68 



to improve his quality and win out against all competitors, be- 

 sides furnishing his customers with the winners and the breeders 

 and eggs that produce the winners, don't you think he should 

 ask more and expect more for his strain than those that simply 

 claim they have the best in the world or finest that were ever 

 produced, and yet never come to the front and prove the quality 

 they claim? I would rather buy one setting of eggs at $5 than 

 two for the same money; or, to purchase two birds for $25 than 

 to receive five birds for that price. The better bird you buy the 

 higher percentage of quality you obtain, and the shorter time it 

 will take to produce a flock of standard excellence. Buy pedi- 

 greed stock, if possible, and use trap nests to continue the pedi- 

 grees, as there is no surer nor quicker method to reach the ranks 

 of a fancier. You will become better acquainted with the birds, 

 individually, and this is a great advantage when you are ready 

 to mate them up. 



Never breed from culls or "chance" birds, or purchase them 

 at any price; they are the highest-priced stock you could possi- 

 bly buy, and the "$l-a-setting" egg investment does not pay any 

 better. 



The fancy business can be started from standard matings, 

 often called utility matings, but if fancy points instead of eggs 

 and market produce is the object, then, we should be but wasting 

 time, as it takes several years, even by the pedigree system, to 

 build up high exhibition quality from standard matings, and if 

 time is worth anything, our debit from same would cause the 

 balance to be on the wrong side of the ledger at the end of our 

 experience. 



Black Cochin Bantam. Male 



