HOUSE AND GARDEN 
168 
March, 
1914 
owned by him in New York 
State. Later another 
American breeder brought 
over some Sicilians, but for 
a long time they were bred 
in the most limited way. 
Their eggs are white and 
of good size. The hens are 
not persistent sitters, and, 
although not as large as 
those of the American 
breeds, are large enough to 
supply a meal for an aver¬ 
age family. 
For an all-purpose fowl, 
it is difficult to surpass the 
Rhode Island Red, strictly 
a native breed. No poul¬ 
try lover can gaze upon a 
uniform flock of mahogany red birds of this breed without utter¬ 
ing a sigh of admiration. Well-bred Reds of exactly the same 
shade are wonderfully satisfying. To get a flock of this character 
is an achievement of which any man or woman may well feel 
proud. Rhode Island 
Reds are notoriously 
hard to breed to type. 
Only by carefully 
weeding out all the 
chickens which do not 
develop the proper 
shade can the color 
be kept uniform. In 
many flocks a wide 
variation in shades of 
red is to be seen, and 
the effect is not good. 
The right kind of 
Reds are splendid, 
but skill and patience 
are required to get 
that kind. If you bin- 
country, however, and the breed seems to be coming into 
the limelight again. The Brahmas are magnificent birds, mam¬ 
moth as to size, and particularly good winter layers. A two-foot 
fence will confine them and they seldom wander far. Their black 
and white plumage is very handsome, and a flock of Light Brah¬ 
mas is highly ornamental when seen on a lawn. Having feathers 
on their legs, they are not adapted to situations where they are 
likely to get into mud, and their houses must be kept clean. Few 
fowls are tamer or easier to handle, and when dressed they yield 
almost as much meat as a turkey. 
Blach Langshans have many of the characteristics of the 
Brahma, but are not quite so heavy. They are most aristocratic- 
looking birds, with their rich, glossy plumage and their high car¬ 
riage. They, too, have feathered legs, but, unlike the Brahmas, 
they have light-colored skins. Black Langshans are very friendly 
and content to stay near home. They are good fowls in small 
numbers for a village poultry plant, and are certain to attract 
attention because of their striking appearance. 
Quite a different sort of bird is the active, high-stepping Cor¬ 
nish fowl. Cornish Games the breed used to be called, but that 
name conveyed an entirely erroneous impression as to the charac¬ 
ter of the Cornish fowl. It is not a militant bird at all, but a 
good, sensible, practical breed. Although the Cornish fowls are 
good layers of dark- 
brown eggs, they are 
more famous as meat 
producer s. The 
amount of fine, white 
meat they carry on 
their broad breasts is 
astonishing. In ap¬ 
pearance the Cornish 
fowls are unique, for 
their legs, placed wide 
apart, are short and 
thick; their necks are 
short and their backs 
are wide, while the 
tail is nothing to brag 
about. The newest 
variety, the White 
A Blue Orpington hen, a recently intro¬ 
duced strain of value 
them, and want the best, you will be called upon to write a check, 
the size of which may surprise you. 
Years ago, Light Brahmas were high in favor, but fanciers ex¬ 
perimented with them until they lost much of their stamina and 
hardiness. A few 
good flocks were 
maintained in dif¬ 
ferent parts of the 
Laced Red, is quite as ornamental as it is useful, and that is saying 
much. The development of the breed has not been haphazard in 
any sense. Every characteristic was thought out first, and then 
attained by persistent effort. Years of work and the closest appli¬ 
cation are required 
to make a new va¬ 
riety like this one. 
(Contpage 232) 
White-Crested Black Polish hens have not only attrac¬ 
tiveness of form and feathers, but also value in use 
The White-Laced Red Cornish belongs to another gor¬ 
geous race with feathers of red laced with white 
White Rocks are handsome birds and the chickens are 
favorites for roasting 
