THE BREEDER— HIS PLACE AND HIS WORK 47 



duce their like with fewer birds showing a turning out of Hne, e^en 

 in closely bred lines in which the number of different ancestors has 

 been reduced consideralily there are to be found fluctuations in size, 

 shape, color, etc. If such were not the case and there were no varia- 

 tions to afford the breeder a lield from which to make selections, 

 selective breeding by which further improvement could be made 

 would be impossible. If there were no distinguishing differences 

 between birds of the same breed, there would be no l)est bird, no 

 poorest. These fluctuations give individuality to each bird and permit 

 it to be set definitely in the scale of values. "Variation precedes, the 

 breeder follows." 



Those who wish to do constructive breeding should early learn 

 that a hen is more than a unit. A hen is an individual, and scarcely 

 any two are alike. Numerous and varied charts on linebreeding have 

 been published, and the weakness of these theoretical chart systems 

 is in the fact that they estimate as mere units in a grand plan the 

 birds that are employed in the breeding operations from year to year. 

 The man who breeds chickens soon learns that there are such things 

 as prepotency, long life, strong constitutional vigor — all of which are 

 the possession of some birds. When the breeder finds such a specimen 

 he is able to use it to good advantage for several years. The chart 

 system of breeding, however, takes for granted that one specimen is 

 as strong a breeder as another, but every practical breeder knows that 

 this is not the case. 



Prepotency. Occasionally there is born into the line a specimen of 

 unusual vigor and outstanding quality, and he not only transmits but 

 stamps himself upon his progeny. Fortunate is the breeder who 

 secures a prepotent sire of this kind. A single instance will serve to 

 illustrate the value of such a bird. 



For years an important section of the Buf? Wyandotte fancy cen- 

 tered around northeastern New York state. About 1900 a number 

 of the best breeders participated with an entry at the Cambridge 

 (New York) fair to determine which of them had the best stock. 

 R. Brooks Robbins showed a sensational male bird which has been 

 described to us by John D. Jaquins as "possessing an even shade 

 of color, a little chestnut on tail, and nearly clear wings — about a 

 shade darker than is being shown now." At that time this bird was 

 the only short-backed, typical round-typed male of the variety that 

 had been shown. He was entered as a cockerel, but before the 

 ribbons were placed Mr. Jacquins bought the bird and reentered him 

 as a cock, the fair being held in August and the bird having been 

 hatched very late the previous season. 



Mr. Jacquins bought the male for fifteen dollars. Frank Bean 

 offered twenty-five dollars for him. Every breeder who saw the bird 

 appreciated him, and Mr. Jacquins had a number of chances to sell 

 him, "inquiries even coming from Canada for this wonderful male 

 that had been written up in papers." The bird at last was purchased 



