SELECTING A BREED TO KEEP 15 



for large eggs. One other point in favor of the 

 light breeds is found in the fact that more of them 

 may be kept in a house, four square feet to each 

 bird being sufficient, while at least five square feet 

 are required if the larger breeds are to be com- 

 fortable. 



The matter of color is also to be considered. If 

 kept in a town where the air is filled with smoke 

 or where the soil is highly colored and heavy, white 

 fowls are not easily kept in a presentable condition 

 and black ones or those with dark-colored feathers 

 are to be preferred. White fowls in a clean city 

 look especially handsome when allowed to run on 

 the lawn and may be preferred for their ornamental 

 value. But if the chickens are given a wide range, 

 those which are white will become shining marks 

 for hawks. 



The poultry of to-day is divided into several dis- 

 tinct classes, known as Asiatic, American, Mediter- 

 ranean, English, French, in addition to which there 

 are Games, Bantams, and a few miscellaneous 

 breeds. Fowls of the American and Mediterranean 

 breeds are those most commonly raised in this coun- 

 try. The American class comprises the great utility 

 breeds like the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, and 



