
e” 
Saher 
A ee 
_ble affect upon the poultry interests of America, 
FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL 
AND 
POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
Vou. TL. 
PHILADELPHIA, 
MARCH 26, 1874. No. 13. 


WHITE LEGHORNS. 
THE adjoining cut 
represents W hite Leg- 
horns bred by C. A. 
Pitkin, Hartford, Ct., 
who we believe to be 
the largest and_ best 
‘breeder of White Leg- 
horns in the country, 
besides breeding very 
largely of previously 
imported Leghorns. 
He reports making 
two importations in 
1878—one of two trios 
and one of three trios 
—and states that 
White Leghorn fowls 
are the most profitable 
of any now bred. He 
three hens) imported 
in 1851 by Capt. Isaac 
Gates, of Mystic Riv., 
on bark Asa Fish. The 
said stock has been 
bred in that vicinity 
ever since, and Charles 
Niles, second mate of 
the Asa Fish when 
the importation was 
made, is now living 
and will confirm the 
factsabovestated. The 
stock can be seen at 
any one time, and they 
have white ear-lobes. 
He believes these to 
be the first Brown 


has also five Brown 
Leghorns brought to 

Leghorn hensand one 
cockerel, which were 
bred from Brown Leg- 
horns (one cock and 


“4. this country. Jf any 
’ one knows of any ear- 
lier importation, let 
us hear from them. 

(For the Fanciers’ Journal.) 
THE BUFFALO CONVENTION. 
Mr. EpITor. 
Tue Convention recently held at Buffalo under the aus- 
pices of the American Poultry Association, has been spoken 
of bya writer in one of our poultry journals, as successful in 
every respect. To those whose only source of information 
has been the published reports of its meetings, this may seem 
a somewhat hasty verdict. In order to arrive at any cor- 
rect judgment, it is necessary for us to ascertain the pur- 
pose for which the Convention was convened, and then to 
see what has been accomplished, and what will be its proba- 
The call 
of the Secretary stated that the object of the Convention was 
the revision of the ‘‘ American Standard of Excellence.” 
That there was need of a thorough revision of the existing 
Standard, no one who has made a study of its contents and 
kept his eyes and his mind open to the light which has 
been thrown upon the subject since the first edition was is- 
sued, will fora moment question. But the question natur- 
ally arises whether any Convention can, by yea and nay 
yotes upon the several propositions submitted, compile or 
revise a Standard which will be any improvement upon its 
predecessors. The history of such theoretical Standards 
does not offer much encouragement. The English Standard 
was short-lived, and commanded little respect from the 
best informed English or American fanciers. The first 
edition of the American work died in its infancy from its 
own inherent weakness. The second edition still survives, 
but has been for some time laid away among the old and 
useless rubbish of the past. The subject seems to be so gen- 


erally misunderstood, that it is very doubtful if any body of 
men could so construct a Standard as to make it acceptable, 
or fair and impartial in its application. We believe the 
making of a Standard requires more research, more study, 
and more deliberate thought, than the majority of poultry 
fanciers have either the time or the ability to give, and 
unless this information, thoroughly digested, and thought- 
fully applied, can be brought to bear upon the work, the 
time spent upon such a Standard will be sadly misapplied, 
and the work will not be worth the paper upon which it is 
written. The fate of all former Standards should teach us 
the worthlessness of all Standards made upon the false basis 
of controlling the judges in their arbitrations, rather than 
upon the sound one of embodying the most accurate and con- 
sistent judging. This plan, which was advanced by Mr. 
Wright, and has been so ably set forth and advocated by 
him, appears much more simple and impartial in its appli- 
cation. From a convention composed of gentlemen of intel- 
ligence, refinement, and business tact, we should have ex- 
pected more individuality than appears to have character- 
ized its meetings. We should very naturally have expected 
some presentation-of new ideas, and some able and spicy ar- 
guments in their support, or some thoughtful suggestions 
drawn from past experience, whose wisdom would have been 
apparent toevery mind. But instead of this, which we had so 
fondly anticipated, we have only a tame acquiescence in the 
old formulas which have proved of so little use, and grown so 
rusty and patched that the originals can hardly be recog- 
nized. We confess ourselves sadly disappointed, that among 
so many intelligent men no one was found to say a word in 
advocacy of the ideas which have been so often and so ably 
set forth by Mr. Wright upon this subject in all its bearings 
