birds as breeders will not part with 

 their best birds at small prices. 



From this pen I should establish my strain, introducing 

 now and then a male from the yard or one of the yards from 

 which I purchased my first birds. ' Situated as I am now 

 where my birds are raised' 6n farms from five to ten miles 

 apart, the introduction of a fresh male is not necessary un- 

 der every three years. I should select one variety, as I have 

 found^from experience that one is enough ioi any breeder 

 who wishes to be on top. Stick to one variety until it is 

 a success. One should never quit anything until he makes it 

 a success. It some tinies comes hard and high, but it is 

 worth having "when it does come and it is appreciated all 

 the more. 



I should subscribe for a first-class poultry paper, buy a 

 copy of the American Standard and read everything I could 

 find on the variety chosen, as every one has some good ideas 

 and no one has them all', hen&e by reading only part I might 

 miss something good. I should pay close attention to the 

 small things — the large ones will take care of themselves — 

 and should be careful in filling orders, always giving more 

 than the money's worth, rather than less. And last, but not 

 least, I should cull the flock closely, as show birds do not 

 come from poor parents. K. S. TRIMBLE, Kentucky. 



Time is Too Valuable to Lose in Experimenting. 

 By looking over the countless number of advertisements 

 in the leading poultry journals one realizes how difficult it 

 is for a beginner to decide of whom to purchase. It is a 

 truism that ".Experience is the best teacher," and it is 

 never better exemplified than in the poultry business. If by 

 accident or any other cause 1 should be deprived of my 

 entire flock, I would turn to the best breeder for a new start 

 — one with long experience, a reputation for fair dealing, and 

 whose show record is unexcelled. A fancier who has shown 

 successfully tor many years must surely understand the bus- 

 iness in every detail and in order to win a long list of prizes 



annually he certainly must have valuable stock. I should 

 purchase of such a party, a few good birds, also eggs from 

 his different matings, thus obtaining the benefit of his long 

 experience. The following season I would procure from 

 the same party such birds as I needed to strengthen and 

 build up my flock. Out and out crossing is largely experi- 

 mental, often disastrous, and should be practiced with care 

 upon only a portion of the flock. By careful infusion of new 

 blood, weak points may be eliminated and greater pel'fection 

 obtained. WILLIAM F. BEACB, New York. 



Would Buy Line-Bred Stock. 



So much has been written on the subject of standard- 

 bred poultry, it would seem that the work were complete. 

 On the other -hand we find the demand for standard-bred 

 poultry greater today than it ever has been. To those about 

 to start, tnis question presents itself: "How shall I pro- 

 ceed?" I would answer, if you are able, place your order 

 with some good breeder that has bred his birds in line for 

 years. Tell him what you want and the results will be 

 highly satisfactory, if I were to start again in breeding it 

 would be by buying stock. Still we have cases where the 

 beginner has been successful in buying eggs, in some cases 

 the start being a single sitting of eggs. 



W. A. lEVIN, Nebraska. 



Eggs from a Dozen or More Breeders. 



If I did not have any poultry and wished to establish a 

 strain of any of tKe standard breeds, I should buy eggs of a 

 dozen or more breeders of the variety selected, and have 

 them all hatched about the same time. This stock would be 

 the starting point of my strain. This may be a rather short 

 answer to your question, but it covers the ground as I have 

 it in my mind. 



EOWLAND G. BUFFINGTON, Massachusetts. 



Buy -Line-Bred Males and Females of One Breed. 



If it were Barred Plymouth Eoeks that I expected to 

 breed, I should start by buying stock in the winter, or eggs 

 in the spring. I should prefer buying stock, although I 

 know many breeders of reputation today who started by 

 buying eggs. I should buy my stock or eggs of a breeder of 

 reputation, not only one having a reputation for breeding 

 winners, but with a reputation for honesty and truthfulness 

 as well. I should also expect of him that he practice double 

 mating and had bred in line for years. I should want both 

 males and females from the same strain. 



W. S. ETJSSELL," Iowa. 



Starting a Strain With One Pair— Inbreeding. 

 This question is a practical and very interesting one and 

 will tend to bring- out valuable information that has been 

 gained with ' ' much tribulation, ' ^ hard knocks, worry, and in 

 most cases, much expense. What I shall say pertains to 

 Barred Eocks. I "know" no other breed.. Under the cir- 

 cumstances named, I should start as far from the "lower 

 rung" as possible. If I knew a breeder who had fine birds 

 and would sell eggs from his best, I should buy 50 eggs if 

 possible for his pullet line and an eq^ial number from his 

 cockerel line. -Then I should mate the very best pair raised 

 from each line ,and from this pair start my linqg. I believe 

 that no one will ever start a uniform and meritorious strain, 

 except from one pair, then follow the "line" and out-cross 

 very cautiously hj infusing new blood, one-half at a tinie, 

 through the females. Inbreeding hurts neither the vitality, 

 nor the egg yield, if only the strongest and most vigorous 



