S(j THE TRAP NEST TEXT ]'.<>( »K 



uineness of their breeding. He lias a right In expect this and lie should 

 get it. 



A number of years ago the writer sent five dollars to a breeder, then 

 doing- a large business in ■ ■ I 'tility Barred Plymouth Rocks"" and another 

 breed, for a cockerel. I received a bird thai by a considerable stretch 

 of the imagination might be called a [Jarred Plymouth Bock, but his 

 like had probably never before been seen in this locality. A local sage, 

 whose standards were and are much lower than those of the average 



buyer, said: "If that is one of 's -V'.OO birds L should like to see 



one of his $2.00 ones. "and his tone left nothing to be surmised. This 

 bird did not suit the ignorant novice then, and the slight knowledge ob- 

 tained since does not, in the retrospect, a-dd to his value. The bird was 

 returned and \ received my five dollars, but was out the express charge. 

 a coop and several weeks time. A letter from the seller, in which he 

 acknowledged his error and stated thai he ■•usually sent such birds to 

 market when six weeks old but will now -sell him for s:>.00 to -onie 

 farmer to improve his flock," did not help me much. I still pity the 

 farmer who may have improved his flock with such a bird. 



1 use this illustration simply to bring oui my point and not to air a 

 grievance. T got a satisfactory bird from one of the best known strains 

 of Standard-bred Rocks in the world for that money and think on the 

 whole the circumstance was fortunate. 



There is no apparent excuse for such a condition of things. There 

 can be no doubt that in the hands of a great many fanciers the utility 

 qualities of their birds have deterioraled, been completely ignored in 

 fact, but it has not been so with all. 



It is not necessary for the ultra-utility breeder to compete for prizes 

 at the shows or to sacrifice a great deal to fancy points, but he should 

 not ignore the Standard if he is to advertise pure-bred poultry. 



Pure-bred Rocks, for example, do not have rose combs or feathered 

 shanks. All of the breeds have certain distinguishing features that are 

 supposed to denote purity and the utility breeder should not ignore 

 them if he is to advertise pure-bred stock. 



There is no '■egg type" that can be determined by external appearance. 

 The monstrosities in shape and comb that are sometimes bred on an egg- 

 type theory— which, even as a theory. seems to (lifter with about every 

 theorist — are but caricatures of worthy breeds. 



When a farmer or market-poultry raiser has read his poultry 

 paper sufficiently to become convinced thai pure-bred hens are better in 

 every way than scrubs, and -.ends, oflen with doubt and misgiving, his 

 good money to an advertiser who claims a pure-blood strain, bred for 

 eggs — perhaps named for the number of eggs | luit one exceptional hen 

 happened to la\ in a year — he should receive pure blood for his money 

 and not a conglomeration of dimuhill and several breeds that has been 



