felt that it would be well to go into whites, in order to dodge the 

 whole question of green-egg Runners. I have not known of any 

 American strains of White Runners laying green eggs. Certain- 

 ly the "White Queen Quality" strain has not done so, and I have 

 had no complaints about the Spencer strain, so well distributed 

 liere. 



But early in the spring of 1913, I received a letter from a 

 western breeder of Runners, relating his experience in getting 

 green-egg White Runners from England. He stated that he had 

 spent well toward $100.00 trying to get something really first 

 ■class, (although he was a poor man) beUeving that it would be a 

 wise investment. Not knowing that any Whites laid green eggs, 

 he had not specified white-egg birds. Later, he sent me a letter 

 from the English firm of the Cooks, of Orpington fame, — who 

 sold him the ducks, — stating that they had never had a strain of 

 White Runners that laid anything but green eggs. As it is im- 

 possible for English breeders to conceive the feeling against 

 green-duck eggs in America, it is absolutely necessary to state 

 positively that you do not want and will not receive green-egg 

 Ijirds, when that is the case. 



Southern breeders have become so eager to get the lead iti 

 white Runners, at any cost, that a good many have been imported 

 from England into the South. I do not know how many of 

 them lay green eggs. But a breeder named Seeds reports that 

 he had green-egg white Runners from Gilbert of England. It 

 must be remembered that British breeders, not disdaining the 

 green egg, cannot take our point of view, and think it is utter folly 

 to turn down a good bird because of the green eggs. Hence, 

 buyers who are obsessed with the white-egg idea, must see to it 

 that they protect themselves. 



What, then, of the dilution of "new native blood direct from 

 the Indian source," known as the "Cumberland-Fairy-Fawn" 

 stock? Those breeders of this stock, in this country, with whose 

 work I am familiar, have 1913 breeding stock of seven-eighths 



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