THE ADVANTAGE OF A STANDARD 155 



time forget that no one or anything is at fault but yourself 

 for you have not given your birds a fair square chance. 



The wise breeder will get his copy of the standard and learn 

 it, not only almost verbatim, but he goes even further and 

 endeavors to interpret the meaning of each part of it forming 

 a mental picture of just what is required to make up each 

 section of the ideal bird of his breed. When he uses this method 

 he will have started correctly because it is the only manner in 

 which he can know how to mate his birds or allow them to 

 mate so as to produce the best possible results. The other wise 

 breeder does the same thing and the only way that we can 

 produce. better birds than his is to study the standard and learn 

 all we can and see through the meaning of the standard better 

 than he can or does. 



To the mind of the writer the breeder, who learns from the 

 standard what is required and then strives to breed his birds 

 to meet these requirements as best he can, is on the road to 

 success — to produce birds that are better exhibition specimens 

 and better squab producers than his fellow breeder — then every 

 one will want his stock. One may not have the very best stock 

 at the outset but if he will use a little judgment, follow the 

 standard, and has the nerve to cull and cull till it hurts he 

 will soon get to the top of the ladder and will meet competition 

 anywhere and not be afraid of the results but he can do it in 

 only one way, namely, by knowing what is required and putting 

 into practice such breeding that will produce standard speci- 

 mens and this knowledge must come from the standard for his 

 breed. 



Standards are made for a purpose and that purpose is nothing 

 more or less than a guide for the breeder. To learn what the 

 standard requires and then apply it is one of the most essential 

 things in handling any breed. 



I do not believe that the perfect specimen of any breed has 

 ever been produced, at least I have never seen or heard of it. 

 On the other hand thousands of birds are raised every yeat 



