5-' 



SILJ-ER riiXClLED jrV.-IX POTrFS. 



distinct darlv iienciling, outlines of penciliii!; to conl'oini 

 to shape of featlier, the fenthers to be free from white 

 shafting. There is no set rule as to the number of lac- 

 ings to be found in the different sections, but our own expe- 

 rience has taught us that the ones that give the best sur- 

 face color, usually termed by the fanciers the "steel-gray 

 surface," have three distinct penclllngs, the same as our 

 best colored Dark Brahmas, We have examined ii nunibiM- 

 of prize birds in different sections of the country, among 

 others the winners of the important prizes of the World's 

 Pair in St. Louis, and have had selected for us from the 

 yards of Mr. B. G. Wyckoff, the big winner at the World's 

 Fair, the feathers that are used to Illustrate the several 

 sections of the female in this article. Remember, these 

 feathers are not intended to be perfect; we show ideals, 

 together with defects, and we will attempt to value them 

 on paper as we would in the show room, giving to our 

 readers a good general ideii as to what specimen will score 

 with the several kinds of plumage described. « 



All parti-colored birds have their peculiar characteris- 

 tics that must be thoroughly understood by the breeder 

 if the best results are to be secured from our matings. The 

 peculiar markings of one breed, and the effect of theso 

 markings on the offspring, may be slightly or entirely 

 changed in the offspring of some other breed, and for this 

 reason no set rule can be adopted that will work alike in 

 all cases. To be a successful breeder of any one variety 

 of fowls means that we must have a thorough understand- 

 ing, not alone of that variety, but the particular breeding 

 that has brought up the strain we are striving to improve. 



improvements have not been nuide by one breeder, or 

 from one strain ol' fowls, Hreoders in dlfferont parts of 

 the country are striving for the siinu' results and hnvo 

 made vast improvements; but the breeds which entered 

 into the original makeuii were not all alike, consequently 

 in mixing the blood of two strains, no matter by whom 

 or how well the variety be understood, may prove « com- 

 plete failure from a fancier's standpoint, and it Is on this 

 point that I wish to give a tew words of advice to the 

 amateur or inexperienced breeder, 



Should the offspring from the crossing of two differ- 

 ont strains prove inferior, or not up to the i)arant stock, 

 do not discard Ihem as worthless, but select the best lioin 

 the cross, both male and female, and mate them to their 

 sire or dam, according to the sex you wish lo produce. 

 Please remember tliat in giving this advice I am taking It 

 for granted that you are working along the lines of double 

 mating. It Is quite likely that the first cross of the pureiit 

 stock will bring back the good pcluts lost, 11' they do so 

 only in a limited way, then mate the second offspring back 

 again to the brlglnal sire or dam, and y(m will get the de- 

 sired results and establish a strain of your own. 



Perhaps one ot the best, if not the best, strains of 

 Silver Penciled Wyandottes of the iirosent day was origi- 

 nated by the late Ezra Cornell, and has for the past ten 

 years been bred by Mr. E. G. Wyckoff, and since Mr. Wyck- 

 off has owned the birds there has been raiild improvement, 

 both in color and shape, due not alone to hia good Judg- 

 ment in mating, but lo a tliorough knowledge of the original 

 crosses that produced the birds in Mr. Cornell's hands. 



Fig. 



While It is true that like begets like, it Is well to remember 

 that ideals exist only in the imagination of some over- 

 wrought amateur, and that the stern reality ot longer ex- 

 perience in breeding banishes them from the mind. It is 

 true that the mating of Wyandottes will produce Wyan- 

 dottes, but it is not true that the mating will produce a 

 flock of birds all of which will equal or surpass in quality 

 the parent stock. In fact, with a parti-colored fowl like 

 the Silver Penciled Wyandotte we may consider ourselves 

 lucky if we produce five per cent, of either sex that sur- 

 pass the parent stock, and many times we may not suc- 

 ceed in raising one chick that even equals the mating that 

 produced them. 



I call attention to this now before taking up the color 

 of the Wyandotte female and caution the readers in point- 

 ing out the several defects that It will not be possible In 

 every Instance to make the same application with other 

 breeds, as in the breeding ot poultry too much depends 

 upon the manner In which the strain Is produced. Even 

 our best informed poultrymen may go astray In their mat- 

 ings until they have learned by experience which shades 

 ot color will nick best In producing choice males or fe- 

 males; and in no one variety Is there more danger of 

 this than with our Silver Penciled Wyandottes. This U 

 no reflection on the breed by any means — in fact, the im- 

 provement on this variety is simply marvelous, consid- 

 ering the short time they have been bred, but all these 



The exhibit of Silver Penciled Wyandottes at the World's 

 Pair at St. houls was of such marked quality that one 

 would think the variety had been bred for a quarter of a 

 century. In many Instances the females surpassed the Dark 

 Brahmas in correct penciling. To Mr, Wyckoff is due the 

 credit for the elegant feathers, showing the Ideals In the 

 following Illustrations, reproduced by Mr, Burgess. 



Necl<. 



This section in partl-oolored birds is of vast Impor-' 

 tance to those not having a thorough understanding of Ideal 

 plumage and how much we may Juggle with detective color 

 and still be safe In our matings.. To call tor feathers on the 

 back, breast, body and wing bow, with triple lacing, and 

 then require nature to carry a single lacing on neck color, 

 down to Junction of back, Is setting a hard task, and we 

 have found that in order to get the proper shade of color, 

 the steel gray so much desired by breeders of this variety, 

 It Is sometimes necessary to use females with more or 

 less penciling In the hackle feathers. 



In describing color of the neck ot a Sliver Penciled 

 Wyandotte female, the Standard says; "Silvery white, 

 with a distinct black stripe extending through each feather, 

 tapering to a point near extremity; black stripe may be 

 slightly ))enclled with silvery white; each feather to be 

 free from a black or dark edge; under color, dark slate." 



