PROFITABLE EGG FARMING. 
dred and seventy-five eggs and whose mother 
laid one hundred and fifty eggs. 
—Poultry Herald. 
Larger Production. 
The man who most steadily increases the pro¬ 
ducing power of his flocks is he who selects his 
eggs from a very few of his best layers. The 
sharper the selection, the more rapid and certain 
the increase. It is an approach to systematic, 
consecutive breeding, and no other policy is to 
be endorsed. Even now is not too late to gather 
up a few sittings and grow some fine layers. 
Larger production is what every egg man is cry¬ 
ing for, and it is possible by simply selecting the 
breeders and using eggs from only the best. If 
you are satisfied with one hundred eggs per 
head, there is nothing more to be said; but if 
you want one hundred and fifty, then select 
with sole reference to egg producing power and 
breed for a larger business. 
—Maine Farmer. 
PEDIGREE BREEDING FOR EGG PRO¬ 
DUCTION. 
The Greatest Egg Producer is the Fowl that has 
been Bred for the Sole Purpose of 
Producing Eggs. 
From a lecture read at the annual meeting of the Ontario Poul¬ 
try Association, at London, Ontario, January, 1898. 
The greatest egg producer is the bird that has 
been bred for the sole purpose of producing eggs. 
This bird will not necessarily be a Leghorn or a 
Minorca, although these breeds deservedly have 
the reputation ,of being the greatest egg pro¬ 
ducers living—-that is, as a class. Without doubt 
there is a greater proportion of eggs laid by these 
two breeds than by any other two breeds that can 
be named; yet there are many individual birds 
of other breeds that may equal or even surpass 
them. If such should be the case, it will be 
found that these individual birds have been bred 
with one object in view, namely; egg produc¬ 
tion. Just as the fancier raises birds for ex¬ 
hibition, so may the farmer breed birds for lay¬ 
ing purposes. Undoubtedly the proper course 
to pursue would be to choose your prospective 
layers from a class already noted for their laying 
proclivities, but do not imagine you have the 
best layers on earth simply because the breed 
selected has that reputation. Every descendent 
of Hambletonian does not trot within 2.30, but 
nobody denies that many a trotter with no breed¬ 
ing has come well within that mark, and has, in 
addition, been the foundation of a line of fast 
ones. Similarly with regard to hens. Many 
Minorcas and many Leghorns have proved un¬ 
satisfactory layers, while many a Brahma and 
many a Plymouth Rock has abundantly helped 
to fill the egg basket. 
As I have said, if you are commencing, select 
your birds from the classes bearing reputations 
as layers, but do not be discouraged because it 
is not, convenient to do this. Commence right 
now with the stock in hand and note the best 
layers among your birds. Commence line-breed¬ 
ing with as great regard to mating as you would 
if breeding for show purposes. Mark the pullet 
that is the first to lay, mark the most persistent 
layer; mark the hen that molts quickly and 
gets down to business before the hard winter 
sets in, and when you have done marking, the 
spring will be here and you may commence 
mating. Better to breed from two or three 
well-known layers than to take chances and 
make up a pen containing a dozen indifferent 
ones. As the cock does not lay you can not 
judge whether he is likely to produce good 
layers; but you can choose the largest and most 
vigorous bird of the flock to mate with your 
selected females. After that it is easy. Never 
allow anybody to induce you to change the 
blood of your flock by the introduction of a 
male bird of another strain, unless you are satis¬ 
fied he comes from a strain which equals your 
own as layers. Remember the sire controls 
one-half the blood of the produce, and if you de¬ 
sire to introduce new blood or new stamina into 
your flock, do so by means of the best laying 
female you can procure. Even then I would 
not use her sons as sires, but would dispose of 
them and mate her daughters back to the old 
male bird; the produce from this mating would 
have in their veins three-quarters of the blood 
of your own strain, with sufficient new blood 
to maintain the vigor of the flock. Do not 
over-look the necessity for observation each 
year, so as to intelligently mate your birds the 
next season, continually choosing the best 
layers and limiting your breeding pen to these. 
The result will be that no matter what breed you 
start with, you will eventually own layers far 
ahead of any that have been indiscriminately 
bred. The same advice applies to production 
of large eggs. I have had Minorcas which have 
laid large eggs, and Minorcas which have laid 
small eggs; Brahmas, layers of large eggs, and 
Brahmas, layers of small. During recent years 
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