SELECTING A BREED TO KEEP 23 



It seems almost impossible that the almost in- 

 numerable breeds and varieties of poultry the world 

 over should all have sprung from one common par- 

 entage, and yet it was Darwin's theory that the 

 jungle fowl of India was the progenitor of all known 

 kinds. As the fowls were scattered over the earth, 

 they were developed in many different ways. The 

 poultry of China and Japan is quite different in ap- 

 pearance and characteristics from that of this coun- 

 try. In France breeds with white flesh and dark 

 legs have been perpetuated, because the Frenchman 

 likes that kind. In this country breeds with yellow 

 flesh and yellow shanks have been made by crossing 

 older breeds and carefully fixing the type in order 

 to satisfy the Yankee prejudice. 



The whole subject is full of interest, and it be- 

 comes plain that the amateur has wide latitude in 

 making his selection. Almost every breed has some- 

 thing to recommend it, and no breed is entirely free 

 of faults, so that it is not wise to skip from one to 

 another if the first breed chosen does not prove as 

 satisfactory as expected. The better plan is to give 

 that breed a little more study in order to learn if 

 the fault is not with the keeper instead of with the 



