THE BEST FIRST CROSS 295 
to demonstrate in this article the reason for these frequent 
statements. 
“Some eighteen months ago I thought here was a great oppor- 
tunity for an experiment to prove or disprove the value of the 
cross-bred hen, as there never was such an age for pure stock as 
now, and I have always been a keen advocate for keeping the 
breeds pure. 
«<I once told a farmer, who said that he intended running a Croad 
Langshan cockerel with his Leghorns, he was undoing in one 
minute what had taken fanciers a lifetime to perfect. 
«Let us now see what was the result of six crosses. 
«I mated up in February last year six separate pens for the 
purpose of egg-production, selecting the White Leghorn cockerel 
in each instance to sire the chicken : 
Pen 1.—White Wyandottes; ; Pen 4.—Black Minorcas; 
Pen 2.—Light Sussex. Pen 5.—Houdans; 
Pen 3.—White Orpingtons. | Pen 6.—Croad Langshans: 
All the eggs were placed in the incubator on 1st March, and four 
pullets selected from each cross in August, those most resembling 
the Leghorn in type. 
‘«‘Now for the test. Pen 1, the Leghorn-Wyandotte, jumped off 
first by laying the first egg on 10th September, about five and a 
half months from date of hatching. Pen 2, the Light Sussex, 
next, on 25th September ; pen 4, the Leghorn-Minorca, on 30th 
September; pen 5, the Leghorn-Houdan, on 13th October; 
pen 6, the Leghorn-Langshan, on 15th October; and pen 3, the 
Leghorn-Orpington, last, on 1st November, at seven months 
and eleven days old; thus the Leghorn-Wyandotte gained just 
fifty-two days’ start in the race. 
«« There appeared to be something in the old folks’ sayings after 
all, for none of these breeds lay sooner, or even as soon, as this 
when kept pure. 
‘«‘The next question to settle was which stayed the course the 
best. Pen 1 (Leghorn-Wyandotte) are still running without a 
sign of a break; pen 5 (Leghorn-Houdan) slackened rein in 
