Gleanings on the 
Yorkshire. 
(52) THE BIRD WORLD. 
In-Breeding Needed. 
Another thing which is largely prac¬ 
tised by Yorkshire breeders is in-breed¬ 
ing. Mr. Shackleton said in “ Cage 
Birds ” that the birds represented on the 
coloured plate mentioned were bred from 
show birds, and, I think I am right in 
saying, from father and daughter. If 
this is not the exact relationship it is 
something very near, and I know that 
not only Mr. Shackleton, but many 
others practice in-breeding with their 
best birds with satisfactory results. I 
need hardly say that to in-breed with 
inferior or medium stock, or from two 
birds showing the same fault, is of no 
use whatever, as you only fix their in¬ 
ferior points, whereas the object of in- 
breeding is to fix the good points. 
Value of Belgian Blood. 
There is no doubt but that most of the 
winning Yorkshires of to-day have a con¬ 
siderable amount of Belgian blood in 
their veins. All canaries are more or 
less a mixture of different breeds. We 
are told that all the varieties at present 
known are descended from that small 
green singing Finch known as the Wild 
Canary, and that by selection we have 
arrived at our present different breeds. 
How much truth and how much fiction 
there is in the tale I am not able to tell 
you. But when we consider the more 
recent breeds, such as the Yorkshire, we 
have some data as well as rumour and 
speculation to go upon. Quite recently 
I was considerably surprised to read that 
the Yorkshire itself had been used to 
improve the Lancashire by giving it more 
length of leg, and when we have that 
on the authority of Mr. John Robson we 
may be sure that there is some measure 
of truth in it. Had he said that the 
Lancashire had been used to im¬ 
prove the Yorkshire I should not 
have been so astonished, because 
some years ago a great deal of 
Lancashire blood was introduced into 
the Yorkshire to gain size; now it 
seems the tables are being turned, and 
the Yorkshire has to help the Lanca¬ 
shire.* The variety chiefly used of re¬ 
cent years to improve the Yorkshire 
seems to have been the Belgian. 
The Useful Belgian. 
What a useful bird the Belgian must 
be. A few years ago he was wanted in 
Scotland, and has been very instru¬ 
mental in bringing the Scotch Fancy up 
to its present state of perfection. Even 
now a good Belgian, I am told, is in 
great requisition by the breeders of the 
bird of circle. The value of the Bel¬ 
gian to Yorkshire breeders is in the 
breediness or style which it gives to the 
bird, and fanciers will tell you that it 
is no use unless you have plenty of 
“ breed ” in your strain. The father of 
the birds which stood first and second 
in the Buff Class at the last Wallsend 
Show, Mr. Armstrong’s and my own, 
was one eighth Belgian. I should not 
advise you to try the introduction into' 
your own stock unless it were by way of 
experiment, because you can buy the 
breedy birds ready-made, and thus- 
save two or three years’ work. I 
advertised this year for a yellow 
Belgian hen, which I meant to try 
the experiment with, but I had no- 
replies; therefore I shall have to wait 
another year, and look out earlier next 
season for a suitable hen. Many of my 
birds show the Belgian blood quite dis¬ 
tinctly, but I wished to see for myself 
the results of the first and second crosses 
with birds I have which revert somewhat 
to the Lancashire type. A friend tells 
me I should introduce the Belgian from 
the cock’s side, but as it is a cock I 
have which is rather heavy uuilt, and 
stands a bit across the perch, I wanted 
the Belgian hen for him. Further, I 
believe the leading Yorkshire breeders 
usually introduce the Belgian from the 
hen’s side—at any rate, for the first 
cross. 
{To be continued.') 
* [It is only fair to Mr. Robson to say that in 
referring to his article he has subsequently said : 
“ I have carefully looked over my article, and 
fail to find an instance where I said definitely that 
the Yorkshire cross had been u-ed whh a view to 
improving the Lancashire.”—E d., B.W.] 
