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Chapter XI. 
RELATIVE VALUE OF POINTS OF EXCELLENCE. 
Poultry selected and studied to attain a given object, whether of shape, colour, or peculiar 
characteristics, has a definite value ; and a knowledge of the rules and principles of breeding, 
which have been tested and proved by experience to be correct, is indispensable to the young and 
inexperienced beginner in breeding stock to the standards laid down and known as points of excellence. 
The standards are in most cases formed by a number of breeders of the particular variety —those who have 
practical experience, and who are the most qualified to settle or decide what should and what should not be. 
The standards are necessarily placed high, for the purpose of encouraging and stimulating the perfection 
of the breed from the breeder's and exhibitor'.s standpoint. Thus, the more difficult it is to obtain a given 
characteristic in a breed, the more it is valued when approached, and the more " fancy value " is added to 
that particular specimen. This may or may not be a wise proceeding, but the inexorable laws of custom and 
fashion state it must be so, and that definitely settles the matter. 
Standards for judging Show Poultry must of necessity be more or less arbitrary, but in many instances 
this arbitrary system has done an amount of harm to many varieties, but, on the other hand, has compensated 
for this in some measure by making an improvement all round. As an example, take the majority of birds 
that are now exhibited and compare them with those of the same varietv shown as recently as ten years ago. 
In some isolated instances the breeds have deteriorated, but in the majority have distinctly progressed from 
the Fancier's standpoint ; others have been " improved " out of all recognition, and in these cases it is but a 
matter of opinion. 
Half the charm of Fancy Poultry-breeding lies in the vain, or nearly vain, efforts to attain perfection. 
Were this inducement removed, many of the varieties would degenerate, through no other cause than that of 
there being nothing special to breed for and produce, but this is greatly overdone, and the better plan to 
pursue to save many of the breeds from being irretrievably ruined would be to draw distinctly defined lines 
between purely Fancy and Utility Fowls. Thus, a breed in which it is desired " Fancy Points " should 
predominate could have the standard of excellence placed high, to encourage and develop these points, 
recognising them as oniamental qualities, and not seeking to ruin the more useful points in Utility Fowls for 
mere exaggerated ideas, while on the other hand, where Utility qualities are the desideratum, the standard 
could be fixed on that basis, and Fancy Foi?its discouraged. This would lead to a distinct division of the 
existing varieties of Poultry, and would put a stop to the insidious encroachments taking place. Some few 
years back Minorcas were considered to be the best laying breed known, but the craze for immense comb 
and other " Fancy Points " is slowly and surely destroying their main virtue — that of egg-producers. Again, 
in the Barred Plymouth Rock, also, unwieldy size and accurate markings of feather are fostered, with 
detriment to the breed's generally useful properties — that which the Plymouth Rock was produced for. And 
so in the Brahma, a useful and valuable Fowl until exaggerated points of excellence, framed and laid 
down, and being bred to, have injured the reputation of the breed, and in consequence there are few who 
will keep them. Possibly the Show craze may be blamed for a great portion of this unfortunate state of 
affairs, but it seems a pity that the good and useful qualities of the various breeds should be sacrificed for the 
one object. One way to obviate the difficulty would be to have prizes allotted at each Show for Utility birds 
and for Show specimens, providing separate classes, and having standards for each. Then the outside Public 
would be able to purchase Pure-bred Poultry, suitable for either Show or Utility purposes. As it now stands 
much dissatisfaction is caused, and a very unsatisfactory state of affairs occasioned, by a purchaser buying 
Plymouth Rocks, for instance, hearing that they were good Fowls for general purposes ; and, on purchasing 
