ALUN WWkwu = : a \ thes ! 2 PARTRIDGE. : se SILVER PENCILED “Wy oy anal VAs pus IILLI ISI LS PHO Reuse bweray Juma, PUBLISHING > ~ QUINCY-ILLUSA 0 By) . : —" - * ore — I os ee am ace Cae mae Sng aed i ne GR Sd ia ed -le SaR cabehinkt: \5 a cl a5 4 \ ee : = = ~ ert Bee hi 4 a ras err a arte 5 oe i ‘ an . P = ra } > ul ‘ 4 i t i 7 t é { sy u a o0 yew? <<. Sore. Aes, Ww Ke 5 WHITE WYANDOTTES TO DATE. Cocxere| and Pullet in First Prize Pen at the Boston Poultry, Pigeon and Pet Stock Exhibition, Januarv 1898 as bred, owned and exhibited by Arthur G. Duston, Marlboro, Mass. ORIGINAL AMERICAN PRODUCTIONS. STANDARD-BRED WYANDOTTES, Silver Laced, Golden Laced, White, Buff, Black and Partridge. THEIR PRACTICAL QUALITIES; THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS; HOW TO JUDGE THEM; HOW TO BREED AND MATE FOR BEST RESULTS . CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST EXPERT BREEDERS AND JUDGES IN AMERICA. aes eal ey eee ey Oi ny ALTE Ey Ie): PRICE FIFTY. CENTS. PUBLISHED BY THE RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, QUINCY, ILLINOIS, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Two Copies Recelved APR 2 1903 Copyngnt Entry 4-1/4 03 CLASS Q XXc. No. | Shey DIRECTORY OF RELIABLE WYANDOTTE BREEDERS. N THE back pages of this book will be found a directory of the best known American breeders of one or more varieties of the Wyandottes. The breeders whose names and business announcements are printed therein are up-to-date and reliable. They are the kind of men readers of this book will find it safe and profitable to patronize when they wish to buy stock or eggs. Every breeder whose name appears in the list is believed by us to be square- dealing. Fraternally, RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL PUBLISHING CoO. COPYRIGHTED BY RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO, SEPTEMBER 15, 1902. SILVER LAGED WYANDOTTES. Some General Advice to Beginners—Inbreeding—Standard Requirements Discussed Section by Section— Shape and Correct Marking of Feathers Illustrated by Original Charts—Method of Judging or Scoring—How to Cut for Defects. BY THEO. HEWES. N taking up the Wyandottes to give them a thorough | and complete write up, I realize the importance of i the undertaking, and its value to the amateur as an educator and to the professional breeder as a work ofreference. Myaimisto describe the different vari- eties of this popular fowl, justasI understandthemand as I be- lieve the present standard intends all breeders to understand them; also by illustrations and explanations, to make the matter of scoring more clearly understood by all, and to make the selecting of show birds and breeders less a matter of guess work. The standard of 1898 has but few changes from the standard of 1893. To the few changes that have been made I will call special attention when the sections that are affected by the changes are under consideration. The illustrations in this book, so far as feathers are con- cerned, are, with a few exceptions, made from photographs from the varieties under discussion, and are just such feath- ers as are found by the judges at all big shows, and I believe are the best ever shown in book form. There is a sameness, to a certain extent, about some of them, but by paying close attention to the defects you will find they all enter largely into a proper understanding of the breed. Like will produce like, is an old saying, but it does not hold good in poultry breeding every time, nor any great number of times. If we were to mate a male to a female that was in every way his equal in breeding we might with good reason look for like to produce like; but where we mate males and females together with no regard for the breeding back of them we will in nine cases out of ten meet with disappointment. It is seldom if ever that we meet with two birds that are just alike in all sections. They may look much alike from outside appearances, but on close inspection you will find one inferior to the other. And so long as outside crosses are continually resorted to we shall always find this varying difference. Why do wild birds look so near alike that it is next to impossible to tell one from another? Look to nature for an answer. It is a case of a survival of the fittest and the very closest kind of inbreeding. We also can, by judicious inbreeding, using nothing in our yards but the very cream of our flock’S in shape, health, and color, come to that point in a few years where a majority of our birds will look as much alike as wild birds do, both in shape and color. The loose, careless breeding that is followed by so many cannot possibly lead to permanent good. It is true we will ge: some good specimens from almost any kind of mating, but the few good ones are just as liable to breed poor birds as good, for there is too much poor blood in their make-up to hold out when bred with mates that have only a shallow foundation with which to start. To be successful in poultry breeding we must at all times have a definite object or ideal in view and must follow it up with careful matings and a close attention to details until we establish something we can look to as a secure foundation. It is not necessary to raise a great quantity of anything to be called a success in any line of fancy stock breeding, but we must produce quality, and quality once produced must have a foundation upon which we may build again and again. How often we meet an amateur in the show room with a string of birds he has purchased, or has raised from eggs purchased from some old and careful breeder, and hear him tell all the secrets of breeding and the way, the only way, to make it a success! Watch the same breeder the next year, or after he has mated his own flock, and note the results. You will not only find the ribbons on the other coops, but you will see him doing a lot of quiet thinking and not nearly so much talking as the year before. This is how successful breeders are made. Judicious Inbreeding. The question of inbreeding is an important one. It can only be understood by a careful study of nature and of nature’s laws. That we can go too far with it, is absolutely certain, but how many have done so? Few, very few, indeed. Many claim they have when they have not gone half far enough. The facts are that bad results from other causes are many times charged to inbreeding, and for this very reason I say, study nature. Often breeders will use some especially finely marked bird, but undeveloped in size and vigor, and because he breeds a lot of weak chicks, inbreed- ing is blamed as the cause. If left in a wild state no mate would have chosen this undersized weakling until he could hold his own with the best that came along. In other words, the poor little hen with less than twelve months of life has learned more of nature’s laws than men of mature age. To make clear the value of inbreeding so that amateurs may see how far they may go with no bad results, I will point to a case with which I am well acquainted, where a breeder of Barred Plymouth Rocks introduced new blood in his flock only once in twelve years, and came near ruining his flock by doing so! He was winning every year while inbreeding and his birds were making a record for him in the yards of the best breeders in the country at the heads of their flocks. Do not understand that he was mating brothers and sisters together every time, although this was done many times, but he was breeding birds directly related all the time, and I give you my word that ten and eleven- pound cockerels were no uncommon sight in his yards. My honest opinion is that with plenty of room to handle a flock right, a strain of birds can be bred in line for fifty years without bad results. The Future of Poultry Culture. Breeding poultry for fun is one thing; breeding it as a source of profit sufficient to furnish a living for a family is quite another matter. If we are in the business for pleasure alone we can afford to spend money liberally, and to give to our fowls every luxury they may want, and no account need (ory RIGKTED oie Slee — Rehr apie Pou ltry Tourna i STANDARD WYANDOTTE MALE CHART. Chart No. 1—Copyrirhted Chart, Designed Expressly for this Book by Franklane L. Sewell, Showing Standard Wyandotte Male Shape (all Varieties); also Standard Striping and Lacing for the Different Sections (Hackle, Breast, Wing, Fluff, etc ) of Silver and Golden Wyandotte Males, THE WYANDOTTES. ii be kept of the expense. We may have fine houses and expensive runs, and keep our poultry plant so it is really an ornament to the place, but when you look to poultry for profit the case is different. You want good, comfortable hcuses—they are essential, and the more room you give fowls in their runs means just so much money saved in food and general care. But fine houses, with gable roofs, and Queen Anne windews are entirely out of place and of no more value io you than French plate mirrors would be. The hen does not know how to appreciate them, and it is better she should not. What she wants are warm, comfortable quarters, and the cheapest way to furnish them is a point you should study if you would save money. I can remember, and it was not so very long ago, either. when the number of people in this country who made their entire living from the breeding of fancy poultry was very small. But to-day if all the people who depend on the fancy side of poultry culture for a living were mustered together they would make a fair-sized army. I know of some poultry plants where five men are employed the year around, ard of quite a number where from one to three men find steady employment, and this does not include market poultry plants, where several in the west, east and south have as high as twenty men on the pay roll. With the steady in- crease in the business, there is plenty of room in this line of work for any intelligent, pains-taking man or woman who will engage in it and plan and strive for profits as they would in any other line cf business. Do not expect that an investment of a few dollars will make you rich in a year. Do not begin at the top and go down, but invest cautiously at first, learn the business, then make your larger invest- ments and you will reap your reward. As for myself, I do not claim perfection, neither do I think I have learned it all. I am watching at every turn for new and better methods of breeding, and I take advan- tare of every opportunity that is offered. When I find breeders who have made a success of handling one or more varieties of poultry, and who show by their stock that they are working along lines of genuine improvement, I make it a point to get every bit of information from them I can, and in that way am enabled not only to help myself but those with whom I come in contact. This is not my ccuntry, nor your couniry, but our country, and it is our duty to help one another, and to strive to make it what it should be. the grandest, the most progressive country on earth. I will new take up the varieties of Wyandottes and handle them in sections as we do in the show room, begin- ning with the Silver Wyandotte male. As the shape of all varieties is alike, the shape as illustrated and described for this variety (se? chart No. 1) will answer for all. The charts here used to show ideal outlines for the Silver Wyan- dottes will do for all varieties of Wyandottes. The outline for the female is taken from a living specimen of the White variety, a bird owned by Mr. Arthur G. Duston, one that was in his first prize pen of White Wyandottes at the late Boston show. Symmetry, or Typical Carriage. In scoring a Wyandotte this section is valued at eight points. and if found perfect it would mean an ideal bird in every sense of the word, so far as typical shape is concerned. Every section must not alone be perfect of itself, but must be so joined to every other section that the entire outline is perfectly symmetrical and typical of the breed. In chart No. 1 is shown such a specimen, or at least as near one as any artist can delineate perfection. I am sure it is one that comes as near the proper shape of the breed, as described by the standard, as any ever made. I offer this as my ideal of shape in a Wyandotte male, and while it may not suit the eyes of all critics, I should be willing to pass such a speci- men without a cut in symmetry, if any breeder were lucky enough to produce one. The fault usually found in this section of the male is 2 poor joining together of the different sections, the specimen having a “thrown-together”’ look, as we call it. The sec- tions of the body that go to make up symmetry are usually good of themselves, not perfect, but good for a livine speci- men—but they are so joined together that the symmetrical outline or breed type is broken, and the bird receives a severer cut than the sections alone would indicate. There is an old song that has been sung by Mr. Felch and others for years, to the effect that symmetry is a two- edged sword which cuts a specimen twice. This is sprung on the judges at nearly every show and the claim is made that if such and such a bird had not been cut on symmetry he would have won first. The exhibitor might just as well make the claim that if he had not been cut at all he would have scored one hundred voints. There is just as much sense in one claim as in the other. The facts are simply these: The American Poultry Association set aside eight of the one hundred points for symmetry, and the man who consistently cuts this section is cutting on the basis of eight points for syinmetry and is making out a score ecard that means something to the amateur and professional breeder alike. I claim that a judge who ignores this section in scor- ing is not posted on what the standard aims to teach. He is only allowing ninety-two points for perfection instead of one hundred and his footing up should be on that basis. If this were practiced during just one show you would see where these judges stand, and there would be such a fa!l that others would be glad to let the American Poultry Association rule instead of setting themselves up as the Great I Am, A judge has no more right to ignore symmetry than he has to ignore comb, wings, or any other section. The breeder who wants an intelligent idea of a proper score card should figure the symmetry cuts solely on a basis of eight pcints. When your bird loses one point in this section he is one-eighth bad. If he loses two points he is one-fourth bad, while if he losés one-half point he is only one-sixteenth bad. This same rule should be carefully studied in all sec- ticns, and thus you will scon find what per cent of perfection you have attained in any and all sections. However, in many of the sections you must figure on both shape and color and note what ver cent is allowed for both. In scoring symmetry if the specimen is too narrow and fails to round out in breast, back, and body, with a neck and tail too long, as is usually the case with these narrow birds, the cut should be from two to three and one-half points, according to the degree. Where the specimen is good in breast, tail and neck, but shows a back and body a trifle too long, the cut is one-half. If the specimen is good in all other sections except breast, and this section shows too flat, and fails to round out, the cut is from one-half to one. Where the neck and tail are too long and the tail is carried too high, with the neck straight and the hackle short, failing at junction with back, the cut is from one- half to one and one-half. Where the legs are too long, or stand too close together, giving the bird a stilty appearance, the cut is one-half to one. There are several minor defects that detract from the symmetrical outlines of a specimen, which are discounted by good judges, but I think those here described will be sufficient to give the amateur ‘an intelli- gent idea of measuring defects in this section. ; Standard Weights. The standard weights for all varieties of Wyandottes are the same and are as follows: For cocks, eight and one- 8 THE WYANDOTTES. half pounds; for cockerels, seven and one-half pounds; for hens, six and one-half pounds; for pullets, five and one-half pounds. The standard gives no credit for overweight, but it is always best to have your birds a trifle overweight at exhibition time, as they in- variably lose a few ounces when cooped for exhibition, and any loss under the stand- ard weights will be _ dis- ' counted, and these are points thrown away. In scoring this section, the discount is two points for every pound, or in For example, a bird that is one pound short of that ratio. standard weight would be cut two points; if one-half pound short it would be cut one point, if one-quarter pound short it would be cut one-half point and if two pounds short, four puints, and so on. Condition. Condition is valued at six points, and all that goes to make up a perfectly healthy specimen is considered when scoring this section. If the bird is roupy, or shows signs of swelled head, or has watery eyes, the cut is from one-half to one. If feathers are broken or dirty, the cut is from one- quarter to one. If the legs are scaly, one-half to one. If the comb or wattles are torn from fighting, one-half to one. Frosted combs are usually cut in this section and a check mark made on the score card to show in what section condition was cut. This check mark should always be made on the card for the benefit of breeders who might chance to be away from the show. For example, the bird might be cut one point on condition and the fol- lowingsectionsbeatfault: Legsslightlyscaly, and wattles torn, etc. In such cases both the legs and wattles should have a check mark the same as condition, so that breeders may know just what sections the judge considered defective. It will not be necessary to call up this section again in the female of the Silvers, nor in connection with any of the other varieties, as the foregoing willanswer the purpose forall. THE WYANDOTTE MALE. The Comb. The comb is without doubt one of the most important of the fancy sections of a Wyandotte. Commercially it has no value, and to a commercial buyer it will not make one cent’s worth of difference whether the specimen has an ideal comb or a lump of meat on his head. But with fanciers it is vastly different; they will hardly accept as a gift a speci- men with a comb like Fig. 3, while a bird otherwise good and showing a comb like chart No. 1 would be doubled in value. This section is valued at eight points, and to be perfect must be, ‘‘Rose, low, firm on the head, top oval in shape and its surface covered with small points or corrugations, the former preferred, termi- nating in a small spike at the rear; the entire comb and spike curving slightly to conform to the shape of the skull.” In chart No. 1 is shown an ideal comb, one that fits the standard description to the letter. Such combs are scarce, but we do meet with them once in a while, combs that are almost as good as the one shown in drawiug. By careful breeding we can in time reach a point where poor combs FIG. 4. will be equal to the good ones now. In Fig. 1 is shown a comb that is good in shape and outline. At one time this comb was much admired, but it lacks the corrugated points that make a comb so handsome. This style is now nearly extiact, except on an occasional female. Such a comb as Fig. 1 should be discounted one point. Fig. 2 shows a comb that has several objections. First, it is too narrow and is too high in the center. It also runs on a straight line until it reaches the back of the head and then falls off suddenly. The corrugated points are un- even—in fact this comb is a trifle wrong in every way. Still it is not a bad comb to look at, and is one we often meet in the show room. Such a comb should be discounted one and one-half points. In Fig. 3 we have a comb that is but a poor excuse at best and it will produce only poor combs so long as you breed from it. It is hollow in the center and falls all over the head. It forms a lump behind, then winds up with a make- shift of a spike that barely saves the bird from disqualification. To score this comb properly it should be cut one point for being loose on the head, one-half point for being too wide, one-half point for poor corruga- tions, one and one-half points for the hollow through the center and one-half point for shape of spike. In Fig. 4 is shown a comb that is very Ss good except the natural absence of spike, which, under the new standard, is a disquali- fication. This comb I had drawn to show the breeders what to guard against, as this is a new rule in the standard and breeders must be careful in making up their show pens, as this comb will throw the specimen out all together. In Fig. 5 is shown a neat comb, resembling in many respects the comb on chart No. 1, but this comb is too nar- row, and is shown here as a guide to breeders, as birds with combs of this character will almost invariably throw a per cent of single combs in their offspring. If you have a bird of otherwise extra merit, but with a comb of this kind, be very careful to what style of bird you mate it, as careless mating here may give you no end of trouble. : The Eyes. The standard scale of points does not make a separate column for eyes; they are in- : so cluded in the head section. But in scoring the specimen it has been found to be to the interest of breeders to make , a separate line on the card so ~ that they may know for what this section is cut. The standard says in the description of eyes, “A bright bay in color.” This color of eyes is an important matter, and it is to the best interest of the breed that we watch them very closely, for weak or pale eyes are a sure indication of a weak constitution, and the stronger and clearer in color you can get them the better for the breed and your individual strain. In scoring the head section the eyes are an important part, but I will score them here separately from the head Fic, 3. Fic. 5. THE WYANDOTTES. 9 proper, and will not refer to them while on head. If slightly off in color but still showing a good trace of bay the cut is one-half. If pearl in color, or, as I dub it, ‘dead fish” in color, the cut is one and one-half. If one eye is good and the other one pearl, the cut is one. If one eye is blind, cut one. If the eye has run out, leaving a hollow, sunken scar, the cut is one and one-half, one for loss of eye and one- _ half for off shape of head. The Head. This section is valued at six points; it is seldom found defective. But in order to put the amateur right I will describe a few of the defects that are sometimes found. The

. 11 be black with a narrow edging of white running entirely around the outer edge of feather similar to that of the hackle, with the exception of center of feather, which should have a narrow white center in the form of a diamond, see Fig. 11. By referring to the chart you will see those feath- ers just as they grow on the living specimen, and in what prcportion the size of the diamond centers are at different parts of the saddle. In Figs. 12, 18 and 14 are shown three defective feathers, such as are met in every show, and which are hard to breed Fig. 12 is very good on the surface, but is too light underneath, aud shows a white This kind of a back should be eut one point. is better out. under-color. Fig. 14 neath, but fails on the outer edge and in the diamond shaped eceuter, feathers like this give the bird a kind of smutty under- Fic. 12, FIG DEFECTIVE BACK FEATHERS—WYANDOTTE MALE. the surface and should be discounted 12 is a blurred feather, both on surface and and is one that should be guarded against at all The white and black mingle and give the feather a sort of brown cast underneath, and a mossy color on the appearance on one point. Fig. underneath, times. surface. Such a back should be discounted two points. In regard to shape, if the back is too long the cut is from one- half to one and one-half; if too narrow or pinched, giving the specimen a narrow consumptive look when viewed from the top, the cut is from one to two points, according to the If it is roached in the center the cut is one, if scant the cut is one-half to one, degre Loh in saddle The Tail. The tail is valued at eight four for color. points, four for shape and In color, it should be black with no trace of white in the tail proper. In scoring this section the color cuts are easily understood, as you should cut for white in such proportion as it appears; if solid white the cut will be four, if half white the cut will be two, and if one-fourth white the cut will be one. In shape the tail should be well developed, well spread at the base, and of medium length Here again you find the word medium, but as this has been explained in the neck section it will not be necessary to go over it again. By being well spread at the base the tail carries out the full outline of the broad back, and with the tail coverts long and well developed makes the nice concave sweep from middle of back to end of tail, as shown in chart 13. Fic. 14 The sickles should extend over the end of tail and Such tails No. 1. curve nicely over the top, as shown in the chart. what the broad, short back are searce indeed, but they are just you wani, and when you get them you invariably get so much admired. Those like Fig. 15 are quite often met-in the show room, but we In Figs. 15 and 16 are shown two defective tails. are glad to say that such tails as Fig. 16 are seldom se®n and is too high and not well spread, and the sickles are too long and too straight. they will soon be a thing of the past. Fig. 15 Such a tail should be discounted one and one-half points. Fig, 16 is what is termed a squirrel tail, as it is 12 THE WYANDOTTES. carried past the perpendicular line and is supported by the back. tail is an abomination, and it should be cut two and one-half points. The Wings. A pitfall was placed in this section by the framers of the old standard, that has brought much disappointment to the breeders of both Silver Golden Wyandotte In many cases the un- some of our ‘Turn- Such a and males. wording could not be derstood by up-to-date breeders. ing to your old standard you will find in the de- seription of wing coverts the following: “Upper web black, lower web white with a narrow black stripe along the edge which widens as it approaches the tip, forming a double Fic. 15—TAIL 100 HIGH, spangled bar acrozs the (Not well spread.) wing.” A double spangled bar across the wing! Just think what kind of a job we are asking nature to perform when we demand anything of this kind. We are asking nature to spangle a wing, and lace a back, breast and body. In other words, we are asking nature to work against herself. The standard of 1898 has eliminated the word spangle and the lescription of the feather that formed the spangle, and it has inserted the word laced and described a laced feather. Now look again at chart No. 1. Here every feather that is shown has the lacing, and by adding the second row of feathers to the bar (it is omitted here in order to show the whole length of the feather) you will have as fine a barred wing as was ever seen and at the same time you will be Fic. 16—SHOWING SQUIRREL TAIL. With this chart before you it is unneces- sary to go much into details, and I shall only describe this following nature. section in such parts as are not shown here. These are old I shall consider any part of them except the wing bow and flights. This part I call your attention to Figs. 17 and 18. cuts used in a former work 6n this breed, and not The wing bow is sometimes called the shoulder. of the wing should be silvery white and free from brass and sunburn, and the white should run down to the wing bar and break even across the entire wing. The flights should be black on the upper web and white on the lower web, see Fig. 18 In Fig. 17 is shown a wing with the white running across the shaft and showing in that part of the feather that black. 19 is shown a feather that has should be Such a wing should be dis- Fig. eounted one point. In the white on the extreme upper edge of the feather, and like Fig. 17 it should be cut one point. If the feathers that form the bar are not distinctly laced and fail in showing the bar as described, the cut is from one-half to one and one-half. If the shoulders are mixed with black or copper, and fail in the white, as shown in the cuts, the cut is from one to two points. In Fig. 20 is shown one of the old style spangled It should be discounted one point. The Breast. another important especially as we claim much for this breed as a market fowl. It is valued by the standard at ten points and is divided, five for shape and five for color. In shape it should be broad, deep and well rounded; in color, black, the feathers having large white centers and dark In the chart you will find both the the standard description. This chart might be just a trifle deeper in front of the thighs and improve the shape some, but it is so near right bars. Here is section, slate under-color. color and the shape as referred to in FIc. 1J—WYANDOTTE WING—SHOWING DEFECT OF WHITE IN FLIGHTS. that I will not attempt to improve it. In scoring the shape we pay particular attention to this section, and it is cut as severely, if not more severely, than any other section of the body. If the breast is too narrow or too flat, the cut is from one-half to two; if is wedge-shaped, failing to show the nicely rounded out abpearance, the cut is from one-half to one and one-half, according to the degree, The breast bone is usually cut in this section, although it properly belongs to the body, but inasmuch as it is usually cut here I will call attention to it now and omit it in the body section. If the breast bone is slightly turned at the end the cut is one-half; front, the cut the breast if crooked so as to turn the entire is from one to two. F1IG.18—WING OF WYANDOTTE MALE—SHOWING CORRECT BLACK AND WHITE IN FLIGHTS, The feathers should be black. with white centers, the centers large, following the form of the feathers and free from any outside white edging. The chart shows these feathers just as they should be with the right proportion of white and black. One of the common defects in this section THE WYANDOTTES. 13 is a frosting on the outside of the black, and small cres- centic markings up near the throat. Fig. 21 shows one of the defective feathers quite often met in the show room. It should be cut one point. If a white edging appears on the outside of the black lacing the cut is one point. There is another defect that is quite common in this breed, even among the best laced birds, namely, a wide band of white down where the breast joins the body, caused by the feath- ers failing to lace up properly. When this defect appears it should receive a cut of from one-half to one and one-half points. Body and Fluff. This has been rather an unim- portant section and it was seldom eut for color or shape, but the new standard calls for a male bird laced on the thighs and foliowing well round under the vent. So it will in the future be considered of consid- erable importance, for in order to get good other sections it is of importance that we get every feather laced as perfectly as possible. By referring to the chart you will see that the male in beth the silver and golden varieties is destined to be a much handsomer bird than formerly, and the breeder who has been giving this body lacing attention will reap a bene- fit by the improvement called for by the new standard. In shape the bird should be deep in body and wide, deep enough to give the specimen a rounded out appearance, and broad enough to give plenty of room between the thighs. If the specimen is narrow or contracted, the cut is from one-half to one and one-half; if shallow, not extending well down, the cut is from one-half to one. If the feathers fail to lace up properly and show only an occasional laced feather the cut is one point; if the lacing is crescentic in shape, or the feathers show an outside lacing of white, the eut is one. If no lacing appears on the body or fluff the cut is one and one-half. lacing on Legs and Toes. In looking at the chart one will think the legs on the specimen are too large, and not in proportion, but those legs were made to represent a large, well-balanced bird, and to my eye are one of its chief charms. When I can get a good sized bone in the leg of my Wyandotte I am sure of getting a strong, vigorous bird, and I consider it of vast importance that we breed entirely away from the small Leghorn style of shank that has become quite common in our Wyandotte families. The thighs should stand well apart, and show up strong, with an abundance of meat on them. If narrow and con- Fic. 20—WHITE FEATHER SHOWING OLD STYLE SPANGLED BARS, tracted the cut is one point; if standing too close together the cut is one-half point; if the toes are crooked or deformed the cut is from one-half to one and one-half. If the thighs are not laced as shown in the chart, but show only a dark slate color the cut is one point, if partly laced one-half point. If the shanks are spotted or shade to willow the cut is from one-half to two. Remember that any trace of feath- ers or down on shanks or toes disqualifies the specimen. THE WYANDOTTE FEMALE. I present in connection with this Wyandotte female a chart that for correct the color description of standard Fic. 19—FLIGHT FEATHERS FROM MALE—SHEOWING DEFECTIVE WHITE ON EXTREME UPPER EDGE, of the Silver variety has never been equaled. In shape this chart does not suit me so well as that of the male, because this cut is a little too long, in fact it is a trifle overdrawn. But should you get as good a living specimen you need have no fear of not being amorg the winners in the best of com- pany. This chart was made from a sketch of the first prize White Wyandotte pullet at bred by Mr. Arthur G. Duston. It only’ represents the correct standard color, but it is the color can depend on in the Silver variety to give you first-class exhibition females if good judgment is used in the selection of the male. In Wyandottes, as well as in most of the other varieties, the males are the more valuable so far as a money consideration is concerned. But in producing first-class exhibition specimens of either the Silver or Golden varieties, it is considered by breeders to be more of an honor to get the female right, in fact, a breeder who gets in the money class with his females at the big shows is indeed a lucky exhibitor. In scoring the female here I shall omit -the yolden variety, as the same color is called for in bath the Silver and Golden, with the exception of substituting the word gold for silver. Our aim is to make this book plain and easily understood without going any further into minute detail than is absolutely necessary. For this reason I nave adopted the form of questions and answers which I feel will take the place of long descriptions and be of more practical value to the reader. I will now ask you to turn to chart No. 2 and study it carefully. Remember the color here illustrated is consid- ered perfect, and it is so shown on each section that you can see at a glance just what kind of color is required ii all sections. Do not overlook the important point that you must have as much under-color as shown here if you expect the bird to hold its color and not fade. Question—What do you mean by fading’ Answer — In all parti-colored specimens there is a constant drain on the system to supply the coloring maiter, and the natural tendency is to grow lighter. If we do not look carefully after our birds when they molt we shall find that the feath- ers will come in nearly white, or with a crescentic marking instead of a lacing, or as poultrymen term it, they have faded. Q.—How would you avoid this fading? A.—By breeding only from specimens that show a good Boston, owned and not you Fic, 2I—DEFECTIVE BREAST FEATHER. 14 COPYRIGHTED BY THE RELIABLE PovitRy OURNAiM 1895 CHART No. 2-STANDARD WYANDOTTE FEMALE. Copyrighted Chart, Designed Expressly for this Book by Franklane L. Sewell, Showing Standard Wyandotte Female Shape (all varieties); also Standard Striping and Lacing for the Different Sections (Hackle, Breast, Wing, Fluff, Etc.) of Silver and Golden Wyandotte Females. THE WYANDOTTES. 15 slate under-color, and whose feahers show a rich metallic luster in the black instead of a dead or dirty brown or black, as is often the case. £ Q.—Cannot the black be carried too far in mating as well as the white? A.—Yes. There is just as much trouble in one direction as in the other. Q.—How much of each color is correct? A.—What does the chart show? There you see fifty per cent white and fifty per cent black, and that is just what you want. Q.—The chart shows more white than black, does it not? A.—No. The outside of the feath- er is larger and makes the feathers look that way at a glance, but if you will study them a moment you will see there is as much of ene color as the other. Q.—Does this equal proportion of coler come in all sections? A.—WNo, only in the neck, back, breast, body and wing coverts. Q.—How about the tail and wings, what per cent of color do you want there? A.—The tail proper should be black, the tail coverts black edged with white (see chart). Now do not get mixed up on this description of tail coverts. Notice particularly where the feathers lie that show this white edging. They are not a part of the back or cushion, but form a row of feathers that fit in between the tail and cushion the same as in a Brahma. The wing bow or shoulder is half black and half white the same as the back, but the primaries are black edged with white (see chart), while the secondaries are black on the upper web and white on the lower web—about equally divided in color. Q.—Does not the neck of the female show more black than white? A.—-No. In addition to the white outside lacing (which should run entirely round the lower end of the feathers and not blunt off as is often the case), there is a narrow inside lacing, which the standard allows, and which you must have if you expect to breed well-laced feathers on all sections, Q.—Can you show us some of those laced feathers? A.—Yes. But I shall pass them by for a time and call them up in their proper place and fully describe them. I shall now take the bird section by section and give a general idea of the defects and a proper valuation of the same. Symmetry, or typical carriage, weight and condition have been fully described in writing of the males, so it will not be necessary to refer again to them as the cuts are the same in the female as in the male and when defects occur the percentage of discount is the same, The head is the same as that of the male, except it is neater and more in keeping with the sex. There are some defects shown in the cuts of combs, but L shall pass them now and call atten- tion to them a little later. The Comb. From a fancy point of view there is no section on a Wyandotte of any color that is so uniformly defec- tive in shape as the comb. In ten years of judging I believe I could count on the fingers of one hand all the Wyandotte combs that I have passed as perfect. Breed- ers are not entirely to blame for this, as we have tried to Fie. 1a. produce something contrary to nature in many respects, and it is only in the past few years that our breeders have decided on a type that they are willing to consider proper. From now on we may look for more improvement. I can notice in my own yards that the low, flat comb coming to a point in the rear, is gradually doing away with many of the defects that gave me trouble in the past. From a fancy point of view, there is nothing that adds so much to the beauty of this breed as a well shaped, well bal- anced comb and I am glad to see the effort that is being put forth to improve this section. The standard description of this section is plain and easy to understand. It is the same as for the male, only the female comb is much smaller. “Rose, low, firm on the head, top oval in shape and the sur- face covered with smal] points or corrugations, the former preferred, terminating in a small spike at the rear; the entire comb and spike curving slightly to contorm to the shape of the skull.” Fig. 1 A shows just such a comb as the standard describes and so does chart No. 2. The head of Fig. 1 A is a little too shallow, that is, not quite deep enough through from top of skull to eyes. You will find this section better illustrated in chart No. 2, in fact I consider the head in the chart to be the best one Mr. Sewell has ever given us. Fig. 2 A shows a comb and head that are both defective and they are joined to a poorly shaped neck and have as an ornament a poor pair of ear lobes and wattles. The head is bullet shaped, with the lower mandible too short, giving a poor curve to the beak. It should be discounted one point in scoring the head section. The comb is uneven and irregular, with a poor spike at the back, and the spike turns up at the end instead of following the shape of the skull. Q.—What would you discount this comb? A.—Two points. Q.—For what defect or defects? A.—One point for the hollow in the center of comb, one- half point for uneven edges and the blunt portion where it terminates in a spike, and one-half point for ill-shaped spike. In Fig. 3 A is shown another form of defect that is often met in this breed and one that if the standard is prop- erly applied makes a severe cut or discount. As is usual in combs of this kind it is car- ried on a poor shaped head and neck, in fact one follows the other almost as surely as day follows the night. The head is too high at top of skull and falls in front of the eyes, in fact it reminds one of a half-witted brute that only knows enough to eat. Such a head should be discounted one point. The comb is tco nar- row, has a hollow in front and seems to break in tyvo in the middle. The front end has a slight showing cf pc nts o2 top, but the back part is smooth and high in the center. Q.—Whait would you discount such a comb? A.—Four points. Q.—Please explain such a heavy cut as that. You are cutting away fifty per cent of the comb when you cut four. A.—Yes, I am cuting away fifty per cent and it is a question if I should not cut more. In the first place the comb is one-half cut for poor outlines, one out for hollow in the center at front, two out for the break in the middle, and one-half out for smooth surface on top. FIG. 3a. 16 THE WYANDOTTES. When we find what we term a bull neck, such as is shown in Fig. 2 A, the cut is one, In color the neck should be sil- very white, each feather hav- ing a black center with a narrow outside white edging running entirely around the lower end of feather, and the standard says it may have a white shafting. You can see the white shafting in chart No. 2. If there were even more of it I should consider it better. In Fig. 22 is shown a feather with a good outside white edging and it is considered a good feather for the center of neck, but it fails in under- color. It is one of the defects to which I have before refer- red and it should be discount- ed one point. In Fig. 23 1s shown a better feather taken from the same part of the Fic. 22. FIG. 23. HACKLE FEATHERS—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. In Fig. 4 A is shown still another type of head and comb and one that I am glad to say is not so often seen, still we find them once in a while, so I show it here and give it a valuation. This is what we call a game or snake head, and you will notice that everything about it is in harmony— beak, shallow skull, narrow, pinched comb Such a head should be discounted one and one half points and should never be used in the breed- The comb in Fig. 4 A is one that has done a great deal of harm in the breeding pen, as long, straignt and scant wattles. ing pens. neck, and one that in justice to the bird could not be dis- counted. Fig. 24 is another good feather taken from the neck, where that section joins the back. It is one of the best I have found with one exception, the white center is not large enough. I should prefer more white in the shaft of the feather. However, you could not discount this feather by the standard. Fic. The Back. Here is the most important section in a Wyandotte, not alone in shape but also in color. Unless this section is it is almost sure to produce a lot of single combs. It is hollow in front, is smooth on top and is too long and snakey for its width. Such a comb should be cut two points—one point for being narrow and up With the illustrations of the perfect and defective combs before you I do not believe it one point for the hollow in front and curved spike at rear. will be necessary to go further with the description of this section. Wattles and Ear Lobes. | This section has been fully described in the discussion of the male, and it will not be necessary to call it up again, as the cuts for defects in one sex fall just as severely on the other. The Neck of the Wyandotte Female. Here is a section that in the female is usually good with the exception of the lacing on the lower part of the feathers, which will insist on running blunt at the point and showing us a dark, smutty ring where it should be silvery white. ten This section divided, four for In shape it is almost in- variably the specimens are matured. Once find few minor defects in shape, but not often. Where the neck is too long or is valued at and is points shape and six for color. when while zood in a we a ir ats, sel gamey thecutisfrom one-half toone. Whereit breaks at the junction of the back on account of the feath- ers of the hackle not being full the cut is one-half. 25-2 FIGS. Showing light under-color, which should be avoided. '6—BACK FEATHERS—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. es THE WYANDOTTES. 17 FIGS, 27-28-29—FEATHERS FROM BACK OF SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE Fig. 27 should be cut for splotches. Fig. 28 may be called perfect. Fig. 29 shows too much white. fairly good you can never hope to make yery radical improvements in your breeding. In shape it should be “short, bread and flat at shoulders, slightly cushioned; plumage abundant.” In color it should be “under-color dark slate. Web black, with medium white centers; the black to be free from white, outside lacing; the white must be free from black or brown penciling; the black lacing to be sharply defined.’ Remember that the instructions to judges compel them to cut one point for white edging in all seclions where it appears. Referring to chart No. 2 you will notice the way these feathers overlap and what a handsome color you get from such lacing. When you go to the extreme in this section you get a back that resembles the four feathers that are illustrated just back of the laced feathers, and then you have what is called the open or Sebright lacing. In order to get this Se- bright lacing you must sacrifice under-color and when you do this the first thing you know your color has faded as will hereafter be shown, and you have to go back again to black blood for help. I have no desire to injure the breeding of this Sebright color, but I warn young fanciers and especially amateurs, from going too far with it. It is not standard, and in order to get it you must sacrifice one of your very important breed- ing points—-under-color. It is dangerous for an amateur to experiment. What I say is especially true of the Silver variety, as the Golden seem to hold their open lacing with less show of fading. This is accounted for in a measure by the fact that the sun does not have the same effect on the ground color of gold as it does on the silver. In shape I should_prefer a back a trifle shorter than the one shown in chart No. 2, in fact this breed is one of the shortest for its depth that we have in the standard, and when we get them that Way we ave getting a standard fowl and one that is strikingly beautiful. I do not know of a single breed that possesses so many good qualities for their weight as the Wyandotte. If a back is too long or too narrow the cut is from one-half to one sweep so much admired in this breed, the cut is from one to one and one-half. Q.—You spoke of faded feathers in the back. Will you show us feathers of this kind so we may better understand. A.—Yes. I will call your attention to Figs. 26, 27 and 29. In feathers 26 and 29 you see the white has faded out at the edges, making a sort of crescentic or half-moon lacing and in feather 26 notice the light under-color that is almost sure to follow the extreme in mating. It is the color against which I have warned you. Q.—What about feather 27? A.—This is a sample of a mixed feather, such as you will find in these open laced birds. It is neither white nor black, but a kind of dirty brown, and it is offensive to the eye of a fancier. Q.—What would you discount feathers 27 and 29? A.—I should discount feather 27 two points, one point for the brown penciling inside the white and one point for indis- tinct colorin the black, thatis, brown where it should be black. Q.—What would you discount feather 267 A.—One point, one-half for white under-color and one- half for white running to the edge of the feather at the sides. Q.—What would you discount feather 25? A.—One-half point for light under-color. Q.—What about feather 28? A.—I should pass that feather as perfect, because it has the right per cent of white and black, and is clear cut and distinct. That is the kind of a feather we want on a Wyan- dotte female’s back. Q.—What would you discount feather 30? A.—lIf all the feathers in the back were that color, I shonld discount it one point, as there is too much black there, in fact, it is nearing the other extreme. Q.— What would you cut feather 31? A.—I should discount this feather one and one-half and one-half, according to degree. Where the back is deficient in cushion, making it look long and straight, and it fails to make the nice concave Fics, 30-31—DEFECTIVE BACK FEATHERS—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE, has too much black. Fig, 31 has black and white poorly divided. Fig. 30. THE WYANDOTTES. are neither white nor black, but a mixture of Fics. 32-33—BACK FEATHERS SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE—SHOWING IMPERFECT MARKINGS, points, one point for penciling in the white center and one-half for the light under-color. Feather 31 has about the right per cent of white and black, but the colors are poorly divided and it makes a poor showing when compared to feather 28. - Q.—Kindly explain about the long feathers up near the tail that are called tail coverts. Can you give us some idea how they should be before we leave this section? A.—First let me call your attention to feathers Here are two feathers that are both defective and which would receive the same discount though they have different markings. Fig would be cut one and one-half points for black penciling and too small a center, one point for the pencil- ing and one-half point for the small center. Fig. would be discounted one point for the black penciling, and one-half point for the white run- ning to the edge on the right hand side. Feath- evs 34 and 35 are good feathers for this part of the back. They are not quite well propor- tioned as they should be, but the black and white are clean cut and I should not discount either of them. 29 32 and 92 vo. 99 os 99 oo sO @.—You spoke of the other extreme in color and too dark mating. Will you show us a few | feathers that will illustrate what you mean? A.—Feathers 36, 37 38 and 39 show just what may expect if you carry this dark mating you too black and brown. When you find a back like this it should be discounted three points. Feather 36 should be discounted one and one-half points, one point for small center and one-half point for penciling inside the white. | I believe that I have now explained this ' section so the amateur can readily under- stand it. By referring to the feathers from | time to time you will have no trouble in mat- ing or in selecting your best bird for show. There are several sections almost like the back and I shall not go deeply into them, but I shall refer to this section from time to time. | The Breast. This section is also a very important | one, and you may consider what was said of the back applies to this section also. There are, however, some defects common in this section that are different from those of the | back and in order to give you a clear under- standing of them I will describe them now. You want a clear, open center in the breast { feathers, that is, you want more white than black, in fact, you should get just as much white as you can so long as you get the clear outside lacing of black. You will find this is not a hard task so far as the large centers are concerned, but there are many other defects that you must guard against at the same time. One of the worst of these is the outside edging of white, and since the standard cuts one point for it we must do our best to get rid of it if we expect high scores on our laced Wyandottes. Another point to consider is this: We have three distinct kinds of feathers in the breasts of our females, and each kind has its own peculiar defects. The first one is the short laced feathers under the throat, which will insist on lacing round like the hackle feathers, and quite often the white will run out to the edge. blurring the feather and making this part of the breast look splotchy. Just such a feather as I mean is shown in Fig. 36, and it should be dis- counted one point, that is, it should receive this cut if only far. Fig. 39 is only a white shaft and it shonld discounted and one-half points. and 38 are no good at all, as they be Feathers 37 one * FIGs. 36-37-38-39—FEATHERS FROM SILVER WYANDOTTE BACK (FEMALE), Showing Result of Extreme Dark Matings. THE WYANDOTTES. 19 Fics, 34-35—MEDIUM GOOD BACK FEATHERS—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. the short feathers of the upper breast are affected. entire breast were like that the cut should be three points, In Fig. 41 is shown a perfect feather for this section and a comparison of the two shows how important it is to get this section right. As the feathers approach the center of the breast they become longer and broader and the centers widen out in proportion to the size of the feather. Figures 42, 43 and 44 are three feathers from this part of the breast. Feather 48 is what I should term standard or perfect, and it would pass without a dis- court, while feather 42 should receive a cut of one point for outside edging of white, and feather 44 a cut of one for the penciling of black in the white. Along the lower part of the breast near the body is found still another form of feather which has its own peculiar markings and defects. These feathers are much longer than the others and the white centers are nearer the outer end of the feathers. It looks as though nature were proud of this lacing and pushed it out where it could be seen to better advantage instead of covering it up, which she would do if the white were in the center of the feathers. Feathers 45 and 46 are taken from the lower part of the breast. Feather 45 is very good and it would pass as standard while feather 46 shows the defect so common in this section, that is, the white runs out at the side, making a kind of half-moon lacing. It should be discounted one point. The shape to be perfect must be broad, deep and well-rounded. Chart No. 2 is perfection in this sec- tion. If the breast is flat or narrow, giving the bird a sort of consumptive look, the cut is from one to two according to degree. If it is not deep enough through from point of back to keel bone the cut is one. If the breast bone is crooked, the cut is from one to one and one-half. This section has in the past had too much impor- tance attached to it by the standard, in fact as many points were ailowed to this section as to the back, but at the last revision this was changed and the body was given a valuation of six points and the two points formerly given to it were placed on the more impor- tant section of back. In shape it is usually good. However, we sometimes find too narrow a body be- tween the legs and the discount is one p@int. When the body is too long the cut is one; if scantily feath- ered giving the specimen a scanty appearance when viewed from behind, the cut is from one-half to one. The body should be black or dark slate, with narrow white centers. So should be the feathers that cover the thighs and that run back into the fluff. Feathers 47 and 48 are two good feathers, with the black and white properly proportioned. As the feath- ers begin to mix with those of the fluff proper they gradually lose these centers and are a sort of pepper and salt color, or, as we term it, a black powdered with gray. The Wings. While this is a very important section in the breeding of this variety, Artist Sewell has done his work so well in chart No. 2 that it is useless for me to go into a lengthy description. Every point is shown to perfection in the chart. There is a perfect wing with every feather as it should be and just as you will find them on a well-bred specimen. If you are striving for the laced wing bars on your cockerels, referred to by me in the description of male, you can get them by using just such a wing bar on your females as here illustrated. Remember the flight feather should be black on the upper web, and white on the lower web, see the one feather Fic. 4{U—DEFECTIVE BREAST FEATHERS—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. One has too much white; the other too little. 20 THE WYANDOTTES. protruding from the wing. The secondaries are white on the lower web, with the exception of a narrow lac- ing of black (see cut), and black on the upper web. Fic. 41—PERFECT BREAST FEATHER, Should white appear in SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. : the upper web of flight feathers the cut is from one-half to one and one-half. Should black appear in the white of secondaries, making a sort of pepper and salt color, the cut is from one-half to two. Should there be an edging of white on the outside of the wing coverts, or should the centers be penciled with black, the FIGS. 42-43-44—FEATHERS FROM CENTER OF BREAST—SILVER LACED WYANDOTTE. Fig 43 shows a perfect type. cut is one point. The feathers on the upper part of shoul- ders are small and gradually grow larger as.they approach the bar or center of wing. Feather 49 is a feather such as you will find on the upper part of a wing, while feather £0 is one you will find down near the center of ‘the shoulder, where Mr. Sewell has just laced the outside edges. The Tail. This is an easy section to understand, so far as color is concerned, as the tail proper and greater coverts are (or should be) solid black. Feather 51 is one FIG. 49—FEATHER FROM UPPER PART OF WING— SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE, but I will take up the question of mating and in as few words as possible give some ideas about the course my judg- ment and experience has taught me is the best to pursue. MATING WYANDOTTES. First, good birds of both sexes can be produced from a single mating, but it is a question if as many good ones can be produced from it as from the double mating. Let it be well understood that no matter how good your matings are you will find more or less poor birds will result from them. My own experience has been that a light hen, that is, a bird with rather open centers in its feathers, will give me my best pullets if mated to a male whose breast feathers have open _ centers, but who has a rather dark back. The cock- erels from this cross have never been quite so good, but I can by mating a dark hen to a med- ium light colored male get good cockerels with a small per cent of good pul- lets. A real dark mating will give a good per cent of good - males, while the females are of little value. My own experience in mating has convinced me that the best results from a single mating may be expected from a male and a female a trifle apart in color but not extreme. I should select a male with a good shape and a good eye above all else. Then get a good clear stripe in back and hackle with good diamond centers in the back, and a breast that is Fic. 50—wInG FEATHER, NEAR SHOULDER— SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. often met in scoring this variety. It shows a white lacing at the lower end of the feather and such a tail should be discounted one point. Feather 52 is a defective feather often found in the greater coverts. It has a dirty brown color and should be discounted oneand one-half points. Legs and Toes. Not one time in a hundred is a Wyandotte female discounted for shape of legs. They are invariably that r The trouble we have is to get them yellow enough almost good in spect. without getting the black or green spots which are so characteristic of tne American class. In and black or green.spots appear on them the cut is from one-half to one-half. If the les in bad condition from frosted or color they should be yellow, when one and are sealy or miss- ing toes, the cut is from one-half to two. I believe the average breeder can form a very good idea of the defects in the Silver and Golden varieties by a careful perusal of these pages, and I shall not dwell longer on them, Fics. 45-46-47-48 -FEATHERS FROM SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE, Nos, 45 and 46 are from breast; 47 and 48 from top of thigh. THE WYANDOTTES. at least two shades darker than the female. To this male I should mate a female as much like chart No. 2 in color as I could find, and as good in shape and comb as possible. I should use for a mating like this, a female with a comb that is a trifle coarse if I expected good males and females both. When I say coarse I do not mean an ill-shaped comb FG. 52—GREATER TAIL COVERT—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE. The dirty-brown color shown here is a common defect. but a comb a trifle larger than we would want on an exhibi- tion specimen. From such a mating as this you may rea- Fic. 51—TaIL COVERT—SILVER WYANDOTTE FEMALE, sonably expect a fair per cent of both males and females. Discounted for lacing of white. THEO. HEWES COPYRIGHTED BY THE RELIABLE Pourrry JOURNAL ——— STANDARD WYANDOTTE SHAPE—MALE. “A Composite Ideal From Live Models’”—As Submitted by the Reliable Poultry Journal for the Criticisms of Judges and Breeders, WYANDOTTE SHAPE--MALE. Criticisms of Foremost Poultry Judges and Prominent Breeders on ‘‘Composite Ideal Wyandotte Male Shape, from Live Models,”’ as Drawn by Artist Sewell. HE RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL, published in December, 1896, and January, 1897, a pair of drawings made by Mr. Franklane L. Sewell, the world’s greatest polutry artist, showing to the best of his ability, correct Wyandotte shape, male and female, as required by the American Standard of Perfection. For the benefit of the beginner, permit us to say that all Wyandottes, including the Silver, Golden, White, Buff and Black varieties, are required to be alike in shape; hence what is perfect or standard shape for the one variety is also for the other vari- eties. Exact proofs of these drawings were then sent by the Reliable Poultry Journal to the best known poultry judges and the foremost Wyan- dotte breeders of America, with the request that they approve or disapprove of same, according to their interpretation of the standard. Nearly seventy of the judges and breeders favored the ~ Journal with replies. After reading these criti- cisms, Artist Sewell, by previous arrangement, modified his drawings, so that the corrected drawings, shown in this book, more nearly rep- resent the accepted ideas of correct standard shape for Wyandottes than any previously pre- sented. Following are the criticisms of the judges on the drawing of the male, as first submitted: W. 5S. Russell, Ottumwa, Iowa: “The draw- ing of the male I would accept as ideal with the foliowing alterations: Hackle should be a little more abundant; from the drawing it appears broken, or not developed; the comb extends out on the beak a little too far.” H. S. Babcock, Providence, R. I., judge and breeder: ‘My criticism upon the male Wyan- dotte illustration can be summed up in three words, not blocky enough. There is too much of the V shape in the figure. This V shape we expect in Langshans, but the Wyandotte has won and retains its reputation upon the block- iness of its build. Take that away and its repu- tation will be dissipated.” Theo. Hewes, Trenton, breeder: “In regard to the Silver Wyan- dotte cuts I would say that if Mr. Sewell would place their heads against a solid wall and hit them in the rear with a pile driver he would come nearer to getting my idea of a Wyandotte. Why he wants us to ac- cept as a Wyandotte a bird that is long enough for a Java, I cannot understand. I will ask you to reproduce the cut of the cockerel ‘“‘Cloyd.’”’ This bird was sketched from life by Mr. Sewell and pronounced by him to be one of the best he ever saw. If that outline pleased him I am at a loss to Mo., judge and know why he introduces a bird so much longer in body and back. I would add just a trifle to the lower part of the breast of Cloyd and a few feathers to the neck (where you can see they are missing) and use it as an ideal in prefer- ence to the one Mr. Sewell has given us here. “The color is much overdrawn. The standard calls for SILVER WYANDOTTE COCKEREL “CLOYD.” This is the cockerel referred to by Mr, Hewes in his criticism on Mr. Sewell’s ideal cut presented herewith. The bird was bred by Mr, Hewes and sketched from life by Mr. Sewell. a bird with a light breast or large open centers growing smaller from front to rear. Those Sebright lacings are not standard and there is nothing in the standard that can be taken to mean that they are. We do not want any doubt about this variety. The standard requirements must be plain as day. This is the Wyandotte section of America. To-day I saw Mr. F. W. Hitchcock score two pullets at 95 points, and there are lots more very near that mark. If the 23 24 LZ CopyrRignTED BY THE RELIABLE Pourrry yourRNaAL STANDARD WYANDO Dk oer 2 TTE SHAPE—MALE. Changed to Meet the Criticisms of Judges and Breeders, boys down east want hot competition let them bring their birds to some of the large western shows. We might not win, but they would know that they had company.” Charles McClave, New London, Ohio, judge and breeder: “The symmetry of the male is good; comb is good, but a trifle too far over the beak, covering the nostrils; head is good; ear lobes are too small; wattles are all right. Shape of neck is perfect; back is good enough; breast has a true Wyandotte shape; wings are all right; tail is good, but a trifle long; the shanks are good; middle toe is too long. The general outline is that of a typical ideal Wyandotte male. In this work Mr. Sewell has certainly produced a Wyandotte male reaching very near the 100 point mark. I consider this the greatest drawing Mr. Sewell has executed. This line of work is attracting wide-spread attention.” F. H. Shellabarger, West Liberty, Iowa, judge and breeder: ‘In most respects the male cut is grand, but we think the back is a trifle long—the standard calls for a short back on a Wyandotte. If the tail were set forward on the back three-eighths of an inch, the back and saddle would then be long enough, and the wing would look longer. We believe it would make the proportion of the cut better, as the body would appear shorter, which is in accord with the standard, which calls for a short body.” F. J. Marshall, Sunnyside, Ga., judge and breeder: “‘The drawing of the Wyandotte male sent suits me to a dot, and Iam not going to find fault with it just for the name of the thing. I like it very much, and I think if we could breed 50 per cent of our stock like it we could make money out of it, the first year anyway.” C. A. Emry, Carthage, Mo., judge and breeder: ‘Comb is too full in front and is set too far forward on the beak and head. The fluff is too scant.” F. B. Zimmer, Gloversville, N. Y., judge and breeder: “We consider the illustration of the Wyandotte male a good one, and if a breeder could breed them as near perfection in shape as this illustration, his birds would be considered ‘clinkers’ and score ‘well up in the nineties,’ providing the color was as good as shape. It seems to me, however, that the comb lies too flat on the base of beak and spreads (like combs we have often seen) over the nostrils. Again, to us, the bird illustrated has the appearance of being narrow be- hind the legs, in other words, that part is not in proportion to the breast and the tail is plenty large for the breed.” D. T. Heimlich, Jacksonville, Ill., judge and breeder: “Mr. Sewell has done himself proud in these Wyandotte drawings. Perhaps Wyandotte breeders may find faults in them, but I do not know where to look for them. The two are in perfect harmony and in accord with the best speci- mens met in the show room, and they show what the Wy- andcette may be bred to.” L. P. Harris, Lincoln, Neb., judge and breeder: “I think the comb is set too far forward, the breast is not deep enough and the tail is carried too low.” George O. Brown, Baltimore, Md., judge and breeder: “The male’s tail is too low, comes out of the back too straight. Shape from tail (outline) is too much wedge- shape, fluff is not quite prominent enough. The cut is a trifle too full on the lower breast; legs are too stout for size of cut and a little short; upper part of neck is too thick. To THE WYANDOTTES. 25 me there is a wrong shape of the tail which I do not seem able to explain.” H. B. Savage, Belton, Texas, judge and breeder: “The Silver Wyandotte male, in my opinion, has very few defects. I should like the eye a little higher in the head; the spike of the comb to curve with the neck a little more; ear-lobes to be a little smoother; tail rather more upright, giving the back a shorter appearance. Fluff is too scant, and middle toe too long in proportion to the others. Otherwise the cut suits me.” A. B. Shaner, Lanark, Ill., judge and breeder: ‘The Wyandotte male is too long in the back and not quite full enough in lower breast. Thighs and shanks are a trifle long and the fluff should be a little more developed.” G. A. C. Clarke, LeMars, Iowa, judge and _ breeder: “There being no shading on beak to represent a dark horn color, the specimen appears to have a clear, yellow beak. There is not quite enough arch to back of neck. A little more concave sweep to the saddle would be an improve- ment. The breast is rather flat; would look better with a full crop. The fluff is hardly what I should call full-feath- ered and well-rounded. The wings are carried a little too high. The tail is not ‘well-developed.’ Notwithstanding these comments, I consider Mr. Sewell’s ideas of Wyandotte shape good enough ‘to tie up to’” J. Y. Bicknell, Buffalo, N. Y., judge and breeder: ‘I have long since learned that criticism of a cut representing a fowl is one thing, and criticising the living specimen, which it represents, is quite another. We haye been so long accustomed to see finely drawn outlines claiming to repre- sent the different breeds, that we look at them from one basis and scrutinize the specimens from another. We often see the outlines as the result of a ‘snap shot,’ and, in such cases, it correctly represents them as they were when the shot was taken; but how very seldom do we get a picture in that way that does the bird any justice whatever. The bird will not pose in its natural shape, but frequently shows off to such a disadvantage that he looks distorted. The R. P. J. had several such cuts in last winter, which were magnifi- cent misrepresentations of what they were intended to por- tray. Realizing the truth of the above, I will state that the male Wyandotte cut by Mr. Sewell is well executed, as would be expected, but the breast is a little too full; from the point below the neck hackle to the front of the hock, the outline is too much like an are of a cirele. Nearly all of our best cuts have the same fault, only to a greater extent.” D. A. Stoner, Rensselaer, Ind., judge and breeder: “In criticising the Wyandotte cock I would say that the comb extends a trifle too far forward over the beak and should be squared up a trifle in front. Head and neck are good; so are the wings and breast. I should like the tail raised a trifle higher, which would shorten the length of the body, making symmetry perfect.” Arthur G. Duston, Marlboro, Mass., breeder of White Wyandottes: “It seems almost out of place for me to at- tempt to criticise the work of so eminent an artist as my friend, Mr. Sewell, but as we have honest differences I will do so at your request. Taking the male as a whole it looks sprightly, but a trifle fine and a little too hard feathered in breast and body. The head is nice, but I would make the lower mandible almost twice as thick as shown—it is too slender. Let us shorten the back a little. By adding about 26 THE WYANDOTTES. the width of one of the sickle feathers to the front of the tail, and raising the line of the back to meet it, not carrying the tail out or up any more, gives it a fullness, thus reliev- ing what I consider a ‘barrel’ look it has. The breast has sufficient fullness, but the body is not deep enough. It is given rather a slim appearance. I want a body that reaches well down to the hocks, only we do not want a Brahma, so the hocks must stand out in relief. The thigh, as shown, seems hard. A ‘slick’ male will have soft feathers on the thighs; it gives the bird a stouter appearance. The whole contour of a Wyandotte should convey the idea of stoutness without being a particle dumpy, but striking one as having considerable reserve force. Drop the wing a trifle and you will have an ideal male. If any breeder of Wyandottes could have fifty per cent of his cockerels match it in shape he would almost think the millenium had arrived, and surely he would have a ‘gold mine.’ I believe you will ac- complish a great work through the means of these discus- sions.” Ira C. Keller, Prospect, Ohio, breeder of Golden Wyan- dottes: ‘‘The cut of the male is very pretty, making a fine looking bird. The comb is too broad in front and extends over the beak too far. Eye has not a mild enough expres- sion for a Wyandotte. Back about right, looks a little long, but if body were deeper the back would not look so long. Breast should be a little fuller and deeper at point of keel bone. Body should be deeper, or there should be more fluff. Tail not broad enough; if spread wider it would help con- siderably. Shanks are a trifle short for the size of the bird. Plumage of the bird suits me exactly, just what I like to see, lacing not shafting. One can readily see that there is a vast difference in the plumage of this male and what the old standard called for. The plumage of this bird, I think, meets the present standard requirements, which in a laced Wyandotte of any color is very beautiful.” Henry Steinmesch, St. Louis, Mo., breeder of Silver Wyandottes: ‘The comb sets too far forward on beak and should curve a little more to shape of neck. Tail should be shorter and not so flat. It should be at an angle of about forty-five degrees.” A. C. Hawkins, Lancaster, Mass., breeder of Silver and White Wyandottes: ‘‘The male is too high on legs and not blocky enough in form. The shape of head, neck, breast, back and tail is good. The fluff should be much fuller. With this change and a shortening of the legs the bird would be very fine in form and style.” A. & E. Tarbox, Yorkville, Ill., breeders of Silver Laced Wyandottes: “The cut of Wyandotte cockerel in general would be our ideal. We think it meets the standard require- ments. If we were to make any corrections, we should like to see the breast a little fuller just in front of the thighs and the saddle not quite so high at base of tail.” George H. Pollard, S. Attleboro, Mass., breeder of White Wyandottes: “I like the Wyandotte cock very well, but the comb is a trifle full in front and the wattles do not hang straight enough, the edges turn back or fold too much. The saddle is a trifle high and the tail is too long. The breast might be a little deeper and the thighs not quite so prominent,” Knapp Brothers, Fabius, N. Y., breeders of White Wyandottes: “We consider this a most excellent represen- tation for an ideal male of this breed, which is not only one of the most popular in America, but in the world wherever thoroughbred fowls are raised. We suggest that the comb should be made a little narrower and shortened a very little in front. Wattles should be shortened one-eighth of an inch and well rounded and lightened a bit in the center to get rid of the fold and thick appearance. Now with a light mallet drive the tail into the body three-eighths of an inch. This will widen the body at its intersection with the tail nearly three-eighths of an inch on the side. Fill in the place that is a little deficient where the sickles start. Then lengthen the wing a little and add one-eighth of an inch to lower breast. Lengthen the shanks a little. With these few alterations we have added a pound to the weight of the bird and it gives to the admiring public the most perfect cut of a Wyandotte male ever published.” George W. Brown, Camden, Ark., breeder of Wyan- dottes: “The Wyandotte drawings received and are very good, but not up to our ideal of that grand old American variety. The male bird in head, neck, breast and shanks is perfect. The back should be a little more concave, and the tail should be carried a little higher and be made a shade heavier. Wing is too small and tucked under a little too closely. Saddle feathers should be lengthened and should not be so regular where they come in contact with the wing. The fluff should be heavier.” H. D. Mason & Sons, Fabius, N. Y., breeders of Golden Wyandottes: “The comb sets too far front on the beak; it should not cover more than one-third of the upper part of the beak. The tail should be shortened down to the second sickle feather. There is not sufficient opening in the fluff at vent. It is a grand cut, with many merits, and if any one owns such a bird and is tired of having it around we would appreciate it.” A. Gaiser, Tecumseh, Neb., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: The only fault I find with Mr. Sewell’s ideal Wyandotte male is with the fluff and wattles. There is not quite enough fluff and the wattles seem a trifle large to me. If I could breed such shaped birds I should think I had about reached perfection in shape.” J. I. DeLancey, Elgin, Ill., breeder of Golden and Silver Wyandottes: “I think if there is any improvement to make that his fluff and lower part of breast should be a little fulier. His toes are a little long.” C. E, Kunze, Garden Prairie, Ill., breeder of Golden and Silver Wyandottes: “The comb seems to extend a least bit too far forward on the beak and the top of the comb extends slightly forward over the root of the comb, causing it to appear too thick just above the beak. His wattles seem rather long as compared with the standard Plymouth Rock male; in fact his whole head is a little coarse. His neck and back are good; his tail, however, is too slanting and the sickles are altogether too long. According to our under- standing of the standard the sickles should gracefully curve over the tail, the ends slightly projecting. In this illustra- tion they curve nearly around the tail, forming a half circle. Ve are not, as we understand, to criticise the color, but we think if the tail were made black it would make a much bet- ter impression. We notice that the fluff is rather scant and we think it would much improve the looks of the bird if it were made fuller. The wings seem rather small for the size of bird and the shanks rather thin. Taking him as a whole, however, he is a very good illustration of a Silver Wyan- dotte, and we would not mind having a number like him. THE WYANDOTTES. 27 We think that his breast seems rather full, a little too full to conform with our ideal of a Silver Wyandotte. We wish the Reliable and Mr. Sewell a grand and deserved success in this undertaking.” Cc. W. Nuss & Son, Coloma, Mo., breeders of White and Buff Wyandottes: ‘We think the comb is too full at lower or front end and it extends too far over the beak and is too full in center. Fluff is not full enough. He ought to be more circular by an eighth of an inch, tapering to a point each way, in order to compare favorably with some of our very best specimens.” Cc. J. Andruss, Canandaigua, N. Y., breeder of White Wyandottes: “I consider the drawing a very good repre- sentation of the breed and I should pass the male without criticism.” W. A. Irvin, Tecumseh, Neb., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “I think the drawing of Wyandotte male by Mr. Sewell is the best I have ever seen. I consider the outline very nearly meets the standard requirements.” E. G. Roberts, Fort Atkinson, Wis., breeder of Wyan- dottes: ‘Comb is too large and extends too far over the beak. Head and neck toc large for the rest of the bird, but I think it would be more appropriate to enlarge the body to match the neck. As it is now, the back and tail appear a trifle long, but if the body were enlarged, or feathering made more profuse, so as to nearly hide the thighs, the ap- parent length would disappear.” C. S. Mattison, South Shaftsbury, Vt., breeder of Buff Wyandottes: ‘On the whole the cuts are very good. The principal objection to the male is the length and shape of his tail. It is too much on the Leghorn style—too long and narrow, which takes away from the blocky appearance, which is characteristic of the Wyandotte.” John Torrey, Huntley, Ill., breeder of Golden, Silver and White Wyandottes: ‘‘The comb is a trifle too far down on the beak and the tail is not carried high enough to suit me. I should prefer to see him stand a trifle higher on his legs, and there should be a little more fullness to breast. But take him all in all he is a fine bird and the drawing does Mr. Sewell much credit.” J. A. Ayers, LaPlata, Mo., breeder of Silver Laced Wy- andotites: “I should lengthen the neck of the male Wyan- dotte and narrow it slightly; also raise the tail, making body and fluff a shade deeper in the male bird.” S. T. Jones, Williamsville, Ill., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “I do not think the breast is as deep and full as it should be at point of breast bone. Body and fluff are not deep enough. Otherwise I think it a good cut.” F. A. P. Coburn, Lowell, Mass., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “I think the male bird’s comb is a little too wide in front and it also comes down on the beak too far. The wattles are a little long and heavy. The neck and back are good, but I would have the lower part of the breast a trifle deeper and fuller. Otherwise the bird is my ideal of true Wyandotte shape.” O. E. Skinner, Columbus, Kan., breeder of Silver Wyan- dottes: “I shall not offer any criticism on the male Wyan- dotte shape. It is fine.” C. A. Clark, Fairport, N. Y., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “My comments on the male Wyandotte are few. Adding one-fourth of an inch to breast would improve it; and that would bring the neck forward that much, and by so doing you would add the same distance to back. Shorten the middle toe, so that it would be in proportion with the others. That shape would suit me much better.” D. F. Palmer, Yorkville, Ill., breeder of Silver Wyan- dottes: “The cut of male is very good. I can find little fault with it, but I think it would be nearer perfect if the fluff were a little heavier.” J. D. Hunt, Jackson, Tenn., breeder of Silver and Golden Wvandottes: ‘‘The cut is fine and I do not see how it could be improved.” ee ae ae rye COPYRIGHTED BY THE RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL ———— Set Ne STANDARD WYANDOTTE SHAPE—FEMALE. “A Composite Ideal From Live Models’—As Submitted by the Reliable Poultry Journal for the Criticisms of Tudges and Breeders. 28 WYANDOTTE SHAPE--FEMALE. Criticisms ot Foremost Poultry Judges and Prominent Breeders on ‘‘Composite Ideal Wyandotte Female Shape, from Live Models,”’ as Drawn by Artist Sewell, N THE opposite page may be seen Artist Sewell’s conception of standard Wyandotte female shape, in profile. A close inspection of this drawing and the same as changed to meet the ideas of his critics, will show how truly the drawing as first submitted was a “composite ideal.” Note the similarity of the comments. The majority agree on the same defects, which may be accepted as proof that the majority of breed- ers agree on the main points of the ideal of each breed. All of which is very encouraging to the breeders who believe in the desirability and possibility of an illustrated standard. W. S. Russell, Ottumwa, Iowa, judge and _ breeder: Drawing of female is too much on the Plymouth Rock type. It is a trifle long in body, the back is entirely too long and there is too much cushion. The fluff is so abundant as to cause the thigh to appear short. The general outline of the specimen lacks the round, plump appearance of the breed.” H. S. Babeock, Providence, R. I., judge and breeder: “The same criticism applies to the female as to the male. She is not blocky enough.” Theo. Hewes, Trenton, Mo., judge and breeder: What Mr. Hewes said about the drawing of the male Wyandotte applies with equal force to the female drawing. Charles McClave, New London, Ohio, judge and breed- er: “Symmetry is gocd. Head is good, beak a little heavy. Comb is perfect; ear-lobes and wattles good. Neck outlines are faultless. Concave sweep of back is about right except it is a trifle too long when viewed from base of neck to tip of tail. Breast shape is correct according to my idea of a perfect Wyandotte. Wing is faultless. Tail is perfect when viewed alone; huwever, as stated above, back and tail together are a little too lengthy. Shanks are perfect, but middle toe is too long when compared with length of shank. General outlines form the nearest perfect Wyandotte female ever submitted to the poultry fraternity. What reader of the Reliable has the equal in his yards? Do not all speak at once.” F. H. Shellabarger, West Liberty, Iowa, breeder: have ever seen and I can find but little fault with it. The comb is set a trifle too far forward and does not extend quite far enough over the back of the head. The beak is a little long. Other than these minor defects I think it fills the bill quite well.” judge and C. A. Emry, Carthage, Mo., judge and breeder: “The head is too small. Comb is too far front on head and beak. The lower breast is not full enough.” F. B. Zimmer, Gloversville, N. Y., judge and breeder: “The hen must be classed as a ‘good one,’ yet there is too much space between base of hackle and root of tail, making her appear too long in back, Body is a trifle long for a “The cut of the Wyandotte female is the best I Wyandotte. However, none of us handle very many speci- mers in a season that are nearer perfection in shape than the iilustration.”’ D. T. Heimlich, Jacksonville, Ill., judge and breeder: “The lacing on back of female seems coarse, but as this section has been, and still is, the most difficult to breed perfect, this extreme representation will act as an incentive to breeders.” George O. Brown, Baltimore, Md., judge and breeder: “The female is too long in back; tail is not quite high enough. There is too much fluff; breast is just a trifle full at the most projecting point. Comb does not run back as far on the head as it should. Legs are too thick. The bird is too long through the body.” 1 L. P. Harris, Lincoln, Neb., judge and breeder: Hal have but one criticism to offer on the female Wyandotte cut. Ir would suit me better if it showed more depth of breast.” H. B. Savage, Belton, Texas, judge and breeder: “The Wyandotte female cut is an excellent one and, in my opinion, its defects are very few. The eye should be set higher up in head. The lower part of breast is not full enough. Ear-lobes are not smooth enough. Neck needs a little more curve, caused by the head being held a trifle too far forward. The cushion part of the back is too long. Middle toe is entirely too long, being as long as the shank itself.” A. B. Shaner, Lanark, Ill., judge and breeder: ‘Back too long, appears too much like a Plymouth Rock. Tail, thighs and shanks are a trifle long. It should be a little fuller in lower breast.” G. A. C. Ciarke, LeMars, Iowa, judge and_ breeder: “Though it does not affect the general shape of the speci- menu, I should prefer to have the eye with a less wild, nervous expression. There should be some shading on the beak to represent a dark horn color. The breast line should intersect the front line of thigh one-eighth inch lower than the etching shows. The body is too shallow.” J. Y. Bicknell, Buffalo, N. Y., judge and breeder: ‘“‘The female has the same fault as the male, but in a _ greater degree. The breast in front of the wing bow is much too full. The beak is rather too straight. It looks a little as if the under mandible were pushing a trifle against the upper one. This fault is slight, however. I like both cuts better than any others of this breed that I have seen.” D. A. Stoner, Rensselaer, Ind., judge and breeder: “I like the shape of the Wyandotte female very much except that the head rises too high above the eye, making the comb stand too near the perpendicular. The face should extend a trifle lower.” Arthur G. Duston, Marlboro, Mass., breeder of White 29 80 STANDARD WYANDOTTE SHAPE Changed to Meet the Criticisms of Judges and Copyaiguren BY THE RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL a —FEMALE. Breeders, THE WYANDOTTES. 31 Wyandottes: “I would suggest a few changes in the draw- ing of the female sent me. The head is too small for the bird. The breast lacks depth. Carry the line down from the fullest point in quite a liberal sweep to where it comes in conjunction with the line of the thigh. A well developed female will be almost as deep through the breast as through the fluff. I would shorten the back by bringing forward the tail on top a little, at least a quarter of an inch, which makes the tail look a trifle larger and relieves the look of too much length. To change the width of the wing through the center, narrow it up a little. I believe we then would have a model we all would be glad to breed to or to be judged by.” Ira C. Keller, Prospect, Ohio, breeder of Golden Wyan- dottes: “Cut of the female represents a very neat, trim Wyandotte, but she dves not look quite heavy enough, or lL might say not large enough. Head is too small. Beak tco large for size of head. Back not cushioned enough and is too much on a straight line. If breast were a little deeper at point of keel bone the bird would lcok larger and more in proportion. I can find no fault with the plumage. Tt is just what we want, but is hard to produce. Breast, wing and back have the same size of lacing ;this means uniform lacing throughout. The lacing of shoulders lies in rows, which is not natural. This is a handsome cut and reflects great credit upon Mr. Sewell.” Henry Steinmesch, St. Louis, Mo., breeder of Silver Wyandottes: “The comb starts too far forward on the beak and it should have a little more curve to shape it to the neck. Tail should be shorter and not so fat—have it at an angle of forty-five degrees.” A. C. Hawkins, Lancaster, Mass., breeder of Silver and White Wyandottes: “The hen is too long bodied for a Wyandotte. She is too long in back and lacks fullness of breast. The tail is too large and full. Head, neck, fluff and legs are good. The ideal Wyandotte female should -be blocky in form with full cushion and fluff.” A. & E. Tarbox, Yorkville, Ill., breeders of Silver Laced Wyandottes: “We have no comments to make on the female Wyandotte shape, We consider it good enough.” George H. Pollard, S. Attleboro, Mass., breeder of Wh‘te Wyandottes: “Hen is not so good as the male. The back is too long and the saddle is too high. The tail is too high, full and long. There is too much of the body back of the legs. The breast should be deeper and the fluff not quite so heavy. Toé¢s look like scratchers.” George W. Brown, Camden, Ark., breeder of Wyan- dottes: “The female bird’s head is a shade too small and is out of proportion to the body. The comb does not set well on the head, extending too far in front and not far enough behind. Back is too long and should be coupled up just a fraction. with the tail lowered and one or two more feathers added. The right leg has a twisted appearance, making the position of the bird look awkward. Otherwise we consider the drawing good and acceptable as a model.” H. D. Mason & Sons, Fabius, N. Y., breeders of Golden Wyandoites: ‘Raise the eye and back corner of the mouth one-sixteenth of an inch, dropping the point of beak an equal distance. Lower the back three-sixteenths of an inch, making the lowest point of back about midway between beak and end of tail. Shorten the tail one-half inch, both by setting it farther front on the body and by cutting off a little of the stiff upper feathers of the tail. The five last sil- vered feathers extending out into the tail should not be there. All the cushion feathers have too large open centers. They should be medium in size. Too many silvered feathers show on thigh and fluff. They should have disappeared at the lower line of breast. The back from base of hackle to lowest point of back, should be flat, and it may be so hol- lowed by the folding of elbow of wing next to back feathers that the hollow will hold a tablespoonful of water. This is an aristocratic hen, and she has gotten into a habit of sniffing up her nose and looking out of the corner of her eyes downward upon her less favored neighbors.” Knapp Brothers, Fabius, N. Y., breeders of White Wyandottes: ‘The Wyandotte female is also very per- fect in shape, but to us she has the appearance of being below the standard size, requiring a little more length, breadth and height to give her size. The head is a little too small; comb should be raised in front and extended farther back, at least one-third of its length being back of the eye. The wattles are a trifle too small. Add one-eighth of an incu to the lower breast as in the male. Shanks are a trifle short and middle toe is too long.” A. Gaiser, Tecumseh, Neb., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “I consider the female almost perfect. A little more depth of body in front of thighs would suit me better. In my judgment this is the better of the two Wyandotte drawings.” J. I. DeLancey, Elgin, Ill., breeder of Golden and Silver Wyandottes: “The female is a iittle full in back, also in the breast. The toes are a little long and the white centers are a trifle large, but I should like to have a yard of birds that looked as perfect as this pair.”’ C. E. Kunze, Garden Prairie, Ill., breeder of Golden and White Wyandottes: “I consider the hen to be much nearer ideal shape than the male. Her main defect is too much cushion at base of tail, extending forward nearly to the middle of back. Breast is a little full, and she is very loosely feathered. With these exceptions she fits our ideal very well.” C. J. Andruss, Canandaigua, N. Y., breeder of White Wyandottes: “I should prefer the neck of the hen to be a trifle longer and the lacing to be a little more distinct about the head. If I were breeding Silvers and had a uniform flock of well-bred birds as good as these drawings represent. I should feel that 1 had stock of which I could well feel proud.” W. A. Irvin, Tecumseh, Neb., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “Head of female is too small for the size of bird. If it were fuller in breast it would be an-improvement. I consider it a fine drawing.” J. A. Ayers, La Plata, Mo., breeder of Silver Laced Wy- andottes: “The female Wyandotte so nearly meets my idea of standard requirements that I can not comment adversely on her except to say that the openings in lacing are too_ large, making the bird too light in color.” F. A. P. Coburn, Lowell, Mass., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “‘The Wyandotte female shape is not so near my ideal as the male’s. I would have the crown of the head lower, which would give the head that broad appearance which is desirable, then the comb would not be so perpen- dicular as it is now. The neck is good, but the back is too 32 THE WYANDOTTES: long and a little too much cushioned. The tail is a little too high and too long. I should have the breast a little fuller, but the fluff is the least bit too full. The . toes, especially the middle one, are perhaps a little bit too long, In other points the female is about my ideal and I would not object to any number of white ones as good as she.” E. G. Roberts, Fort Atkinson, Wis., breeder of Wyan- dottes: “I think the front half of the bird is too small in proportion to the rest of the bird. Posterior shape good, but the tail is unnatural. It should be shorter and have less spread. Lower part of breast and body should be feathered profusely enough to nearly hide the thighs.” S. T. Jones, Williamsville, Ill., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “This is a fine cut with the exception of back and saddle or cushion, which I think is a trifle long. Otherwise I have no suggestions to offer.” C. S. Mattison, South Shaftsbury, Vt., breeder of Buff Wyandottes: “The tail of the female is too long and nar- row. I notice the artist has followed the standard in draw- ing wide lacings. How much better it would have appeared had he made a narrow black edge such as we find in the best of our Sebright Bantams, such as the artist produced for one of our English journals. A narrow black edge around a white center is, in my humble opinion, what is wanted to perfect our females.” C. W. Nuss & Son, Coloma, Mo., breeders of White and Buff Wyandottes: “The hen is nearer perfection than the male, but I think if she were a little fuller where the hackle comes down on the back her appearance would be im- proved.” 6 John Torrey, Huntley, Ill., breeder of Golden, Silver and White Wyandottes: ‘“‘The female is my ideal of Wyan- dotte shape. I should prefer to have the breast a little fuller, otherwise it is the best drawing of Wyandotte shape I have ever seen.” O. E. Skinner, Columbus, Kan., breeder of Silver Wyan- dottes: “Cut of female is good, but it seems to me that the tail should approach a little nearer a square angle at the top.” C. A. Clark, Fairport, N. Y., breeder of White Wyan- dottes: “The shape of female is a beauty, far superior to the male. I have no comments to make. Allow me to con- gratulate the R. P. J. on the success it is meeting with this series of ideal shapes. The readers should heartily appre- ciate these efforts, as it certainly must bring us all nearer to one mind.” DD. F. Palmer, Yorkville, Ill., breeder of Silver Wyan- dottes: Except that I think the female a little long in back I should pronounce her very near perfection.” J. D. Hunt, Jackson, Tenn., breeder of Silver and Gol- den Wyandottes: “I have no criticisms to offer on the fe- male cut. It is grand.” Ca Fe = a POULTRY SG. xa JOURNAL: oS = COPYRIGHTED > - 1899 GOLDEN WYANDOTTES. By SEWELL. In characteristics, shape, standard requirements and plumage the Golden Wyandottes are similar to the Silver Wyandottes, (see page 34), except that where the ground color of the Silvers is white, in the Goldens it is golden bay. The improvement in the Golden Wyandottes during the past few years has been most pronounced, some breeders of the variety show- ing specimens so fine that they can almost be compared with the work of a first class artist with a brush. They are worthy of their name, “The Beauty Breed.” 45 “FUG 221g & PUL pag psepuryg ‘[asayD0D ayjopued~ uvapjon wos ssayyea.g poo8 vsyxa JO suoyjonpoiday sydess0j04q 3urmoys— T Id Tae GOLDEN WYANDOTTES. A Beautifully Marked Variety—Superior for Table Purposes—Good Layers—Their Origin—Standard Re- quirements — Feathers— Reproduction of Feathers from Live Specimens, with Comments Thereon—How to Mate to Produce Standard Colored Birds—Introducing New Blood. BY IRA C. KELLER, PROSPECT, OHIO. N WRITING of one of America’s most beautiful productions in poultry, it is not our intention to go into a lengthy account of its origin, for most of the breeders of to-day are familiar with the subject. There are a number of families of the Goldens. The most successful was the Winnebago strain, originated by the late Joseph McKeen, whose name will live in the history of this variety of fowls. In 1880 Mr. McKeen crossed the Winnebago fowl with the Silver Wyandotte to produce the Golden. He crossed and recrossed the offspring with the Silver until there was but one-fourth of the Winnebago blood remaining. So the Golden Wyandotte of to-day has but one-fourth to one- cighth of the Winnebago blood left. The Winnebago fowl was a large black-red bird, somewhat the shape of the Wy- andotte, with rose comb, red lobes and yellow legs. The plumage of the male was much the same as that of the Partridge Cochin, while the hen resembled the Malay Game hen. Other strains were made by using the larger Wyan- dotte as the foundation, crossing with Partridge Cochins, Golden Hamburgs or Brown Leghorns for the desired end. As soon as the McKeen Goldens were put upon the market the owners of the other crosses soon learned that their birds were inferior. They drew blood from the fountain head, so to speak, and continued to cross the large Winnebago strain, until now the different types do not vary to a great extent. Qur experience in breeding them dates back to 1882, and we have watched the different strains with much interest. The crossing with the Silver Wyandotte gave the Golden new blood and vigor. It is a hardy fowl, with flesh of the finest quality, probably not equaled by any other fowl except the Indian Game. Its skin is as yellow as gold. As an all- the-year-round layer, it has few equals and not many super- iors. As to the number of eggs laid during the year, we have personally known of egg contests where the Golden Wyandotte excelled the Plymouth Rock. Not only have we made this test, but we know of other breeders who have put flocks of the two breeds under the same treatment ond con- ditions and got the same results as we did. A breeder in the south recently wrote to us that his Golden Wyandottes had outlayed his Brown Leghorns under like conditions. Claims to Utility, as Well as Beauty. It has been claimed by their admirers that the Golden Wyandotte is one of America’s greatest general purpose fow!s. Add to their usefulness their beauty, and you have an ideal fowl. Where can be found a fowl that carries so beautiful a plumage upon so useful a form? The female has a deep, rich golden color with almost every feather richly laced with black; while in the male, the color runs from rich gold to a peacock green, nearly as brilliant as the latter. This combination of fancy plumage on a Wyandotte form produces an ideal fowl. The Wyandotte shape is strictly its Own, no other fowl having a shape like it. The broad, full, round breast, the broad back, the deep body, the short, wide-spread tail, and short legs with heavy thighs combine to make the Wyandotte a meaty fowl throughout. We know of but one breed that carries so much breast meat. We said fourteen years ago that in due time the Golden Wyandotte would become popular the world over. We had shipped them to ten different foreign countries. To-day they are popular in Europe as well as in this country—in fact, are bred nearly the world over, and there are more of them being sent abroad now than ever before. In England the Wyandotte is one of the most popular breeds. Different Varieties of Wyandottes. The Wyandotte breed is divided into a number of sub- varieties, the Silver and Golden Laced, Buff Laced, Violette Laced, White, Black, Buff, Golden and Silver Penciled and Columbian. So if one admires the Wyandotte form he can suit his taste as to color. How many of these different colors will stand and become popular we are not able to say. Some may go to the wall. We sometimes think the Wyandotte should have been bred as a laced fowl, and we think it would have been better for the breed, as the original was laced. However, thére is room for them all. The more va- rieties, the more breeders; the more breeders, the more and better poultry shows, more and better poultry journals and more trade in general. The Golden variety furnished the foundation for the Violette Laced, Buff Laced, Buff and Partridge or Golden Penciled, as it is called. The Wyandotte does well and yields good returns under good care, in close confinement or with free range. The Golden variety is well adapted to the city breeder, for it does not show the dirt or soot so much as its lighter cousins. Though it does well in confinement, it, however, likes free range, as does all poultry. I think I never saw a fowl that, if given his liberty, would range so far away as the Golden. It is not an uncommon thing for them to range nearly one- half mile away from their sleeping quarters in search of insects. We all know that the more a fowl ranges, the bet- ter it does. They mature and feather rapidly and are ready for the table at an early age. Pleasure in Breeding for Fancy Points. The Goldens are an interesting and fascinating variety to breed, as there are so many fancy points to breed for. Anyone who breeds laced fowls knows what he has to look after to make a success of it. The careful and watchful breeder never feeds his chicks that he does not notice their progress in growth and the new plumage appearing. He will note the laced wing coverts of the little cockerels; will watch the first lacing to see whether the gold color is good. Then the rich color and striping of the neck and back ap- pear. He keeps close watch on the breast to see the beauti- ful lacings coming. They appear at three weeks old to three months, and improve till the bird is eight to ten months old. When a breeder sees one of his cockerels developing a nice, clean striped neck and back, with correct wing and a well laced wing bar, with breast of large open center lacing to suit his eye, a good form and good head points, he will watch that youngster with intense interest. He will give him every care, and the following winter the bird will be heard of in the show room. He watches the development of the pullets same interest. First the lacing upon shoulders, then the lacing that forms the wing bars next appears, while he awaits with more interest the lacing of the back and cushion. If this comes clear laced, free from mossing, he knows that he has a promising bird. A clear laced back usually carries good lacing on the wings. Next with the appears the wing he notes the lacing of the breast, and keeps a close watch of the breast and cushion, for these two sections are apt to MARS) ee FIRST AT * w YORK. BRED, 0WNED BY IRACKELLER __ PROSPECT - OHIO Celia THE BEAUTY BREED—GOLDEN WYANDOTTE MALE. get poorer. The cushion is liable to become mossy, and the lacing of the breast is liable to grow weaker. If all sections hold good and improve until the chick is eight months old and the bird has the proper lacing of the right sized centers, with the correct, deep, rich, golden bay color, good form and head points, she will be a winner. There is more interest in producing the correct lacing upon the different varieties of the Laced Wyandotte than upon the Sebright or Polish, for the two latter varieties have been bred so many years that one rarely sees a specimen that is not well laced. Not so in the Wyandotte. It contin- ually throws a good per cent of pullets that are not prime in lacing. Some have mossing, while others show weak lacing of breast. The Golden has always been a profitable fowl] for the fancier. in fact, the demand at good prices has been in excess of the supply. It is no uncommon thing for a fancy Golden Wyan- Good specimens have been in heavy demand— THE WYANDOTTES. dotte to sell all the way from $5 to $100, and large numbers exchange hands at good prices each year. THE MALE. We next take up the male and shall endeavor to clearly indicate the faults and the good points as they now exist in this variety of beautiful and prolific standard-bred fowl. There is something very attractive about the Golden Wyan- dotte male. In him we have the beautiful, compact form and the strength and sprightliness of a medium-weight fowl. They are not as slow of motion nor as sluggish as the heavy Asiatic. A ten-pound Wyandotte male is active, steps lightly, is very proud of his bearing. His crow is not shrill like that of a Leghorn, nor dull and heavy like that of a Brahma or Cochin, but has a rich, full, mellow tone that is pleasing to the ear. It is a sound good for a man to hear When he awakes at early morn. It speaks to him of health, strength, vig- or, and seems to say, “It is time the work of to-day was under way.” Shape of Male. All breeders of standard poultry rightly consider shape to be one of the most important points, as serving the utility value of the breed or variety and adding much to the beauty of it. A Wyandotte male perfect in shape is not often seen, and the same is naturally true of all other varieties. Perfection is a very difficult thing to attain. The Golden Wyandotte is rapidly improv- ing in shape, and to-day a person may see a goodly number that approach perfection in shape. There is a diversity of opinion ====-~ among breeders as to the correct Wy- andotte shape. Notice the cut of “Major 8th,’ a Golden Wyandotte The shape of this male is good. He stands for a general type that pleases the writer, with some exceptions, The comb is a little low, is too flat upon the head and isa trifle wide, although, as the drawing shows, this comb is really a good one. The head is also good; it is short, with the required broad skull, not long, narrow and “snaky”’ in appearance. The eye is bright. The wattles are of medium length and well rounded. The neck is not long and scantily feathered, but is of medium length, is well arched, showing vigor, and is abundantly feathered. This male bird. as shown in the etching, is good in back shape, a section that is often faulty by being too narrow and too straight from center of back to tail. Notice partic- ularly in the drawing the broad, strong back and the full concave sweep to tail. The breast of this bird shows up full, broad, round and is carried well down—a valuable utility feature of the bird, for the meat is there. Avoid, in your breeding birds, flat- ness and narrowness in breast, both in males and females. The tail is one of the most beautiful sections of a Wyan- dotte. It should be only of medium length, V-shaped, with abundant coverts and lesser sickles. The Wyandotte tail should not be pinched and flat, as frequently seen, but well spread apart and reasonably fuil. This section has been hard to produce and control in the Golden Wyandottes, and too few of our breeders have given close enough attention to it. It does not matter how good a bird is in other re- spects, if it carries a poor tail. This detracts greatly from his beauty. The body of the Wyandotte male should be of medium length and abundantly feathered. The thighs should be strong and well meated; shanks straight, stout, of medium length and set well apart—the width of your hand. Plumage of Male. We present herewith two half-tone engravings, show- ing photographic reproductions of actual feathers plucked from two exhibition Golden Wyandotte males, prize winners THE WYANDOTTES. 49 Feather No. 1 on this plate, a hackle feather, shows what I call a laced feather, somewhat like that of the Polish. The inside center follows evenly on either side of the shaft and stops at the right place, that is, does not extend through the black lacing. This gives us a far more beautiful feather than the standard description (see Plate II) and every breeder of experience knows that he cannot produce the large, open centers on the females by using males of the style of neck hackle shown on Plate II. Laced Wyandottes, with Golden and Silver, have a tendency toward the laced neck, and to-day some strains produce a neck plumage nearer like Plate I than like Plate II. The Standard of Perfection should be changed in this section so as to allow Plate II—Showing Photographic Reproduction of Feathers Plucked from a 2-Year-Old Golden Wyandotte Cock. at the great New York show. The feathers demonstrate what has been produced in this variety on single specimens. They are not presented as perfect feathers, though some of them are practically so. They were reduced in size about two-fifths by the artist, and while the engravings of feath- ers are the best we have seen to date, they do not do the originals full justice. A lustrous, greenish black and a soft golden bay make a combination that is extremely diffi- eult to photograph, and still harder to represent in plain black and white. In these feather plates the gold centers and lacing do not show up as clear cut and even as in the originals, but they will do very well in illustrating our meaning and in showing the progress that has been made. Plate I shows eleven feathers from a Golden Wyandotte cockerel. These feathers are pretty near our ideal, though not quite standard. Note the perfect striping and perfect lacing of these feathers, also the bright clearness of the out- side lacing of the hackie, back and saddle feathers. Note also the perfect evenness of the under-color of all these feathers, for this center inside of the striping. A number of breeders have bred for this for several years. They know that they can not produce standard-laced females if they use the solid striping in neck and back of the male. Next let it be observed that the bird from which the feathers shown in Plate I were plucked was laced in all sec- tions. Feathers No. 2 were taken from the upper and lower breast. These are nearly perfect. The centers are not quite perfectly carried, with reference to the shape of the feath- ers, but such feathers the breeders call good. No. 3 is a wing covert that forms the wing bar. This feather is full laced. The Golden Wyandotte, ever since its origin, has had a tendency toward breeding these laced wing coverts, and rightly, for this is one of the main sections in controlling lacing. A spangled bar has the tendency to throw (that is, to breed) spangles, or spangling in the females. Note care- fully the laced bar of the male presented on page 52. The more even we can have the feathers that form this bar, the better. Feather No. 4 is from the shoulder, and is practically 50 THE WYANDOTTES. perfect. Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are back and saddle feathers. These may be pronounced perfect, according to our stand- ard. The camera has not brought out clearly the striping of these feathers. The stripes in Nos. 6, 7, and 8 end at the proper place, with the gold edging extending entirely around the stripe at the points of the feathers, and the inside center —what the standard calls a diamond—runs down in the striping to a needle point, so fine the naked eye can hardly see it, and the same with the black striping. The engrav- ings cannot be expected to bring these fine lines out in their natural distinctness. I ask breeders of this variety to note particularly feather No. 8. This is one of the last feathers of the side, what I call a lower side hanger. Look your cockerels over to see how many feathers you can find like this one, showing equal + FIRST PRILE 77 NEW YORK. AEDs OWNED IRA C- KELLEP - PROSPECT GOLDEN WYANDOTTE PULLET ‘FASHION, striping. You will find large numbers with striping on these lower feathers. searcely any Many breeders never I have called attention to it Even most of our judges overlook it. These feathers, when striped, add great beauty to the bird, and belong to the saddle, which the standard requires to be striped. think of this lower striping. many times. No. 9 shows a very pretty feather selected from the fluff. No. 10 is one of the bird’s tail coverts. These tail coverts are usually black, but the reader will observe that this one is laced. Such feathers add beauty to the bird, and a male that carries well-laced tail coverts will transmit, to a degree, this lacing to the coverts of the female, an impor- tant section, while if the male’s tail coverts are solid black you may expect very small centers, or none at all, on the female. aid before, Plate I represents ideal plum- age for a Golden Wyandotte male, both in lacing and as my A PRIZE WINNER AT NEW YORK, showing a breeding bird of the kind that will produce fe- males (either Golden or Silver) with open centers all over; also males with elegant striping and breasts well laced, hav- ing large centers. The standard of 1893 made a wonderful step forward when it called for a lighter colored Wyandotte, that is, a narrower laced one. The “black crows,” as we would now call them, were once considered to be good, but the tendency toward open centers and lighter colored birds has been present ever since I first knew anything about the Goldens, or their Silver cousins. When it is the natural tendency of a breed or variety to become more beautiful, certainly the standard should be changed to accord with it. Plate II shows six feathers selected from a cock bird two years old. Note the evenness of the under-color in all sec- tions. Feather No. 1 is from the neck. This feather is very evenly striped, but the striping is carried too far down through the golden edging, otherwise it is perfect. No. 2 is taken from the saddle or back and is a perfect feather, Observe the striping and the center of this feather. No. 3 is a shoulder covert, clear in color, not of a black or smoky color. No. 5 is taken from the center of the breast. This feather is not as good as it should be. The center is too straight and small, and is not true with respect to the shape of the feather. No. 6 is a wing covert, forming the bar. The lacing of the feather is not true enough and breaks over the shaft. No. 4 is selected from the fluff and is, in our estimation, a perfect feather. It adds much to the beauty of the fowl, and every breeder who knows his busi- ness wants the fluff and legs well laced. The laced Wyandottes still have some faults as to fancy points, but the last five years have witnessed a greater improvement in them than was expected. The best breed- ers of them have made great progress. The old-time smuttiness of neck, hackle and sad- dle feathers is not now seen so often; they are much cleaner, in fact, one may now see many specimens at our shows with almost perfect necks. Golden males are now often seen whose breasts are laced from the throat down past the thighs, in fact, such birds are now com- paratively easy to produce. Very few now come with spangling on the lower breast, unless mated too light. The comb is to-day probably the most faulty section on Wyandottes, although there has been a rapid and marked improvement here. In your matings avoid a too large and too broad comb, and have the combs of males and females as even and shapely as possible. However, the male Wyandotte has been wonderfully im- proved, especially in shape, in gold color and in lacings. We now see far fewer smutty necks, the right depth of gold color has been reached in both sexes, white in ear-lobes has almost entirely disappeared, and stubs on the shanks— which were very common in the variety’s early history— are seldom seen now. It is astonishing what careful, systematic and intelli- gent breeding will accomplish in the course of ten years. Let those who can recollect the crude specimens of only thirteen years ago, place them, in the mind’s eye, alongside of the best specimens of the breed as they exist to-day, and ponder on and take new courage from the wonderful con- trast. Jt is indeed a fascinating work. THE WYANDOTTES. 51 GOLDEN WYANDOTTE FEMALES. It is difficult for one to say which is the more beautiful, the male or female Golden Wyandotte, as both possess great beauty. Certainly one can find beauty enough in the female to satisfy the eye of the most ardent fancier. She has a shape differing from that of any other breed of fowl. Her head should be short, deep and medium broad, with bay eyes, red ear-lobes, wattles of medium length and a rose comb that is low, of medium width, curving with the shape of the head and terminating with a neat, small spike. The neck should be broad and full, of medium length and well arched. The back should be short with a gentle rise and cushion. We like to see the breast quite full, broad, deep, well-rounded, and the keel bone carried well down The lacing varies greatly, and a person often sees breeders who use birds with the small centers, the feathers on the back only shafted or striped with bay, showing no lacing at all. The breeder who has persevered in breeding for open centers has been well paid. It is nature, for ever since I have known the laced Wyandotte I have found that its tendency is to breed to larger centers. There was a “dark-bird” fad some years ago, and most people wanted a dark Wyandotte. As a result a great injury was done to the breed. This affected the Silvers more than it did the Goldens. Some people still want them dark. One of our old judges claims that the dark birds are the best. The trouble lies here: Some six years ago the standard bay centers, laced with a rich greenish-black. Plate I1I—Showing Seven Excellent Feathers Plucked from a Grand Golden Wyandotte Hen. between the legs. Thighs should be short, stout and well meated. Body and fluff well developed. Tail, short, well spread like the letter V and carried a little upward. Here we have an almost ideal fowl in shape, for utility as well as for beauty. The Golden Wyandotte has been known to lay as many as 200 eggs in a year, and this from a breed that carries a weight of from six to eight pounds for the female, and eight to ten pounds for the male, with a quantity of flesh that but few breeds equal, fairly enti- tles them to rank high as a general purpose fowl. The pul- lets develop quickly and begin to lay at an early age. Plumage of Female. She has a style of plumage that is hard to produce in correct color and markings, like that of several other parti- colored fowls. The standard Golden hen or pullet of to-day is very attractive to the eye, with her large, open, golden first called for a lighter Wyandotte and it has now become a general demand. Some of the breeders were slow to “catch on” and got left. To change a breed or variety, from dark to light in lacing, can not be done in a year or two. The breeders who have always been breeding for medium cen- ters, and have, of late years, increased or enlarged them, have reaped a rich harvest. Every loving fancier of the Wyandotte prefers the open lacing, as shown on the hen Fashion, presented on page 50 (See also her feathers in Plate III.) This hen had no moss- ing and was full laced all over. Mr. Sewell’s sketch of her is quite good. Her shape was not the best. Her tail should be carried a little higher, her cushion should be more abun- dant, and the breast should be more full. Her comb is straight, where it should curve with shape of head. Other- wise I like her. The plumage of this grand hen is shown in Plate III. ‘J2][9gq Wopurd AA Uapjoy pasojon susIg v JO SUO}Iag jUAIAI TIC wWoIy paexn[g ssayyeay uray Burmoyg—*A] 23%Iq THE WYANDOTTES. 53 These feathers were plucked when she was two years old. The engraver has reduced the size of the feathers about one- third. 5 Feather No. 1 is a hackle, nearly perfect. No. 2 is taken from the breast and is good enough. Nos. 3 and 4 are from the wing. These are excellent, though at the end of feather No. 4 you will note it does not carry the shape of the center as well as does No. 3, it is a little too pointed. No. 5 is a back feather taken from between the shoulders. This is good. No. 6 is a cushion feather. In lacing, shape of feather and center I call No. 6 perfect. No. 7 is a cushion or lesser tail covert. Note how perfect this center is. It may be seen that this center is perfectly clear. Also note the deep, uniform under-color shown in all these sections. _ The lacing of this hen is carried well back in the fluff and the greater part of the fluff is laced, a valuable point in a breeder. A hen with so uniformly good plumage is not often seen. Pullets are now often produced with this uni- form and open lacing, but comparatively few of them molt in as clear laced hens. They usually come out of the molt with clear breasts and wings, but seldom with a clear back and cushion. If clear in cushion the breast lacing has prob- ably run out. We next take up Plate IV. Here we have ten feathers selected from a pullet with a very narrow lacing. All these feathers are from the one bird. Of course they are not all perfect. The size of these has also been reduced about one- third or a little more. The reader will notice that the width of these lacings is quite uniform in all sections, and I know you will agree with me that this looks much better than would be the case were the centers only one-half as large. Feather No. 1 is a hackle feather. It is very good, but has the inside center, like that described in the male, page 49. Here is what I like, and I know from experience that this kind of lower hackle feathers are extremely necessary to produce pullets with plumage like that shown in Plate IV. I should like the standard to allow these inside centers. They may be either large or small, just so the outside black stripe is sharp, clean cut and black, and the golden edging is clear as in the plate, where you will note the stripe ends at the proper place. There is no outside gold edging on this pullet. Feather No. 2 is a lower breast feather, and No. 3 an upper breast feather, near the throat. No. 3 is perfect, while in No. 2 the center is a little more on the side of shaft than on the other. Nos. 5, 6 and 7 are from the wings. These are perfect, or what we would call such. The color of the lacing is an intense greenish-black, with no edging, no mossing. No. 7 is from the fore part of the wing, No. 5 is from the center, and No. 6 is from the second row that forms the two bars. With centers of this size or larger, one will find that each center on the bird shows to splendid advantage, and the two rows of bars will be distinctly seen. With this size centers one sees about three-fifths of gold or white, and two- fifths of black. No. 8 is taken -rom the back, between the shoulders, and is a good one, still it is not quite perfect. No. 9 is a real gem. How could it be better? Here is a good feather to earry in one’s eye. It is really a “gold standard.” No. 10 is a tail covert, and very good, still the center at the end should be carried farther down and conform with the shape of the end of the feather. In this female we have the happy medium, each section the same in depth of lacing, which makes the bird look uni- form in all sections. Here we have a Wyandotte of surpass- ing beauty. Put this plumage on a fairly perfect form and you have a bird that will win in very fast company, one that is worthy of the name, the Beauty Breed. I wish to speak here of lacing more particularly than of the shape. I hope some day to be able to produce these cen- ters with the ends broader, more like our best Sebrights. The centers are now too sharp in both the Golden and Silver Wyandottes. We have these broad centers in the Butt Laced Wyandottes. Note again Feather No. 2 in Plate IV. If the sharp point to this feather were not there and the outside lacing were not so heavy at the end, but were as narrow as the side lacing, would it net be pretty? These large, round-end centers can be produced. We know one Silver Wyandotte breeder who has accomplished it, and the lacings on the wings does not overlap so much, but looks more like rings. While our best show pullets look like perfect birds, indeed they are not yet near perfect. There is still a vast amount of room for improvement. How I wish they bred as true as the Sebrights! Think of the Wyandotte being scored at present as high as the best Sebrights! They are all scored too high. I do not believe there is a Sebright in America that will honestly score over 95 points. The greatest fault of the laced Wyandotte is the mossing of the centers. This is very hard to work out. A pullet may be free from mossing her first year, but when she is two years old she may not have a clear center on her. But not many do as poorly as this. They usually molt in with at least a clear breast and clear wings. It is slow work breed- ing this defect out, but time will work wonders. The hens that show the clearest centers should always be kept as breeders. Spangling has disappeared fast, combs have been greatly improved, and so has the shape of the female. The type does not now vary so much. Especially in the Golden this short, blocky shape was seldom seen a few years ago. The Golden formerly was longer in body, had more length of leg, and was a larger and coarser fowl than the Silver, but to-day one sees Goldens with the true Wyandotte shape, and we see a great many more of them each year. MATING GOLDEN WYANDOTTES. The art of breeding is a great study and an intensely interesting one. While one gains much from experience— which is really the best teacher—still the amateur gets many points from reading that it would take him years to learn from experience, though perhaps the teachings of the latter are less easily forgotten. I may say that what I know about Golden Wyandottes I have learned chiefly from expe- rience; but I realize that could some one have told me twelve years ago exactly how to mate, I should have made a great deal more money. I am in the poultry business, like most others, for what I get out of it, and I find it as profita- ble as many other lines of business. Fancy poultry can be made to pay, and pay well, and I know of no better paying varieties than the Wyandottes. Like other breeds, they must be well mated to produce best results, and no good birds need be expected from poor matings. Stock that has been well mated and bred in line for a number of years, though not of the highest grade, will, if properly mated, pro- duce a good per cent of very fancy birds. Blood will tell, and will show its good qualities as well as bad. On the other hand, an excellent mating of carelessly bred stock can not be depended on to reproduce itself. Too many per- sons in the poultry business think they must introduce new blood from a different strain each year, and so go backward instead of forward, because nearly every breeder’s birds dif- fer some in type and plumage. When these different types are crossed some of the offspring resemble the male, some the female, and some resemble neither. Then such breeders generally get a male from another type to mate with the 54 THE WYANDOTTES. pullets of the several types, and the next season they have nothing good, scarcely any two chicks resembling each other. This is my advice: If you get what you want from a reliable breeder who has a well established strain, and who breeds large numbers, buy your new blood gf him. He probably understands breeding much better than you and he does not inbreed enough to injure his stock. If he is hon- est he will not furnish you stock that is too closely related. TI would not give a cent for a specimen for breeding pur- poses, no matter how fine it is, if it had not been inbred, Color. There are many points in breeding Golden Wyandottes to be considered. First, I will speak of color. I find that most of the Golden Wyandotte breeders do not understand what golden bay means. Some think it is a light shade of gold, others think it a chestnut or red. It is a color hard to describe. If you should take an eighteen karat gold and mix red with it, you would get the color, though of course it would all depend on how much red you added. Golden bay, as I understand it, is a dark rich gold, but not bay. We see OMI0 BOY 15" AMERICA FIRST PRIZES AT CHICAGS 1839 » FIRST PRIZES AT NEW YORK E99» sD BRED AND OWNED By FASS IRA GC KELLER» z PROSPECT/OHIO- —, == PRIZE-WINNING GOLDEN WYANDOTTES. First Cock at Chicago and New York, 1899. for it will seldom reproduce itself. Inbreeding is a great fac- tor in the success of the fancier of poultry, horses, cattle, hogs or sheep. The height of perfection can not be reached without inbreeding. seen in its get. The type of inbred stock will be easily If you see a nice flock of birds that closely resemble each other, ask the breeder if he inbreeds, and he will tell you that he Golden Wyandottes does. I do not advocate inbreeding than, say, first Some breeds will stand more and closer inbreeding than others, closer cousins, but never, if possible to avoid it, breed a male and female that have the same faults. First Pullet at New York, 1898 and First Hen at Chicago, 1899. bay in its perfection in the horse family. Most of the Golden Wyandottes that judges usually call prime in color are too dark a gold or bay, or too red. And here I might say that if judges paid enough attention to color in this breed they I have often noticed them scoring. a row of ten cockerels and well striped, but would not score so high. There for instance, the saddles of which are clear each of a different shade of gold. Seldom willone be cut for while usually there is but one in the class that should be pronounced perfect in the color of that section. will be, color, THE WYANDOTTES. 55 To Produce Proper Color and Markings. If your females are too red or bay, you should use a male that has a light, even, rich gold color. This will lighten the color in the offspring. But never try to produce the desired change of color in one season, for you can not establish a medium color from two extremes in one cross. The deep red or chestnut color of the breed is more deeply seated in the male than in the female. And these deep col- ors are necessary to keep up a good golden bay. If the inales are too red, select those females that have the light, mellow gold color and a golden bay male, or if you have not such use a male of the red color. This will produce pullets approaching near the golden bay. Mate these pul- lets to a deep, rich, golden bay male and you should get the proper shade of color in a few specimens at least. In breeding for open centers of cushion you will lose the depth of breast lacing of the female. To produce these large centers select your females that have them and select a male that has a strong, well-laced breast with not too large centers, with the plumage in neck, back, wing and saddle like that shown in cockerel plumage in Plate No. I. Such a mating should produce a fair per cent of pullets with good sized centers all over, and nice, very open-laced cock- erels. Im producing a good, strongly laced male use cock- erels from above mating on fairly heavily laced females. If the females are too open, so as to grow quite weak in breast, use a male that is quite as strongly marked as plum- age of cock in Plate No. II. Some of the pullets will be quite well laced all over of a rather heavy nature. These, if mated to a male with plumage like that of cockerel in Plate No. I, will produce some pullets up to the standard re- quirements in lacing, and from this mating you-will get a good per cent of standard marked cockerels. To produce puliets with clear, open centers all over, a fair per cent of which will not molt into clear-centered hens, use a male with plumage in each section like cockerel plum- age in Plate No. I, and keep it up year after year and you will accomplish it. Remember by breeding Wyandottes heavily laced you do not get clear-centered hens. You must breed open-centered pullets to molt into clear-laced hens. You have many sections to look after ard improve in both male and female. If you have a bird that has one or two sections quite perfect and is fairly good in other sections, use it, and you will stamp your stock. It is best to always select the maies for breeding that have the best average plumage, color, shape and comb. Then mate to females of the proper width of lacing. One, to be suecessful with the breed, should be prepared to make many matings, for if you have ten females you wish to mate with a male, it is not likely that over two to four will mate with him well. You would better only mate one or two properly than the whole ten improperly. You will have much better birds at the end of the season. If they are not well mated you can not get very many good chicks. It is hard to get of any fancy breed a dozen females to match a male exactly. Some think small matings are very expensive, but I assure you, if mated right they pay. I should advise breeders to pay more attention to thigh and leg lacing. Have them well laced, as they are one of the most beautiful sections. Breed from them. I like to see the lacing commence at the throat and run past the thighs without a break. We have produced lacing on a male’s legs every center of which was nearly a quarter of an inch wide, and fluff or thigh lacing seven-eighths of an inch wide. On females we have had it half an inch wide. Bear in mind that the richer the gold of the shafts of both male and female, the better and prettier will be the dark slate under-color, which may be mixed with gold or buff. This is another very important point in breeding. Look after the wing bar of the male to see whether it is well laced. It should be, for it plays a very important part in the lacing of the female. If the secondaries of both male and female are well laced, so much the better. Produce all the fluff lacing you can en both sexes, just so the lacing is black. A laced fluff is much prettier than one powdered with gold and biack. We produce many specimens in which nearly every feather of the thighs is laced clear down to the shanks. Look at the tail filling, I call it, the feathers that fill in between the tail behind. If these be laced, so much the better. The more the short tail coverts of the male are laced the better, especially the lower ones, for these play an important part in producing the large open tail coverts of the pullets. Try to preduce all the plumage of the breed laced, except the male tail feathers, the sickles, hangers,ard the fluffy pertion of the rear part of the fowl. This lacing can be produced as I have said and shown. It is not theory, as we have accomplished it. We have produced lacing of the fluff of both sexes in goodly numbers to almost the size of the breast lacing. I may say here that I have devoted almost my entire time for over thirteen years to this fowl and I have accomplished a great deal in the way of improvements in all sections. Breeding will accomvlish wonders. It is my aim to help others to produce better Wyandottes and more of them, to create more breeders and to bring the different types closer together. I wish to say here again that by pro- ducing a bird with lacing in all sections we will have a fowl approached by none in beauty. IRA C. KELLER. THE BEAUTY BREED The Qualities that Should be Found in Line-bred Stock to Produce Exhibition Specimens, BY FRED G. MASON, SUCCESSOR TO H. D. MASON & SONS. ORTUNATELY, while the breeding of high- class exhibition Golden Wyandottes is a sci- ence that requires thought and study, at the same time it is both pleasant and profitable. As a variety they have been before the public for about twelve years and are fast gaining in popular- ity. The American fancy has had the extreme dark and also has been threatened with the extreme light or Sebright Golden Wyandottes, but has settled down to a medium col- ored Golden Wyandotte, as now described in the American Standard of Perfection. We have bred the Golden Wyan- dottes as a specialty since their first introduction, and have found them to be great layers and grand for table use, be- sides being the most handsome fowl in existence. We are strong advocates of line breeding and have prac- ticed the same for many years. We produce both males and females from the same mating and believe it to be the only correct way to establish a reliable strain. In selecting your breeding stock, first consider the qualities that should be found in all Wyandottes, namely, good Wyandotte shape, yellow legs, good size, bay eyes, and a good comb. Form an opinion as to the relative values of the qualities found in your Golden Wyandottes and seek each year to breed out the most serious defect, with as many of the remaining defects as possibie You may think it advisable to sacrifice a little in comb, or size, or perhaps a little in shape in a few specimens, in order to stamp in your stock something fine in feather markings, which the others do not possess. If your stock reaches standard weight at maturity without the aid of surplus fat, be content and do not seek to add to their size, as it will rob them to a great extent of two of the most important qualities that should characterize the Wyandotte, namely, egg production and early maturity. If your stock is undersized and you wish to retain them on account of fine feather markings, do not try to remedy the defect in size in one season by procuring an extra large male, but try to accomplish the desired end in two or three matings. In females choose those that are as near to standard requirements as possible. Aim to have the golden center in each feather from one-half to two-thirds of the width of each feather, and also to conform to the shape of the web of the feather. The widest centered feathers should be found on the breast, and gradually decrease in width as they approach the tail. Strive to have the lacing on the end of each feather no wider than on the side. In selecting your male see that he is not defective in body under-color. Remember the wing bar and have it well laced, as it plays an important part in the production of fine pullets. Have the centers of the feathers that form the wing bar or wing coverts of a deep bay color with a lacing of glossy black. In the saddle feathers have the inside center of each feather of a deep golden bay, laced with black, the whole to be fringed with golden bay. In the hackle we prefer a golden shaft dividing the black center in equal parts, the same to be fringed with golden bay. The center of each feather in a 56 . male’s breast should not be over two-thirds of its width, and even a little less than one-half of the width of the feather if vou are troubled to confine the golden centers in the female's breast. Strive to have each feather from throat to thighs with a golden bay center, the same to be laced with lustrous black and sharply defined. We prefer tail-coverts with rich golden bay centers of about one-half their width, also gol- den shafts to the sickle feathers and a golden bay center in thigh feathers of not more than one-half their width. If you wish to deepen the color of the centers in the females, use a male that has deeper color, as he has greater power to transmit color than the female. It has been our experience that the deeper the color of the centers the easier it is to hold the lacing. Do not use a bird with white in the tail, as that is a defect that should have long ago disap- peared. And if a bird shows white in wings, do not use him unless he be excellent in most sections, and poor in none. Learn to discriminate between natural white and white caused by accident or injury. A large percentage of the white found in wings is caused by an injury to the feathers in their early growth, and especially is this so of the white occasionally found on the wing tips. He who thinks of breeding fancy fowls, either for pleas- ure or profit, or both, will make no mistake in selecting the Golden Wyandottes. Try to obtain stock from a breeder who has a good reputation, one whose birds have many gen- erations of ancestors of the same blood line to hold and transmit the qualities that they possess. Remember that the degree of excellence that the line bred Golden Wyandotte may attain is largely due to feed and care. If you do not feel able to start with fowls, you can buy eggs and soon have a flock of fowls that will be greatly admired by your friends and neighbors, and cause you to be a life-long friend and champion of the “Beauty Breed.” [Note—Mr. Mason is a strong believer in medium cen- ters on both males and females, and his stock shows that he preduces this type of bird in both sexes to a marked degree. He has had the best training along these lines from _ his father, the late Mr. H. D. Mason, who, during his life, was one of the best posted Golden Wyandotte breeders in Amer- ica. Mr. Mason advocates safe ground for an amateur to follow, and even the old heads, who speculate too far on extremes in color, are only too glad to get this conservative blood to put them back in line. Golden Wyandotte breeders have some advantages over breeders of the Silver variety, as the golden color is not so much affected by the sun. The Golden Wyandotte breeder has advantage also in that he can produce good males and females from the same yard. Mr. H. D. Mason showed the writer cockerels and pullets that were full brothers and sisters and they all possessed the cor- rect shape and color markings to qualify them for show birds. The strong points of the parents were equally repre- sented in both males and females. The same mingling of color in the Silver variety would show cockerels not so well marked as the Goldens, while the pullets would be stronger. We call the reader’s attention to this, as each breed or va- riety has its own peculiarities in mating and there is much to be learned.—Editor.] ve Powe ole 2 RELIABLE POULTRY-JOURNAL COPYRIGHT WHITE WYANDOTTES—By SEWELL. Characteristics, shape and standard requirements are substantially the same as those given for the Silvers except that the color of this variety is pure white, O BREED of fowls of recent origin stands higher in the commercial world than does the White Wyandotte. Its reputation is not re- stricted to America, but wherever this fowl has been bred to any extent, it is recognized as the middle weight fowl par excellence for table use. To this quality is added their remarkable egg- producing ability. Under special circumstances a pen of this breed has yielded 210 eggs per bird in one year. Aside from their commercial value they are the fancy fowl which has a greater number of admirers than any other solid color variety in the American standard. Their handsome white plumage, fine symmetrical outlines well- developed breasts and thighs, low rose combs and blocky build develop the amateur who breeds them into a fancier. hey attract a great many from the outside world to our ever-growing army of poultry enthusiasts. This breed of fowls will in time be recognized as the Plymouth Rock’s greatest rival in every section of the country. The Ameri- can fancier may well feel proud that its origin is strictly American. White Wyandotte Shape. The shape of this variety is the same as that outlined in See color-plate frontispiece. charts 1 and 2. As you will remember, the female used as a model for chart No. 2 was in reality a White Wyandotte, a winner in the Boston show of 1898. By referring to the chart and the deseription of the same in the discussion of the silver variety, you will get all the information that is necessary along this line, and I am sure any one who reads understandingly will be able to make a better selection of his breeding stock. In many parts of the country there will be found birds of this variety that look shorter on their legs than the standard requires and they are often cut by the judges for this apparent defect. If you have a specimen of this kind in your yard, make a careful measurement of this section. You will find, as a rule, that your eye has misled you. I have found that White Wyandottes, especially the females, have longer plumage around the thighs and fluff than the other varieties of Wyandottes have and for this reason the birds look a trifle squatty or short on their legs. These ap- parently short-legged birds have, as a rule, short backs and deep breasts, and are, in fact, the very birds you want to breed. Do not understand me as favoring a duck leg ona Wyandotte. I want the shank long enough to meet the requirements of the standard as illustrated ir the chart, but 57 58 THE WYANDOTTES. I caution you to look carefully for the long plumage and sec if the bird is in reality as short-legged as it appears. In this variety as well as the other varieties of the Wy- andotte, look well to the shape of the back, for without a good back you can absolutely make no progress toward per- fecting a strain. If the back is good you invariably get other good points which go a long way toward making an ideal fowl. Color of White Wyandottes. The new standard is very severe on the color question and breeders of this variety will have to be very careful in the selection of breeding stock if they expect to pass muster in the show room. Any flecking on a feather will be con- sidered a serious defect, and if shown on more than one feather it disqualifies the specimen. Breeders are spending lots of thought trying to discover how to breed ‘‘stay white” birds. Some are trying different kinds of food, others keep the birds in the shade and still others advocate sunshine. The fact of the matter is, if you have the color in the blood it is going to crop out some time, and the only way I know to get rid of it is to breed it out. A breeder with a lot of work and patience can get any bird in show color—so can any woman change the color of her hair, but it is only an artificial color and it will fade. What we want in a white fowl is absolutely white plumage, not yellow or cream, but pure white. It is true that we have only started on color breeding and the faker who has learned the art of changing colors has a big advantage over the honest man who has only nature to help him, but the latter will win in the long run and he will be honored as the trickster can never hope to be. To successfully breed any of the white varieties and place them on exhibition free from sunburn or yellowish east, is a big undertaking. We find just such specimens every winter at our western shows and they are bred that Way and have not been artificially bleached into show con- dition. The per cent of these pure white birds is small, we admit; but there are enough of them to show what can be done and to furnish material with which to work. Breeders should feel encouraged and should strive still harder. In the west we do not know when to get a bird’s record or when to keep it out of the show room. There is more or less yellow in the new feathers of our very whitest birds. This yellow will show for a time, or in fact, as long as the quill is used to furnish the matter to make the feather. This is what we term the immature life of the feather and the specimen is not in shape to show when its plumage is in this condition. If a specimen is white before molting, it will be white after the molt. All you have to do is to give them time to “color down,” as we put it. Sunburn or copper color is a serious defect in a White Wyandotte and in my judg- ment should be discounted as severely as the black flecking. To have a few feathers come with a Slight tracing of black or dead color in the back, neck and wings, is a great disappointment. Still if we will stop to think a minute, we could not expect anything else. The White Wyandotte came from the Silver cross and they certainly have a certain amount of black blood in them which must come to the sur- face once in a while, but the yellow cast is not inherited from their ancestors and we can surely get rid of it by judi- cious mating. This sunburn appears more prominently in the male and is found on the neck, back and shoulders prin- cipally. It is easy to understand why it should appear on the neck and back, but why it should crop out on the wings is Something of a puzzle. The hackle and saddle being com- posed of long feathers, it is hard for nature to supply oil enough to protect the outside from the severe heat of the sun, but the shoulders are composed of short feathers and nature should be able to keep them white. In scoring for this defect, the cuts run from one-half to one and one-half in all sections. Should there be a trace of flecking, the cut will be from one half to one point more in each section. Should the neck be good on the surface but show a yellow tint underneath, the cut would be one-half point. If the wings are good on the surface, but show yellow quills in the secondaries and flight feathers, the cut is one-half to one according to the degree. If a bird shows off-color in any section, such as grease or paint or any foreign substance, the cut is one point, and the cut should be made in the con- dition column and the sections affected should be designated with a check mark on the card. Feeding for Color. Feeding to produce a pure white color has been a serious study with some fanciers, and some have proved that it has an effect in particular cases. Considering my Own exper- ience, I say look to nature for your remedy and study nature for the cause and effect. It is reasonable to suppose that a part of the diet of a fowl goes to form the coloring matter of its plumage and we have learned that it is a fact that some foods contain much more of this coloring matter than others. After a feather is grown you can do nothing to change it, that is, it is a finished production and feeding any particular diet cannot change it. But there was a time in the history of the feather when you could have helped na- ture to add a different shade to it. That was the time when the feather was growing and its quill was full of sap. If at that time we had fed for color, being careful not to allow our fowls anything but the whitest kinds of food, we could undoubtedly have helped to make the plumage white, but after the feathers are matured it is too late to remedy the favlt, unless we want to pluck the fowl and try it over. If you wish to help the color of your fowls it must be in the molting season, as that is the time and the only time when food can affect the plumage. White Wyandotte Females. What has already been said in regard to the defects in the shape of the Silver and Golden Wyandotte females may preperly be applied to the White, Buff and Black varieties. This is also true of the color of the eyes and ear-lobes, so I will not tire you by repeating it. In discussing the white variety, I shall mention a few of the defects found in the plumage, and shall warn the amateur not to believe his best specimen is pure whiie until he has carefully examined every section on her for off-colored feathers. I was ina yard of White Wyandotees a few months ago and was told by the owner that he had a flock that he could guarantee were pure white in every section. I asked him if he meant that they were absolutely white without any coloring of any kind. He said they were and that he would give me every bird that I could find with any sign of black or brown in it. “My friend,” I said, ‘‘you may just as well ship all of them to me, for you have not a bird on your place that is abso- lutely free from ticking in all sections.” He became indig- nant and asked me if I thought he was a fraud. ‘‘No,” I said, “you are not a fraud, but you do not know as much about White Wyandottes as you think you do.” He began to catch the birds and run them over carelessly, claiming that they were pure white, but when I began to show him where to look for the off-feathers, he soon learned that he did not have a single bird that was absolutely white. The White Wyandottes came from sports of the Silver and there is black blood in them, so that it is just as natural for them to throw a few feathers ticked with black as it is for them to grow. It is not an impurity, it is the natural outcrop- ping of that black blood and it will be years before it en- tirely disappears. I think the present standard is entirely too severe on this variety, and a close application of it will lead to faking and feather pulling on the part of exhibitors. I am sure the judges do the breed an injustice by disqualifying for the trace of flecking so often found in their plumage. If the specimen shows unmistakable signs of foreign color, then debar the bird, but where faint traces of flecking appear, discount them from one-half to one and one-half, according to the degree. The plumage throughout, including the quills, should be pure white and when yellow or straw color appears, the cut is from one-half to one and one-half. This cut refers to every section of the bird, but the discoloration most often appears in the neck, back, wings and tail. The legs and toes are the same as the Silvers and the discount is the same, but there is a defect in the color of legs not so often met in the Silvers. I refer to the pale or white shanks. The shanks should be yellow and when they are pale or light colored the cut is from one-half to two, accord- ing to the degree, THEO, HEWES. STAN DARD-BRED WHITE WYANDOTTES. The ‘‘Best Breed for Broilers,’”” and a Keen Rival for Highest Honors as the Best General Purpose Fow/l—Points on Breeding this Beautiful and Useful Variety to Standard Requirements. BY ARTHUR G. DUSTON. ERMIT me to set forth in a plain way some thoughts in regard to the mating and breeding of the noble White Wyandotte that may be of value to the readers of this book. The White Wyandottes are true sports or albinos of the Silvers, and were brought out by a number of breeders at about the same time. They were admitted to the standard in 1888 and for some years enjoyed considerable popularity, but later they hardly held their own. I know when I first began to breed them they were a yery small class in our shows. Often the entry of one breeder formed the whole exhibit. It must have been much easier to win then! In 1894, after trying several of the more popular breeds, I at length decided to handle but one variety of one breed, and do my best with that one. Finding that the White Wyandotte made the best broiler and roaster; that it is of quick growth, standing heavy feed and forcing; that it is an early and prolific layer, docile and exceedingly beautiful withal; in fact, that in my hands it proved to be the best all-round bird of the five kinds I tried, I discard- ed the others and became a specialist. I have faith- fully advertised them and when oceasion offered have written about them (as haveothers) until to-day the White Wyandotte is one one of the most popular varieties of standard-bred fowls. Now it is often the largest instead of the smallest_class in our shows. They have only to be tried to make frineds. In writing of mating it will not be out of place to give a short description of the two birds shown in the frontispiece as being somewhat ideal. The cock is a “stay white” bird and so is the hen. Both have fine heads, rather stout, with a low comb of nice shape which, when chicks, were well- pebbled. Their backs are short, rising to the tail, which should always be short and fairly well spread. The body is deep with 2 full breast and considerable fluff, and it is set on a pair of stout, yellow legs. Such birds are active and will reproduce themselves in a good percentage of the chicks. Now a few words in regard to the breeding pen. If we could start with a pen of ideal birds it would be quite a sim- ple matter to breed winners, provided, of course, that their parentage was up to standard and the blood of the males and of the females was not antagonistic, but “nicked,” as we say. But we have two, three or ten females with Wyandotte shape and only a difference in the carrying of the tail or head, or one’s comb is a trifle hollow, or some one of a hun- dred minor differences is apparent in each bird. Hence we must watch carefully what males we put with these females. It would be difficult for anyone to tell exactly how he puts up two birds, and he cannot always tell why. I think one of the first considerations in the breast. Try to get a male standing “wide apart” with a generous fullness in breast. Never put a hollow-chested male (which is a bad fault) with females having the same defect. We want the best combs we can get, but never discard a choice breeder on account of the comb unless the defect amounts to a disquali- fication. The eye should be bay and the plumage white. While we are commenting on the plumage, it might be well to state that as the white variety is yet so near to the Silver Wyandotte, it is no wonder that we get scme gray in the plumage. I have seen breeders who claim that their stock never has any. If that be so, their birds must get it by in- The kind of White Wyandottes Bred by Mr. A, G. Duston. fection very soon after leaving their owners’ yards. We all get it and there is no use in saying we do not. We are all trying to get away from it. So if you geta bird with some gray in him, do not call the breeder a fraud. If the female is inclined to carry her tail too high, try to overcome it in the progeny by using a male carrying a low tail, which has as much width or fullness as possible. Never use a male with greenish legs or with green flecks under the scales, because from such a breeder come the green-legged birds. I always soup them. We are all trying for greater weight and I fear we shall overreach ourselves. Calls come for nine-pound cockerels. Don’t do it! Try to add a little to your weights each year. If you put such large males with undersized females you will lose the shape and compactness so essentially Wyandotte. The best birds I ever raised or saw as regards shape, were those that were nearest standard weight. They are the neat, catchy fellows and they will cover all the claims we make for the Wyandottes. If we keep trying as the demand seems to be to add a pound or two over standard weight, will we not lose the early maturing qualities in a great measure ? We want a rich yellow leg, and it is almost entirely due to the run the birds have. If free range on a green grass is 59 60 THE WYANDOTTES. given them, not one per cent will fail to have as richly col- ored legs as you want. I have tried to mention a few of the first principles of mating, telling something about what we want. Bear in mind to seek to weaken any defect in the female breeders as far as possible by having the same section especially strong in the male, and vice versa. This rule and a close study of my birds have given me what success I have attained in breeding White Wyandottes. After you have your pen carefully selected and put to- gether, you will be filled with manifold doubts and misgiv- ings, but if you have given to the work the thought and time necessary, you should have faith enough to wait and see the chicks matured before you are discouraged. It is seldom I would advise making any change in a pen during the breed- ing season, especially on the recommendation of an outsider against what has been your best judgment. If the birds “nick” you win; if they do not, you lose. We have staked a season’s get that we shall win choice specimens from our mating. But it is true that two of a family of children hardly ever look alike. Why, then should we expect all the get of a pen of beautiful birds to be as good as the parent stock? I firmly believe that it is possible for ninety per cent to come so if we are only judicious in our breeding and make careful records of all matings. I am a convert to this plan, and [ propose to test it thoroughly. Your chicks should be culled as closely as possible by the time they are eight weeks old, so as to give the others all the room you have, even if you have a hundred acres. Your coop room is growing rapidly less as they mature. You must expect to get culls. Some hatches will be bet- ter than others from the same pen. Is this to be wondered at when one considers the indifference with which this vari- ety has been bred for some years past? A prominent breeder told me that he got a much greater per cent of culls from his White Wyandottes than from his Barred Plymouth Rocks. We are going to overcome this in a few years by selection and methodical breeding. Regarding the importance of keeping a record of mat- ings, I will give an illustration. You may believe that I wish I had kept mine a little closer. I know from what pens the birds reproduced by Mr. Sewell in the colored plate came, that is, I know the father. But in breaking up the pens in the summer I lost track of most of the females that were in that pen. If they were mated to that male again the eggs from those hens would be of almost untold value to me. Fellow-breeders of White Wyandottes, let us take up this matter of keeping accurate records of matings with the determination to carry it through, and then the splendid teaching of Mr. McGrew in the Reliable Poultry Journal wiil not be in vain and we shall have lifted our prized White Wyandottes to such a stage of perfection that breeders of other varieties will think we have discovered a lost art. As we can truthfully do sc, we should always write and speak, as occasions offer themselves, in favor of the White Wyan- dottes. Anyone who takes to breeding this variety of Wyan- dottes wil! find we are justified in what we say, for our favorites stand ready to verify any statement we may make regarding them. BREED TOAWN IDEAL The Selection ot a Breed and Then of a Variety—For the Beginner—Defects Increased by Injudicious Breeding—Ticking ot Feathers—Feather Pulling—Stay-White White Wyandottes can be Produced. BY CHARLES G. ARNOLD. Fi OW often are we asked by persons who are about to start in the poultry business, ‘‘What breed would you select if you were I?” This is a ques- ax" tion all beginners should settle for themselves. bee TN You know best what are your likes and dislikes. We have eleven standard varieties in the American class, all of which are worthy of your attention. The Wyandottes are becoming more popular every year, and I wish to say to those who are about to start that you will make no mis- take in selecting one of the Wyandotte varieties. No beginner should handle or try to breed more than one variety.. There is more to learn than you imagine. By the use of the modern incubator and brooder for hatching and caring for the chicks one is enabled to commence al- most any season of the year. The first step a beginner should take in the poultry business is to subscribe for some good poultry paper, such as the Reliable Poultry Journal. The knowledge I have gained from reading that Journal is the cause of my birds being what they are to-day. Each issue is equal to a year’s experience. I have always had a great love for poultry. In 1872 my uncle, while importing other live stock from England, brought over a trio of Dark Brahmas and presented them to my mother, and it was my lot to care for them. Not know- ing at that time that there were poultry papers to read, our Brahmas soon suffered for the want of new blood, and in the course of about seven years our imported birds were no more. In 1888 I read my first poultry paper and at that time having a home of my own, I began raising White Wyan- dottes. I was quite contented with the birds I then owned for a few years. Soon I purchased the American Standard of Perfection and found my Wyandottes were very defec- tive. I then purchased a choice trio of a noted breeder and commenced anew. In 1895 I made my first exhibit, not for the sole purpose of winning, but for what I could learn. I have bred the White Wyandottes eight years, and each year I get new and better ideas in regard to mating, feeding, housing, ete., I find if I mate birds having the same defects that their progeny will show them to an alarming extent. Where the female is defective, select a male that is exceptionally strong in her defective sections, and continue to breed against such defects year after year. Keep constantly in your memory in what particulars your birds have been deficient and mate them so as to correct the defects in the progeny. Every breeder should have in his mind’s eye an ideal fowl of the variety he is breeding. It should be better than anything he has ever seen—a perfect specimen in every section. You may never be able to produce such a bird, but your flock in general will be greatly improved. Choice specimens cannot be produced by a haphazard method of mating, An ideal must be formed and we must breed toward it. The person who is satisfied with what he has produced and is willing to accept it as good enough for him is not a true fancier. A true fancier is one that is always striving to produce better THE WYANDOTTES. birds. It makes no difference how good the parent stock is, he is always looking for something better and when mating has this object in view—to produce better birds. When two choice specimens are mated, should you pro- duce two or three that show a marked improvement over the parent stock you have done well. Do not think for a moment that all the progeny is going to be equal to the parents. You will undoubtedly raise several disqualified birds, for which no one is to blame. The best breeder’s stock is subject to throwing a disqualified specimen occasionally. I have noticed that when I mate birds with combs smaller than medium in size I get a great many single combs, and when I mate them larger than medium I have combs so large they lop to one side, causing another disqualification. There is also that ticking in the plumage of the White Wyandotte which most breeders have been very slow to rec- ognize as a serious defect. It is about twenty-seven years since they were originated, and judging by all indications there is about as much of it now as then. This pulling feathers to make a disqualified specimen a star bird is prac- ticed too much for the good of the breed. In the eight years I have been breeding White Wyandottes my foremost object has been to get rid of this ticking. Last season fully seven- ty-five per cent of all I raised were entirely free from it, and for the last four years [ have not bred a bird of my own raising that has shown the least particle of it. It is not so 61 hard to breed out as a great many think. To be sure it takes time, but one’s time is well spent when such a defect is eliminated from one’s strain. The white in the ear-lobes is diminishing very fast; so would this ticking in plumage if the feathers could not be pulled out and the bird improved for the time being. Some breeders advise pulling these col- ored feathers before they mature, and claim that they will come in perfectly white. This may be true, but it will not be of any benefit to the bird as a breeder. With time and careful breeding we will overcome these defects to quite an extent, and I do hope there will be more attention paid to perfecting this breed or any other where such work has been practiced. It is as necessary to have a clear white and a stay-white color on our White Wyandottes as it is for them to have a nice, clear, yellow leg. It is the purity of the co‘or that makes them handsome. Weight is also another important point. A great many breeders are using heavy weight male birds to increase the size of the offspring. It should be done on the female side and done very gradually. There is also a tendency to get them two or three pounds heavier than the standard de- mands. Their respective standard weights are heavy enough. The Wyandottes are considered to be one of the best general purpose fowls and when we increase their size we prolong their maturity, and when we lengthen their ma- turity we are losing in their useful qualities. THE BREEDING OF WHITE, WYANDOTTES. With Special Attention to Size, Color and Number of Eggs—A True Breeder Must Combine Utility and Beauty. : BY JOHN H. JACKSON. ULTHOUGH numerous articles have been written on White Wyandottes, I do not think too much can be said in favor of this popular variety of fowls. As bred to-day, they are not perfect, but no other fowl, in my judgment, comes as near being an all-purpose fowl. I have bred poultry for nearly twenty years, always under my own care and management, beginning when a boy,-and have found the thoroughbreds the most profitable for practical purposes. I have bred the Leghorns, Minorecas and Plymouth Rocks with good success. They always yielded me a profit, but I was looking for some- thing better, and believe I have found it in the White Wyan- dottes, In laying qualities the White Wyandottes in my hands have equaled the Leghorns and Minorcas, and they excel them greatly for market or table purposes, while as broilers they are ready for use at any age, of any size required and at seasons when most other breeds would not be in condition, They are at all times free from dark pin feathers, which is the main drawback to the black and parti-color varieties. For roasters weighing from four to five pounds nothing excels the White Wyandottes, and I do not think any other breed equals them. There are cross-bred fowls that give good results for broilers and roasters (as I have found by experience), but it is necessary to go to the trouble to keep full-blood stock on both sides with which to make the first cross each season. The White Wyandottes fill the bill just as well as any cross-bred fowl, and save all this extra work and expense. All varieties of Wyandottes have the full, broad breast, the bulky build and firm flesh which dress well and com- mand the best prices on the market. When I began to breed White Wyandottes they did not lay very large eggs, and the color of the eggs varied greatly from a light colored to a dark brown shell. At the present time, however, the best strains lay large, richly colored brown eggs, and they lay a good many more of them than they used to. They are to- day one of our very best layers, especially in winter time, owing to their rose combs, which do not freeze. The White Wyandotte is a hardy fowl and the chicks are easy to raise. Of course, there are poor strains in this as well as in other varieties. The best strains are produced by the careful breeders, by those who appreciate what is really valuable in a standard-bred fowl and work for it through a term of years. We have every reason to believe that the White Wyandottes, by intelligent selection and mating, can be brought to a very high state of perfection and still hold their utility qualities to an unexcelled degree. A number of years ago, when breeding Minorcas, I had a pullet that scored, under three different judges, 95 to 96 points. She began to lay early and laid throughout the win- ter. I could not learn what the laying qualities of her direct ancesters were, but thought this bird a good one with which to start a strain, so I raised all the chicks I could hatch from her eggs and succeeded in getting quite a flock of fine, standard birds having extra laying qualities. Tt is in this same manner, as a result of my first exper- iment with Minorcas, that I have prosecuted the breeding of White Wyandottes. From the first I have given special attention to the size, color and number of eggs laid by my White Wyandottes, and I find that this breed, the same as others under intelligent management, responds quickly and surely to proper selection and mating. I do not claim that culls will nSt sometimes turn out to be good layers, as well 62 - THE WYANDOTTES. as the best specimens, but the point is this: Is it not better to breed from birds having good laying qualities and meet- ing standard requirements than to breed from fowls with equally good laying qualities but not meeting standard re- quirements, meaning those of size, shape and shade of color, including other lesser points of beauty, like comb, color of eye, ete.? As a matter of fact there are few breeders of fowls who do not prefer fine-looking birds, even though they insist on having good layers and fine table fowl. Many times I have received letters from persons wanting to buy birds, stating that they did not want ‘“‘show birds,’”’ but nevertheless they would proceed to give a description of a bird, or birds, that would be well calculated to win in any show room, which goes to prove that the standard-bred fowl is the most at- tractive, even to the mind of the unprofessional. It is true that in breeding for good laying qualities,com- bined, with standard requirements, you will have to sacrifice some fine looking specimens, those that are below par as First Prize pen of White Wyandottes. Bred and owned by J. H. Jackson. layers. My best success has been gained in raising only as many each year as I could take good care cf and in select- ing the best specimens for breeding, selling all culls on the market. If one has plenty of house and yard room it often pays to keep the culls for fall and winter layers, disposing of them the next spring when they become broody, or a lit- tle later when they start to molt. They always sell well at that season of the year in our local markets when the people gev tired of the frozen stuff that is marketed at that time of the year. In breeding a comparatively small number, or aS Many as you can take proper care of, your chances of greatly improving your flocks both in standard and utility points are increased. In mating White Wyandottes I do not use the large, rangy males to get size. If you do this you are sure to get long, lanky cockerels. It is from the females that we get the most even size and best formed males, the blocky built birds, those not above standard weight preferred. For fe- males, I use good layers—specimens from six to seven pounds. I do not want them larger or heavier than this, Average score, 9515 points. for big Wyandottes do not lay as well as standard weight fowls. I want my Wyandotte females to be ‘‘full of business,” and they do not need to be an ounce above standard weights for best results. These standard weight birds are the ones that mature the quickest. Still, you are compelled to breed a perceitage of large birds to meet the demand for breeding stock made by persons who do not appreciate the true value of Wyandottes. I hope they will learn to do so later on. Breeding for good combs is a strong point in White Wyandoites. Ifa bird is good in every other way, but has a bad comb, it is spoiled to sell for breeding purposes or for exhibition. I believe in breeding persistently for small, evenly pebbled combs. Even if you breed from a good comb that is too large, you will get many poor combs. A small comb that is uneven will not iook so bad as a big comb that is even. By breeding for medium combs I have had by far the best results in sales, in profits and in satisfied customers. The amateur, I am free to say, will always look for a good comb whether he knows anything about a fowl or not. The best advice I can give the amateur is to learn all he possibly can about the breed or variety in which he is interested. This is his protection. The eyes and lobes are of great im- portance, with reference to the beauty of White Wyandcttes. Arich bay, or red eyc, is what is wanied. A pale or white eye gives the bird an unratural, out-of-con- dition look and is despised by the true fancier. A male with a weak lobe, that is, one that is inclined to show white at times. is a poor bird to breed. It will show more or less in females according to their condition as layers, but a male should have a strong red lobe at all times. The surface color and the shape cf White Wyandottes are of prime impcr- tance. My ideal bird in shape is of blocky build. Pure white color is what is cats- ing much discussion. I much prefer a white bird, but do not believe in sacri- ficing rich yellow legs, beak and skin for chalk-white feathers. The latter will have a light yellow or lemon colored leg, which will turn almost white before the fowl is two years old. I will not breed from a male that does not have rich yel- low legs and beak. I do not believe in birds that show brassiness in plumage or yellow in the quills, but there is danger of our breeding them to a point of whiteness where they will have light colored legs, beak and skin. We must compromise somewhere between the two extremes. Some of the best White Wyandottes at the late Boston show were very white, with good colored legs, excepting one pullet. She was standard in weight and a grand bird in every way, with chalk-white plumage, but she was light in color of legs. With proper care and attention birds with fine yellow legs, beak and skin can be placed on exhibition with their plumage snow-white, but even the best of them are very apt to show more or less of the objectionable yel- low cast in surface plumage as the birds grow older and are exposed to all kinds of weather. In my opinion it is better to sacrifice color to this extent rather than breed out the good market qualities, viz.: yellow legs and skin, In writing this article I have based the statements on facts obtained from my own experience. Although not so large a breeder as many others, I give them my constant THE WYANDOTTES. 63 study and have been successful with my matings. I think I have produced as many high-class specimens proportion- ately to the number raised as any other breeder of White Wyandottes who has still held to and improved the utility qualities of the variety. Birds of my breeding have scored to 96 points and a fraction, and won honors in strong com- petition, which is proof enough to my mind that utility and beauty can be combined in the White Wyandotte. I, there- fore, take the ground that it is the true fancier’s duty to combine the two, sacrificing in the long run neither the one nor the other. I hold that both are essential to true success in producing this or any other popular American variety that has a commercial value. A PRACTICAL FANCY FOWE. White Wyandottes the Fowls for Amateurs—Their Origin—Pre-eminently the Breed for Broilers—Unexcelled Market Fowl— Comparison with Other Breeds—Early Maturity—Good Layers, Sitters and Mothers—Selection of Breeders, BY RALPH I. DUNLAP. O MUCH has been written about the White Wy- andotte that it seems an almost useless task to endeavor to tell anything new. But if we consider for a moment that old _ saying, “When you get a good thing push it along,” a few remarks will perhaps not be out of place. The theory of the origin of the White Wyandotte which is generally ac- cepted, is that they are sports of the Silvers. And this no doubt accounts for the little gray ticking and the splashes of gray which are found in the plumage of so many specimens. The shape which the standard demands for the Wyan- dotte is one that I consider almost ideal. I hardly think that it could be improved. It is a shape that catches the eye of all, whether it is seen in the show room or on the farm; by the fancier or the utility man. While the standard does not call for Wyandotte shape in Plymouth Rocks, yet I have noticed that a Rock with Wyandotte shape presents a very pleasing appearance and is very much admired by a great many peopie. Why? Because it gives to the bird that full- ness and compactness of form that is posSessed by no other breed. It is rather a difficult task to find words with which to describe the Wyandotte shape, although the term “blocky” expresses it about as well as anything. This distinct blocky shape is very striking even when the chick is first hatched and it grows more striking as the bird becomes older, I once heard a person remark, “I do not like some of the fastest race horses because they are so ugly.” Now, if the swiftest racer were also the handsomest animal, he would be greatly admired by all. How is it with the Wyandotte? In my humble opinion they come nearer having an ideal shape than any other breed, and they are not only a handsome fow], but they are business birds from the word “go.” This applies to the whole Wyandotte family, for what is standard shape for one variety is standard shape for all. When it comes to the question of size I will select the American class every time, for the Wyandottes and Ply- mouth Rocks are not so large and clumsy as the fowls of the Asiatic class nor so small and nervous as those of the Med- iterranean, but they are just right—a happy medium. The comb is another splendid feature of the Wyandotte. They have a comb that is low with no high points to freeze; one that has a neat and healthy look, and one that gives to the bird the same pleasing appearance that a nice hat does to a well-dressed man. Any one who keeps fowls during a cold winter can realize the value of such a comb from a utility standpoint and it is not devoid of beauty, either. An- other good feature of the Wyandotte is its clean, yellow, featherless legs. What an advantage it gives them for mar- ket purposes, besides they can run about in all kinds of weather, without carrying a large tract of real estate around on each foot, soiling and breaking their feathers. After noting the excellent characteristics of the Ameri- can class in general and of the Wyandotte family ia par- ticular, then comes the task of selecting a variety of this noble breed. There are the Blacks, Buffs, Goldens, Silvers and Whites, named in the order of their popularity, begin- ning with the least popular. I had never seen a White Wy- andotte before I decided to breed them and sent for eggs. Yet I did not merely stumble on a good variety as some people do, for I had read a great deal about their fine quali- ties, both as exhibition specimens and business birds. I also had seen some Silvers and in this way was pleased with the Wyandotte shape. I would probably have bought Sil- vers, but the males were, in my opinion, very ugly in color, and besides I always had admired a fowl with snow white plumage. It makes such a nice combination with a red comb, bay eyes and clean yellow legs. But some people pre- fer one variety, some another. It is purely a matter of taste and the choice must be made by the person himself. I chose the White Wyandotte, first, because I always admired a white fowl and because I wanted one that was a good layer, a good sitter and mother, and a good market bird, and I believed the White Wyandotte to be unsurpassed as an all-around, general purpose fowl. Nor have I ever regretted my choice, for I have found the White Wyandottes to be all that a reasonable person could wish. I do not mean that they will lay two eggs per day or are ready for fries at the age of three weeks, nor do they possess any other extraordinary features such as I have seen claimed for some breeds, but if you want a fowl that presents a fine appear- ance in the show room and one that is a business bird from the time it is hatched, get the White Wyandotte. With the exception of about four years I have raised chickens since I was a lad of five and I have bred common chickens, Black, Buff and Partridge Cochins, Light Brah- mas, Black Langshans, Brown Leghorns and Barred Ply- mouth Rocks. I do not say that I have not been successful with these breeds, but I only wish to state that I discarded them because I have been more successful with the White Wyandotte. While the Cochins and Brahmas made good layers and good eating, they could also do their part when it came to the eating question. They were too clumsy and lazy to suit me, and they are always standing around in 64 THE WYANDOTTES. the way, breaking eggs when sitting, and tramping upon the young chicks. Still my great-grandmother, now in her eighty-ninth year, and my grandmother have both been raising Buff Cochins for a long, long time. The Black Lang- shans I found to be splendid winter layers, good sitters and mothers, but their feathered legs and black plumage were against them for market purposes. The Leghorns were too scary and had such nice, large combs for Jack Frost te nip! I will not say anything against the Barred Rocks, for they belong to the American class, but the Wyandotte shape and the Wyandotte comb were what made me give the prefer- ence to the Wyandottes. I have had White Wyandotte pullets lay at the age of one hundred and thirty-two days, but I never try to push them for very early laying, for the little gained does not equal what is lost in size. They will begin to lay, however, along in the fall, and a pullet or hen either, for that matter, that will do this, will lay through the winter when eggs bring such good prices. The energetic Wyandotte will not only lay during the fall and winter, but will keep right on shelling out the eggs during the spring and summer months as well. The Leghorns may be egg-machines, but give me the White Wyandotte for all-around laying. No artificial heat is needed to keep their combs from freezing and to en- courage egg-production. The White Wyandotte is not only a good layer, but she is a good sitter and mother as well. When it comes to the market question, the White Wyandotte stays in the front ranks. What fowl presents a nicer appearance on the mar- ket? The Barred Rocks are claimed to be the best market fowl in existence, but one of the prominent broiler men in the east says that he kept these two breeds side by side, but finally discarded the Rocks because the Wyandottes were ready for market at an earlier age. This is what he says when it comes to the forcing question: “If you try to raise Rocks and Wyandottes in the same pen, the experiment will prove to you this fact: Your Rocks will go ‘off their legs’ while the deep-breasted, plump-bodied, smooth- skinned, active little Wyandottes take their medicine five times a day and stand straight as matches.” My own experience has been that they grow faster. Then they do not grow by jerks, as some breeds do, that is, they do not grow awhile, stop and take on a coat of feathers and then fill out, but they keep right on growing all the time and are always plump and compact, instead of slim and loose-jointed. I have found that they stand confinement well in small pens, although if given range they make fine foragers. I will not go into detail in regard to their care and feed- ing, but I should like to mention a few points. Crushed oyster shell, sharp, hard grit, plenty of clean, fresh water, a dust bath (or some means of keeping vermin away), clean, roomy quarters, good feed and common sense in feeding are necessary to successfully produce good, healthy, vigorous stock. If you have fine stock and eggs for sale, judicious advertising and exhibiting, and plenty of perseverance are further requirements for success with poultry. A great many people rush pell-mell into the poultry business with great theories about raising poultry on a large scale, Who have almost no practical knowledge of the busi- ness. They intend to keep a great many kinds and to do things just right. They read everything about poultry that they can get and think by this means to be able to cope with any difficulty that may arise, not knowing that many things can only be learned by experience. They see no way for failure to over take them and (on paper) they count their profits. But do they succeed? Perhaps a small per cent of them do, but it is only when a little common sense has been knocked into their heads (probably at the cost of a great many dollars), in the hard school of experience. And even then it requires nerve and perseverance to stick to it. How much better it would have been if they had started in a small way, learning the details of the business which can only be mastered by experience, and then gradually in- creased as success and practical knowledge warranted. I hardly feel competent to give an outline for breeding the White Wyandotte, but I advise the reading of that splen- did article on “Standard Bred White Wyandottes,” by Mr. Arthur G. Duston, on page 59, reproduced from the Relia- ble Poultry Journal. Also the many other excellent arti- cles which have been published in the Reliable about this noble variety. My advice, however, is to throw out all spec- imens with single combs and feathered legs even if there is only a stub. Also discard those with very much white in the ear-lobe. Pick birds with bay eyes, as pearl or gray ones give the bird an unnatural look. Market all those that have green or dark colored legs. Some birds that are closely con- fined have pale colored legs, but if given a good range with plenty of grass, nearly all will have nice, yellow legs. Breed for good combs. A large, ill-shaped one gives a bird a bad appearance. Low, even, nicely pebbled combs fitting closely to the head, are what we want. Remember the Wyandotte shape when mating your birds, for, as Mr. T. F. McGrew says, in one of his fine arti- cles on “Science in Breeding,” ‘‘Shape should come before color; it is shape that makes the breed, color the variety.” Breed for that blocky build. Do this and you can soon tell what good Wyandotte shape is. High, pinched tails, long backs, slim necks, flat breasts, narrowness between the legs, badly shaped heads, large combs, or slim bodies on tall, stilty legs, do not make a blocky compact bird. And right here let me say, do not use big, rangy males, as such birds never have a nice, compact form and the cockerels from this kind of a mating are generally slim and lanky. Intro- duce or build up the size with the females and keep the shape. Now comes the color question. I do not feel firmly enough settled to give my opinions on this subject yet, but I will say breed for pure white plumage, stay-white plum- age, but do not sacrifice shape for color. The White Wyan- dotte still shows its close relationship to the Silvers by the a‘tile gray ticking and gray splashes which appear in the plumage. This is not a disqualification, only a defect and is still a common fault, so do not think the person from whom you bought is dishonest if you receive birds with a little gray in them. Above all, be sure to have good, healthy, vigorous stock with which to start. The best is none too good. I have endeavored to present a few plain facts that I have learned from experience. If I have made any rash or untrue statements no one will be happier to have them cor- rected than I. I have also endeavored to give the breeds with which I have compared the White Wyandotte, their just dues, for I always dislike to read an article lauding one variety to the skies and running down all others, even if that article be on White Wyandottes. RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL, GODYRIGHT.” BUFF WYANDOTTES—By SEWELL. Characteristics, shape and standard requirements are substantially the same as those given for the Silver Laced variety, page 34. The color of the plumage is the only marked difference, this variety showing a beautiful buff color in all sections. OW we have to consider one variety of the Wy- andotte breed that is in an experimental stage so far as the production of show specimens is concerned. In my opinion they are one of the best of this family and during my six years’ experience with them they have proven to be excellent layers, sitters and mothers, but we cannot expect them to breed true in color and other fancy points in so short a time. We find exceptionally fine stock here and there over the country. We even have seen solid buff wings and tails on both males and females, but these are not average birds, they are way above the average. The best breeders of the Buffs who are looking for their advancement along the lines of honest improvement, will admit that as yet they have not perfected this variety. We have many obstacles to overcome, perhaps more than are encountered in the breeding of any other buff va- riety. First, we must overcome about forty per cent of black; then there is more red than yellow in the make-up of the foundation stock of most strains, and white has been introduced to soften the color. About all the buff we have been able to get was from the Cochin cross and in most cases this was from Cochin males with a lot of black in wings and tails. There has also been a direct cross of Gol- den Wyandottes which has helped some sections, but in- jured others. Some breeders used ‘a cross of Rhode Island Reds instead of Golden Wyandottes, which in a measure was better as it did not cause so many black or laced necks. Intelligent breeders in every state are taking up the buff variety and already they have enough good ones to help one another. During the next two years there will be more im- provement in Buff Wyandottes than has been made in the past five years, and it will be accomplished by mating Wy- andottes and not by resorting to outside crosses, which has been the rule in the past. The standard is very plain on the question of color in this, as it is in all buff varieties. The color is the same in all —a “rich, golden buff, free from shafting or mealy appear- ance.” It is easy to understand, but hard to produce. In the first place, buff is a made color and not a primary color. When it is produced it is hard to hold unless the breeder is an expert and knows to a certainty the strength of his breeding stock, both male and female. This is where in- breeding, described in another part of this book, holds despotic sway. Without inbreeding one cannot produce good Buffs year after year. One must know the sires and dams of his stock to make sure of success. The man who wins this year, fails next and wins the 65 66 next is not much encouragement to a Buff amateur. But the man whose advice is worth much to you is the breeder who wins year after year and who can show stock three and four years old that still retains the same elegant buff color that his cockerels and pullets show. There are Messrs. Sharp Brothers, O. L. McCord and W. W. Browning, men who win year after year. When such men talk of color breeding, the laymen can learn. I do not claim much for myself, but I do assert that I converse with more of the leading fanciers of this country than any other man who makes a business of judging fowls. I believe in im- provement and I believe our teachers should be qualified. Seeing a few birds in a number of shows does not teach me so much, but when I go to a leading breeder’s yards and note his matings and he points out his stock in pen after pen, which looks as much alike as the average family of children, then I know I am getting at the heart of the business of breeding fancy stock, and I get informaticn of great value to others. in shape the Buffs should be a fac-simile of the Silvers, and defects in shape must be cut in the same proportion. Remember that in eclor they must be absolutely buff. Black and white are alike objectionable and will be cut when the birds are shown in the winter exhibitions. Remember, too, that red is not buff, and when your birds are scored by an expert who is not color blind, the red birds will fail to win. Let the motto of every Buff Wyandotte breeder be, “solid buff from comb to tail.” The future of the Buff Wyandottes depends upon their admirers, who cannot afford to miss an opportunity of perfecting them in any particular. Let me utter one warning, however. The utility side, which is so prominent at the present day, must not be allowed to retro- grade in the slightest. The Female. The Golden Wyandotte breeders claim that the Goldens are the “beauty breed,” but any one who sees a Buff Wyan- dotte females that is truly buff must feel that the Buffs are strong rivals for the honor of being called “the beauty breed.” As an all-round fowl for meat and eggs the Buff Wyandotte has no superior in the middle weight class. As a winter layer she equals the best and as an every-day fowl for the farmer, she cannot be excelled. The fancier will find THE WYANDOTTES. that it is well worth his time to give them the attention that is required to make this variety a perfect fancy fowl. As a fancy fowl, they are not yet perfected, as they have only been bred a few years, but the per cent of really first-class specimens that have been exhibited the past year makes one marvel at what has been accomplished, and it is only a mat- ter of a few years when they will be the equal of the oldest buff varieties in America. In color they should be a rich golden buff throughout, free from shaftiug or a mealy appearance, and they should show the same shade of buff in all sections. The descrip- tion of shape, comb, eyes, legs and feet is the same that I have given for the other varieties. In mating for color, the main trouble has been to get an even surface with clear wings and tail. The flights of the wings are usually better than the secondaries. The black blood that came through the Golden Wyandotte cross will make itself felt for several seasons. If the wing shows black in the secondaries with clear flights, the cut is from one-half to one point, according to degree. If black shows in both flights and secondaries, the cut is from one to two points. If there is a red bow on the wings showing a sort of bay color, cut it one. If any black appears in hackle, the cut is from one-half to one and one-half, according to de- gree. If the surface color is uneven, that is, if two or more shades of buff appear in the same specimen, the cut is from one-half to one in all such sections. If the main tail feath- ers are edged with black at the top and the rest of the feathers are sound, the cut is one-half. If the tail is half black the cut is two, and if the entire tail is black the cut is four. Remember always that you can only cut for defects according. to the number of points set aside for each sec- tion, and in order to cut all the points that are allowed one section, the entire section must be wrong. As buff color is the same in all breeds and as the meth- ods of producing a good buff color on Cochins will just as successfully produce it on Wyandottes, I give here an able article from the pen of W. W. Browning, written expressly for this book. I am sure it will be read with interest by the admirers of all buff varieties. After handling Mr. Browning’s birds in the show room for several years and personally in- specting his breeding stock on the farm, we feel safe in say- ing that breeders of new buff varieties will make no mistake if they follow his instructions. THEO. HEWES. BUFF COLOR. BY W. W. FTER years of study and experimenting I think I have discovered the causes of a majority of failures to produce prime buff color. I have seen breeders handle this color successfully for years and then go wrong at a time when they thought their matings were just right. In disgust they quit the business when they should have studied harder to discover the cause of their trouble. Every article that I have read on mating buff colored chickens is wrong and mis- leading. The writers either advocate fostering red males, or those that have some black in wings and tails. They argue that the black feeds the buff color and adds luster to the plumage and that it is needed because the tendency of all fowls is to lose color. After studying wild fowls for years I am ready to say that I do not believe it. If it were true all wild fowls would be white, while the fact is, white in wild birds of all kinds is the exception instead of the rule. Buff color is composed principally of the primary color BROWNING. yellow, having added just a little red and white. If yellow, red anu white make buff then why should we add black? It is because we have not learned to mix the three colors first named and we let the buff we have fade to such an ex- tent that we add black to check the fading. If you will mix the three colors named in the right proportion, you will have that soft, rich, pleasing color that has made the buff fowl popular all over the world. I say emphatically that there is no black used in mixing buff color. Black does not feed buff color, nor does it add any luster to it. It is, in fact, a great curse in breeding for buff. It gives you laced necks, black tails, black in the wings, smoky under-color and a muddy surface color. It will not even counteract white, still in spite of all this we hear breeders who are handling buffs advocate using black. A few years ago judges cut severely for white and lightly for black in buff fowls. At that time I took a bold stand against this outrage, and I am pleased to say that now judges punish both defects alike. The color to breed for is yellow and you want to get a THE WYANDOTTES. 67 pure color from the surface down to the skin, quills and all. You will get plenty of red and white without breeding for it, but if you get too much red or white you can breed it out by selection much easier than you can breed out the black, for the reason given, that red and white are used in buff mix- tures and the yellow wiil mix with and control these colors to a far greater extent than it will black. Look to the under-color for breeding strength. If you get sound surface color, but white under-color, then you have more white than yellow in your mixture, and the result will be that your specimen is not half buff. Select your choicest breeders while the chicks are two to three months old. They will show defects then that may disappear aimost if not entirely, later on. Smoky under- color in back and neck will show plainly at this time. It may disappear altogether later on, but it is in the blood and you do not want to breed such specimens. If you purchase matured fowls and they do not breed properly, examine them closely during their molting season and when the new feathers are quite young you will no doubt discover the cause. You cannot depend on your buff matings unless you _handle the chicks from the time they are a month old until they are matured, yes, even after they are matured. If white appears in your flock, do not use black to counteract it, as white will appear in any solid black variety nearly as often as it does in some of the buff varieties. You will not find perfect buff color in every section of any of the new varieties of buffs. Use common sense in your matings, and overcome black, red and white by the use of yellow only. These theory writers have gotten black so firmly fixed in the older buff varieties that the sins of the parents are fastened onto the chickens even unto the “steenth” gen- eration. Some of these theorists who are supposed to be breed- ers say that black is the proper thing if you keep it in the wing feathers and the tail so that it does not show from the surface when the fowl is viewed in a natural position. Nurs- ing black where the amateur does not see it is a ten-fold evil, because the black is there and it will crop out in the chicks and very likely cause the amateur to quit in disgust. Be sure that the flight feathers are perfectly clear buff, that there is no black in the neck and that there is as little dark as possible in the flight coverts and tail. See that the under- color is sound in as maiy sections as possible, and you will find your fowls gradually improving until they will reach perfection in color in all sections. Had I to choose between the two I should rather have a breeder with no black and take the one that had considerable white, until I got the black well bred out of the blood of my strain, unless I was breeding Buff Leghorns. This Buff variety has too much white in it on account of its White Leghorn ancestors. Remember, yellow and black will not mix and produce a pleasing color, while yellow, red and white will mix and give you that beautiful shade called buff. As to the effect of food on color, I have no knowledge. I am not trying to produce my buffs in this way. I believe the proper way is to breed them right and that the food will then have but little, if any, effect. W. W. BROWNING. BREEDING BUP PR WYANDOTERS: A Comparatively New Breed—How to Start—Introducing Foreign Blood—Selling and Exhibiting Stock. BY MRS. J. M. DENISON. ANY things have to be considered when we breed Buff Wyandoites. First, we must remember that they are comparatively a new breed and there- fore more study is required in mating them than in mating the Silvers or other varieties of Wy- andottes. However, we have been making rapid strides and are in a fair way to overtake them. We claim for the Buffs a place at “the top of the ladder,’ and we will not be satis- fied until it is assured. That they have qualities most desir- able in an all-purpose fowl must be acknowledged by all, and the only question now is how to perfect them. Our greatest trouble arises in the desire to do too much in too short a time. The increased demand for stock and eges leads us to overlook faults in our breeding stock, and we admit to our yards birds which have good score cards, but which should not be used as breeders if we wish the best results. Therefore, let me say to the beginner, do not con- sider how many birds, but how good ones you can preduce. To this end put your money in a trio if you can not afford a pen. To make a start I should much rather put twenty-five dollars ($25) in a trio properly mated than into any other number. Mark the eggs and set those from each hen separately, marking the chickens when haiched so you can tell which hen produces the best stock, both pullets and cockerels. if you find that one hen throws better cockerels than the other, select the best and mate him to pullets from the other hen. Use your old male with pullets, selecting those that are strong in points where he is weak; and mate the hens with a cockerel strong in the sections in which the females are weak. Now you have a good start and unless there is some point in which both are weak you need not introduce new blood and new faults until you have become thoroughly acquainted with the good and bad features of your own strain. You can undo the work of years if not judicious in the introduction of new blood. Having a good foundation the success that follows de- pends greatly upon your love for the work and proper man- The details of the business must be closely watched. Do not trust too much to hired help, for generally their interest is confined to their pay. Know your chickens and let them know you. Care for them as you like to be cared for and they will return your kindness tenfold. Hav- ing good stock and understanding your business, advertise it, selecting for your medium journals that will stand by the right and expose fraud regardless of the cost. Now the bat- tle is half won. The rest depends on your stick-to-it-ive- ness and honorable dealings with your customers. Let them feel that you have their interest in mind as well as your own, and then while you can not satisfy all, you can please the majority, thus making friends as well as customers. Another thing to be remembered is this. If you have been fortunate enough to produce exhibition birds, show them. Do not say you have some at home as good or better than some one else has; prove it. Say so’s do not go far and proye nothing. Suppose you do not take first prizes, agement. 68 THE WYANDOTTES. you have learned how your birds compare with others and wherein they are-faulty, thus you are better prepared for the shows another year. Then, too, the association with people interested in poultry helps. I have been successful to quite an extent, I am very proud to say, but it has not been luck, as some suggest. It has come by following the lines that I have advised here. There is still work to do, and we welcome the earnest worker to our ranks. MRS. J. M. DENISON. BUFF WYANDOTTES FOR AMATEURS. BY THEODORE HEWES. HERE is always more or less boom talk and writing about a new variety, and we are often led astray by fairy tales of the great egg pro- duction and elegant table qualities of these new fangled varieties. A few years ago I was severely criticised for writing an article regarding the Buff First PRIZE nee CHICACe.1901 ey ss OWNED BY : A%ETARBOX: _ - = SVORKVILLE Itt: <1" & First prize Buff Wyandotte pullet, Chicago, Jan. 21-26, 1901. owned and exhibited by A, & E, Tarbox, Bred Wyandottes. At that time I warned the amateur to let them alone until the fanciers had made a standard breed of them, for at that time they were in their early experimental stage and not entitled to the name standard-bred. I have since been complimented by some who at that time censured me. The Buff Wyandottes have now passed the experimental stage, as a utility fowl, and are to-day one of the very best of the middle weight birds. I have given them considerable attention in the past six years, and I have never handled a variety that I liked better nor one that has given better results. They have actually been a surprise to me as winter lay- ers, and I doubt very much if we have a breed in the stan- dard that can beat them. The past winter I had built sev- eral small houses, 4x6, for winter breeding houses. These houses were enclosed in pens 16 feet square, and five females and one male placed in each for the winter. Among the lot of birds so mated were three hens and two pullets of the Buff Wyandottes. These birds were all fed alike, that is the same amount of food was given to each variety in its own pen, and all were fed twice a day. A mash made of bran and oatmeal was fed in the morning, and good wheat was thrown in the litter for the evening meal. During the cold- est weather ever known in this part of the United States, and with snow on the ground almost all the time, those five females laid an average of 77 eggs per month, or a little bet- ter than one egg every two days for each hen. These birds were not forced for eggs, in fact very little care was given them, as we are breeding only for the fancy and made no effort to secure eggs for the market. This rec- ord put me to thinking that there must be some reason for this pen of Buff Wyandottes laying more than my other varieties, so I began to look for the cause. In the first place I found that they were better contented and that they made no effort to leave the pens, even though the gate were left open, while other varieties were constantly trying to find a place to get out, and if a gate were left open a minute they would make a break for it. They seemed to be larger than the Silver Wyandottes, but on weighing them I found that they were a few ounces lighter. Why should they look larger, was the question that next came up, and I found on close inspection that they are dressed warmer. Their plum- age is longer, which gives them the appearance of being larger than either the Whites or Silvers. Here, then, is the whole thing in a nutshell: They have the Cochin cross in them, and it has not only given them a better coat of feathers to protect them from the cold, but has given them a docile, contented disposition, which means much to the breeder who is trying to get every dollar he can out of his fowls from a commercial standpoint. I have no desire to boom this breed to the detriment of others, but I can surely give them a strong endorsement. After six years’ breeding them I am free to say that I do not know of a sin- gle variety that would be a better investment -for the ama- teur just starting in, one who wants to handle one variety, and who does not feel like taking up some of the older breeds where there is so much competition, than the Buff Wyandotte. Neither do I know of a variety that would make a better cross on common fowls to increase the egg yield. SECRET OF SUCERSSauUE BREEDING Danger of Crossing Strains—Selection of Dams Very Important—Careful Attention Necessary from Shell to Maturity. BY M. F. NORRIS. NTENSELY interesting is the study of the art of breeding. While we learn much from experi- ence (really our best teacher), still we can learn many things from reading that it would take us Spt years to learn from experience. There are still many secrets concerning the breeding of thoroughbred poultry and one of the chief of these is how shall we mate to produce Buff Wyandottes that shall be of extra merit in A PRIZE-WINNING BUFF WYANDOTTE COCKEREL, BREDJAND OWNED By M. F. Norris. 69 The male bird at the head of the be symmetrical in shape, strong he should be the offspring of a Do not forget that symmetry and color. breeding pen should and vigorous — and sire excelling in these points. the male bird has the greater influence on the color of the off spring, especially of the cockerels. If fine colored males be desired it is necessary that the sire be of fine color. By mating a good sire to his own progeny the good breeding qualities of the parent bird will be retained in the resulting offspring. Color and other desirable qualities may be in- tensified by judicious inbreeding. It is equally true that if a mistake is made in the selection of the breeding stock undesirable qualities may be repro- duced in an exaggerated form. Many persons en- gaged in raising poultry think that they must in- troduce new blood from a different strain each year, and so they go backward instead of forward. Nearly every breeder’s birds differ in style and plumage. When these types are crossed some of the offspring resemble the male and some resemble neither parent. The second season such breeders usually get a male of a still different type and mate him to the pullets of different types. The result is that they have no good birds among the offspring, hardly any two chicks resembling each other. If you once get what you want from a reliable breeder buy your new blood of him. The dam should possess a strong constitution, prolific laying qualities and large size. We look to the dam to impart size to the progeny. She must be good in color of plumage, legs and beak. The ear-lobes and comb must also receive careful atten- tion. Above all she should be symmetrical in shape. Many times the breeding qualities of the dam are overlooked or underrated, which is a great mistake. After carefully selecting your Buff Wyandotte pens it is essential that your birds receive proper care and that the progeny be closely watched and carefully tended from the time they leave the shell until they reach full maturity. This is another se- eret in successful breeding that apparently is known to but few breeders. BORE WYAN DOTTES: The Color Problem and How It Is Being Solved—Evenness of Plumage More Important Than Shade— Making Up Breeding Pens According to Double Mating System. BY C. S. MATTISON. O MUCH has been written on the subject of Buff Wyandottes that what I might say on the sub- ject may be stale to readers. The origin of this variety is well known. My understanding is that some were made by crossing White Wyan- dottes and Buff Cochins, others by breeding out the foreign color of Rhode Island Reds, and another’ by breeding out the black in Golden Wyandottes. I am inclined to think the better strains of the present day each contains some of the blood of these three, but the present condition of the variety is, I presume, the most interesting, hence I shall devote myself largely to their present condition. In reviewing last season’s largest and best exhibitions, we find that this variety outclassed all other Wyandotte varieties, except the Whites. In quality they have been improved more rapidly than any variety of poultry, so far as my knowledge goes, due without doubt to their combining the practical and fancy elements to a great extent. Their prac- tical qualities are considered to be the equal, and by some the superior, of all other Wyandotte varieties. Personally I have found them very satisfactory in every way. They are very good layers of brown eggs as a rule. They mature ear- ly and dress off nicely, without showing the undesirable pin-feathers. So much has been written regarding the shade of color most desired that there is very little to add. Several weeks ago the National Wyandotte Club sent out some forty pieces of silk ribbon with a buff feather attached, requesting crit- icism of this color from as many prominent Buff Wyandotte breeders. From the replies received one can see that we all are very much nearer the same shade of color than was supposed, that the majority desires about the shade that is now being given preference here in the east. I am inclined to think that as a rule our western breeders are breeding a darker, or more on the red shade, yet their ideal color is about the same. Our club had these replies printed in cata- logueform, with a piece of the ribbon attached, making prac- tically the best thing of the kind yet brought out, as it en- ables all to see what the others’ views are, and the piece of silk ribbon furnishes the color from which the criticisms are based, as well as something by which we can compare our fowls. It seems to me that the time is now opportune for us all to give less attention to shade of color, and more attention to the evenness throughout the entire plumage. Many of the past season’s winners were good in shade of color, but were more or less uneveu, the hackle and saddle perhaps varying in shade, the top of the wing being darker, and the breast being edged with white, or something of the kind. I rather think we should give preference to those who are most even- ly colored rather than such as are nearest the desired shade of color, even should such be quite a little darker. The ex- treme of this should be avoided, of course. Another point we should well consider at this time is shape. As a rule, we have size and can maintain it while improving the shape. Heretofore many ill-shaped birds have been awarded the prizes, preference being given to color. It seems to be a fact that no breeder has as yet a fixed type. There is too 70 much similarity between the Buff Plymouth Rocks and Wy- andottes. Very often we see much better Wyandottes in the Plymouth Rock class, and vice versa. It has been aptly stated that ‘““Wyandottes travel on their shape,’ and this is as it should be. The time is not far distant when shape will be given preference, as we find from year to year that the demand comes for first one thing and then another, as the fad changes. We have passed through the size fad and are now passing through the color fad, with its solid buff wing and tail, and soon the breeder who has mastered the shape problem and has well shaped birds to spare will find a ready market for them. With shape we could improve the combs, which really is a part of shape. The query is often made as to what may be termed solid buff tails and wings. I am frank to say I have never yet seen a perfectly clear tail, yet I have seen them so repre- sented. Clear buff wings are a reality, although not plenti- fully so. It is not necessary and I am not anxious for clear buff tails. We do not find it in the Cochins, and it is a ques- tion with me if we ever will find it in our Wyandottes. To be sure we can accomplish it, yet it is my idea we should work for other points in preference, such as before men- tioned, for instance. We should have the outside or sickles and coverts the same color as the surface, and the main tail feathers largely buff of some color, but why sacrifice some otber part of the surface to perfect that which is un- derneath ? In outlining my system of mating or breeding, I realize that there are many little things necessarily left out, things that we have been so accustomed to that we do not realize their importance, the breeder must necessarily work with our system to secure the same results and to have equal success. However, there is nothing secret about it and searcely anything original, it having been handed down to me from my brother, F. L. Mattison, who for many years has made a success in breeding the Silver variety. It can be termed double mating, which I understand means one way of mating to produce cockerels and another way to produce pullets. Good exhibition cockerels are not expected from pullet matings, and vice versa. In our cockerei matings we select for the male side the very best exhibition bird possible (irrespeczive of his breed- ing if necessary). Care should be taken that such a bird is really meritorious. All prize winners are not, | am sorry to say. On the female side would advise not more than four birds to a mating. First of all we select those that were sired by a meritorious bird, his strong qualities being those you wish to impress if possible in your present mating. An occasional cross of sire and daughter to fasten certain points is advisable. This of course also fastens undesirable quali- ties, which later may be eradicated in another mating equal- ly inbred, their inbred qualities being stronger than their defects. Bear in mind that the female side of these matings will, to a large degree, govern size and shape. One can use such females as show black in hackle in order to derive such benefit as they may possess in other qualities. Black in the hackle of males yery seldom occurs, and I hardly think ever THE WYANDOTTES. 71 from the female side of the mating. Small under-sized fe- males are not used, to which we attribute our present large size and vigor of flock generally. In our pullet mating we select a male whose dam we know to be a first-class specimen, selecting such as are best in size and shape, with other points as good as possible, but size and shape given preference. In selecting females we use our exhibition or choicest birds, offsetting as far as possible the defects most prominent in the dam of the male. It is, of course, very advisable that all breeding birds should have a good under-color, their under-color being as near as possible the color of the surface and free from foreign color. Our experience has been that a lighter under-color shows a weakness of color. Black, while objectionable, is simply a foreign color rather than a lack of color, and the same can be said regavding these two colors in surface plumage. Of the two evils, the white is much the greater. In conclusion I desire, for the “good of the order,’ to draw breeders’ attention to the advisability of securing a judge or judges whom we may recommend as capable and honest, and in some way employ him or have him employed to judge the principal shows throughout the country, that the awards in one place may be along the same line as at another. These judges should be capable of furnishing a score card if desired and to be at the disposal of the exhib- itors, as far as is reasonabie and just for the eniploye so that those who pay the bills need feel no hesitation in asking questions. We, as Buff Wyandotte breeders, are “quite some people,” and can well afford to take the “bull by the horns” in such a manner to the end that our Buff Wyandottes be judged as Buff Wyandottes, and that our choice of color be the judge’s color, rather than have sev- eral different judges with as many different opinions rela- tive to color and Wyandotte characteristics. Now, in order to win at Chicago, for instance, we must know such and such a judge’s preference, and at New York we must again be familiar with the judge’s interpretation of the standard, and I am inclined to think that at the present time, every thing else being equal, the color question under the eastern and western judges would place a Chicago winner at least fifth at New York, and vice versa—simply because two dif- ferent men interpret the standard in two different ways. It seems to me we should have one or more judges whom we can instruct as the majority of the breeders may desire. If we decide upon a certain shade, that shade should be the shade by which all awards are made east and west, and now that we have practically decided upon a shade of color, we should in some way see that this color be considered by our judges the correct shade by which to place their awards. C. S. Mattison. THE BLACK WYANDOTT ES: A Variety That Has Not Been Extensively Bred, But Which Possesses Most of the Attributes of the Other Varieties. BY THEO. HEWES. HE Black Wyandottes are the least popular of the Wyandotte family. The color has something to do with their unpopularity, but that is not all. The main trouble is that the breeders of the Blacks have never pushed them as they should. You can not hide a variety of birds and make it popu- lar. You must let. the people know that you have it and let them know something of the good qualities of the birds. So far as utility is concerned, there is no variety in the Wyandotte family that leads the Blacks, and they will throw more show specimens than any of the other varieties. In some localities they are shown in sufficient numbers to warrant us in counting them in the varieties of Wyandottes, but in other sections of the country they are practically unknown and the few specimens that are shown are of poor quality and not calculated to attract any one who is looking for some variety to breed. I have discussed plans for bringing this variety more prominently to the front with several leading fanciers, but when the breeders of Black Wyandottes do not bestir them- selves it is hard for us to help them. If they will but make the effort they will find plenty of help in pushing this vari- ety to the front. We need some up-to-date cuts of this breed, either photographs or sketches, also true statements of their good qualities, both as egg and flesh producers. In shape the Black Wyandotte should be the same as Charts 1 and 2. They should be black in color, and must be free from any foreign color. The main trouble found in the color of the Black Wyandotte is the purple barring in neck, back, wings and tail. This is not a disqualification, but it is a serious defect, and the new standard cuts one point in every section in which it appears. There is another defect which is quite often overlooked, and that is the color of the feet. The standard says they shall be disqualified if the bottom of the feet is any color other than yellow. This sec- tion is often missed by the judges, and for that reason exhi- bitors get careless about it. It is well to take care of this in time and get just as much yellow in the shanks as possible. The time will come when the standard will call for solid yel- low legs, and the breeder who is careful along these lines now will receive a rich reward then. Wor defects of shape, comb and other sections, see description of the Silvers, as what is said of them, except in regard to the coler, applies to the ‘black varieties as well, and the defects would be discounted in the same proportion. Black Wyandotte Female. This variety being so little known, one seldom sees really good specimens, though the best that have been shown for years were on exhibition at the Chicago show of 1898, and they seemed to awaken quite an interest. In color the females shoulda be a rich greenish black in all sections. The shanks should be black, or black shading to willow or yellow; the bottoms of the feet must be yellow. The cut of one point in each section where purple barring appears applies to this breed the same as to any other black fowls, but I have found the Black Wyandottes very free from this defect. Where the purple barring does appear it is usually in the neck, back and wings, and the discount in each sec- tion must be one point. For defects of shape of any section or color of eye, the cuts are the same as in any other variety of Wyandottes. Theo. Hewes. Jf et: e surprise exhibited by the editor of the London (England) “poultry”? when we first showed ‘him ers plucked from Golden Penciled Wyandottes, “you Yankee fanciers are always inventing ’he said. The above illustration presents the perfect plumage W hich has already been “bred into” the Silver Penciled vat iety.—F. L,. SEWELL. Well we remember thi a number of feath something new,’ qT2 GOLDEN AND SILVER PENCILED WYANDOTTES. Origin and History of the Cornell-Brackenbury Strain—The Two Varieties Described in Color and Markings—What of Their Future? BY EZRA CORNELL. HE great agricultural growth of America is rarely appreciated. Few people have any conveption of the vast amount of virgin soil which the last quarter of a century has brought under cultiva- tion, or of the gigantic agricultural growth during that period. It is estimated that in the past decade alone there has been an increase of over 1,150,- 000 farms and during the same time the farm wealth has expanded not less than $6,500,000,000. Congress has en- dowed agricultural colleges in every state; farming in all its branches is now being conducted according to more sci- entific principles, the result being that the annual yield of farm products is almost inconceivably large. Agriculture is composed of many branches any one of which may be considered an industry in itself. Of these many branches, that of poultry culture has been the most progressive and now yields the largest annual income. Twenty-five years ago a farm devoted exclusively to poultry was hardly known; artificial hatching and brooding had not yet come into general use and the poultry press was insig- nificant. To-day there are thousands of poultry farms; the manufacture of incubators and brooders is a large and in- creasing business and the poultry press shows a tremendous growth. This rapid and far-reaching development of the poultry interests is not without cause. There is an innate love of nature a fondness for animate things in the hearts of all good Americans showing itself in the great amount of at- tention paid to domestic fowls. ‘The people who have thus interested themselves are commonly classed as “fanciers” and to them the poultry industry owes its rapid growth. To the fancier we are indebted for “Better poultry and more of it,” for better poultry exhibits and more of them; for a bet- ter and larger poultry press; for better poultry appliances and for better methods in general. The fanciers are constantly bringing out new and better varieties of poultry. A few years ago Wyandottes were en- tirely unknown, whereas, to-day they are most popular and are being bred in a number of different colors and with var- ious markings, Penciled Wyandottes, the subject of this sketch, being the last to appear. Penciled Wyandottes, though of recent origin, are al- ready well known throughout the civilized world, many ex- portations in both varieties having been made, especially to England, where they seem to have been more keenly appre- ciated than here in their home country. American breeders areloath tosee the real value of a striking new breed and are often unwilling to give fair prices for good birds. You may spend a vast deal of time and money to bring something and then be expected to supply would-be customers with your choicest specimens at a few dollars each. This is why many of our best Penciled Wyandottes are going to Eng- land. The Penciled Wyandotte Type. Penciled Wyandottes are in all respects true Wyan- dottes, having the compact, blocky body, with short, clean yellow shanks and a head with its red lobes and close fitting rose comb. The Wyandotte size and shape should receive more careful attention. Twelve pound Wyandotte males are alto- gether too common. These extremely large birds are never of good shape, are deficient in breasts, are slow to mature, are less active, less rugged, make poorer broilers, and the females are less prolific. The fault has come from the rul- ing of the American Poultry Association in their “Instruc- tions to Judges.”” When birds are otherwise equal they give the preference to the heavier birds, whereas the preference should be given to the bird which is nearer to standard weight. If this is not true, why not put the weight as heavy as possible? It has been agreed that eight and one-half pounds is the correct weight for a matured Wyandotte male and it is rarely that we see as small a bird as that in any of our leading exhibits. Golden Penciled Wyandotte Markings. The two varieties of Penciled Wyandottes are identical in all respects excepting color. The Goldens have a ‘beau- tiful “black-red” combination, while the Silvers are a com- bination of black and white. The females of both varieties have triple penciled markings, the pattern of which con- forms to the outline of the feather, while the males of both varieties have a solid black bottom color and tail. The top color of the Golden male is red and the Silver is white, the hackle and saddle feathers of both being striped with black. The males have a solid color extending over the entire lower part of the body, with a striped saddle and hackle. The wing bows are red; the flight feathers are black with an outer bay edging; the secondaries have a black inner and a bay outer web; the wing coverts are a greenish-black, which form a bar across the the folded wing. The Golden Penciled female is a rich mahogany bay with a triple penciled marking running parallel or nearly so with the outlines of the feathers. The nearer you come to getting every feather well penciled, the finer bird you will have. The penciling is, however, less distinct on the flufi and thighs. due to the looseness of the feathers in these sections. The hackle feathers may be and frequently are striped like the hackle feathers of the males. The primary wing feathers are & grayish-brown, with light brown pen- ciling on the outer web. The tail feathers are black except- ing the first two, which should be penciled. Silver Penciled Wyandotte Markings. The Silver Penciled male is like the Golden in markings, having the black tail, breast, fluff and thighs. The head and back are white with a white hackle and saddle, the hackle and saddle feathers being striped with black. The wing bows are white; the coverts are a greenish-black, forming 73 74 THE WYANDOTTES. a bar across the wing when folded; the primary wing feath- ers are black, edged with white on outer web. The Silver Penciled female has a white or a very light gray ground, distinetly penciled with a triple marking of black running parallel or nearly so with the outlines of the feathers. The great beauty of these birds depends on get- shanks and skin, if we may eall it a sacrifice. The yellow shank and skin is considered a Wyandotte characteristic. It is a useless fad which sprung up in the Boston market and is a fad which the French and English do not recog- nize. Personally I am neither for it nor against it. It is all right where it can be had naturally, but a yellow shank ir) Plate No. Il—Feathers Plucked from a Partridge (Golden Penciled in Mr. Corneli’s Article) Wyandotte Female and Male. > FEATHER NO. 1 IS FROM HACKLE OF MALE ILLUSTRATED IN COLOR PLATE; NO, 2 IS FROM THE CAPE; No. 3 FROM REAR OF BACK OR UPPER SADDLE; No. 4+ FROM SADDLE; NOs. 5, 6 AND 7 FROM HACKLE OF SISTER TO THE MALE. __[It will be noticed that in placing'the numbers upon this plate the artist assumed that the feathers would be presented to our readers with the web downwards. We crave his pardon in differing with him.—Eb.]. ting a strong contrast of color. The tendency is to a light gray ground with darker penciling. This is less attractive and every effort should be made to get clearness of color, a clean black and white, like that of the Hamburg. To bring this color to its greatest state of perfection, it will probably be necessary to sacrifice the yellow color of the and skin are entirely out of place with a plumage of the Silver Penciled Wyandotte nature. The yellow pigment will not confine itself to the skin, but will extend to the feathers and destroy the absolute white which is so desira- ble. The hackle may be either striped or penciled. The wing primaries and secondaries are black edged with white on —_—”- PARTRIDGE WYANDOTTES ck and Hen, First prize winners at Boston and New York. Th¢ property of F Cornell, Ithaca, N. Y, the outer web. The taii feathers are black, excepting the two main feathers, which are penciled on the upper web. The Origin of the Penciled Wyandottes. The Penciled Wyandottes, like all other varieties, are the result of cross breeding. Certain old standard varieties THE WYANDOTTES. 75 were chosen as the foundation stock, their blood was min- gled, selecting and rejecting in the offspring such traits as were desired or undesired until the wished for result was A breed of fowls thus made cannot be considered “thoroughbred” until it has been bred for a sufficient length of time to thoroughly fix its characteristics, until the type obtained, Plate No. I—Feathers Plucked From a Partridge (“Golden Penciled’”’ in Mr. Cornell’s Article) Wyandotte Female. FEATHERS Nos. 1, 2 anp 3 ARE FROM THE HACKLE; NOS. 4, 5 AND 6 FROM BACK; UNDER BREAST Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10 AND 11 FROM SHOULDER DOWN ro THIGH {Tt will be noticed that in placing the numbers on this plate the artist assumed that the feathers would be presented to our readers with the web downwards. We crave his pardon in differing with him.--Ep. | 76 THE WYANDOTTES. is well established and the breeding tendency is all in one direction, and there is no longer an inclination to revert to one or another of the types used in the original process. The influence of some remote ancestor is forever asserting itself and will produce unlooked for results unless you have breeding birds of the same make-up for a number of genera- tions and there are no unlike traits for them to revert to. Birds are, however, never exactly alike; each has indi- viduality; there is a difference in their habits, in their in- telligence and in their disposition as well as in their color and markings, in their types, in their egg-producing ten- dency, and there is a vast difference in their abilities to transmit such traits to their offspring. It is surprising how strong the blood of some birds is, and how it will, after lying dormant for a number of generations, again assert itself. An observing breeder will detect traits of birds used years before, cropping out in his young stock. This shows the great necessity of knowing the ancestry of your breeders and of never breeding from chance specimens. It is true that “like will produce like;” a bird wil not inherit traits which never existed—he may inherit all his traits from his immediate ancestors, but he will inherit all his traits from ancestors and if these ancestors had all been of the same make-up you could tell almost to a certainty what to ex- pect. History of the Golden Penciled Wyandottes. Mr. George H. Brackenbury, of Auburn, N. Y., was, I be- lieve, the first to conceive the idea of the Penciled Wyan- dottes and the first to begin the work of producing them. Mr. Brackenbury made his first cross in the spring of 1889. His first mating was a Golden Laced Wyandotte male and a Partridge Cochin female. This mating, as I have it from Mr. Brackenbury, produced some females with laced markings. In 1890 he mated one of these pullets back to her Golden Laced Wyandotte sire. The following year Golden Penciled Hamburg blood was introduced, also more Part- ridge Cochin blood. Mr. Byron D. Sarr, a Cochin breeder, became interested with Mr. Brackenbury and worked with him for two or three years. My first interest in the Pen- ciled Wyandottes dated back to the winter of "93 and ‘94. Mr. E. O. Theim was interested in them prior to that date, but I believe that he took his cue from Mr. Brackenbury. In the early days Mr. Theim certainly bought some of Mr. Brackenbury’s surplus stock, some of which, as he wrote Mr. Brackenbury, he turned over to Mr. McKeen. One thing certain is that there has not been a strain of Golden Pen- ciled Wyandottes started in America that has not gone to George H. Brackenbury for help, whereas there it not a drop of blood from any other strain in the Brackenbury, or as it is now known, the Cornell-Brackenbury strain. In the spring of "94 work on the Penciled Wyandottes was begun at the Valleyview Farm (Ithaca, N. Y.). The foundation matings were made for a strain of Goldens and also for a strain of Silvers. Sarr were purchased and the writer then became associated with Mr. Brackenbury. At this time, or soon afterwards, I was also offered, Mr. Brackenbury, the entire stock of Mr. Thiem, but the sample feathers sent were not attractive. They were considered by us to be inferior to What we already had. double A year later the birds of Mr. through History of the Silver Penciled Wyandottes. Given the Golden Penciled Wyandottes,a Silver Penciled variety was bound to follow sooner or later. This variety may have been contemplated for some time, though nothing was done until fate, that invisible actor which so strongly influences every act of men’s lives, brought about a combi- nation of circumstances which started the ball rolling. Mr. Brackenbury sent some Buff Laced feathers to the well known poultry artist, Franklane L. Sewell, who, in his turn, took the feathers to the Madison Square Garden show in the winter of ‘93 and ’94 and there showed them to the writer. These were the circumstances which resulted in starting work on the Silver Penciled Wyandottes. I had never met, had in fact never heard of Mr. Brackenbury up to that time, but the novelty of the Buff Laced feathers led me to visit Mr. Brackenbury, which I did immediately after the New York show. The Buff Laced Wyandottes proved unattrac- tive, but the beautiful Golden Penciled Wyandottes which Mr. Brackenbury was then at work upon paid me for the journey. During this visit Penciled Wyandottes were the leading topic of conversation and the plans were then laid for be- ginning work on Silver Penciled Wyandottes. Mr. Brack- enbury first mated a Dark Brahma hen to a Golden Penciled Wyandotte male, producing Silver females and Silver males with red wings. The first mating at the Valleyview Farm was a Dark Brahma and a Silver Penciled Hamburg female to a Silver Laced Wyandotte male. The following year the Showing Wing of Silver Penciled Wyandotte Pullet Illustrated on Page 77. Wyandotte-Hamburgs were mated with the Wyandotte- Brahmas, producing chicks which were in blood one-half Wyandottes, one-fourth Dark Brahma and one-fourth Ham- burg. During this time Mr. Brackenbury had produced some very good females from his Dark Brahma and Golden Pen- ciled Wyandotte cresses, but the males all showed a great deal of red, and the females, though equal both in color and markings to many of the Dark Brahmas seen in the show rooms, were not what we desired. In ’97 we had better pen- ciling on Silver Penciled Wyandotte females than I had ever seen up to that time on any Golden Penciled Wyandotte. Since then we have worked hard for a better color and have made good progress in that direction. We shall not, how- ever, be perfectly satisfied until we have clearly defined markings of black and white. A-Silver Penciled Wyandotte with this strong contrast of color will be an ideal American fowl. The Law of Production. Studies in nature always offer the most interesting field for investigation. The ways of nature are curious and intri- cate and will never be completely fathomed by the human THE WYANDOTTES. 17 mind. Whether our work is with animal, bird, insect or plant life, it is alike interesting. To me the study of bird life as we have it domesticated is a constant source of pleasure. No man knows what there is in the organism of birds which fixes the color and markings. Take for example the Silver Penciled Wyandottes. Why should the males and females be so strikingly different in markings? It is prob- ably due to the fact that the color of the females of all ground birds—birds which nest and run on the ground—has been subdued by nature to a marked degree of inconspicu- ousness to protect them against their enemies. The Silver Penciled Wyandotte is a most modest com- bination of black and white. Her colors are always laid on in alternate stripes, conforming in shape to that of the feather. Why should not her colors form themselves as on a laced, barred or spangled feather? Nobody knows. We know nothing about how these things are governed and it is not necessary that we should. All we know is that the law of nature is reproduction, and with this in mind we go ahead. To produce what we desire we choose specimens for breeding which are as nearly as possible what we wish. We must know to a certainty the plumage of the male which corresponds to that of the female. If our birds are not ex- actly what is desired we can gradually approach nearer to it by careful selection, a slight variation always being pos- sible, ‘but if any radical change is desired it can be best ob- tained by the introduction of entirely different blood, some- thing that will destroy the tendency to fix characeristics. We herewith present photographie reproductions show- ing the difference in markings of a pair of Silver Penciled Wyandottes, brother and sister, prize winners at the Pan- American Exposition. The photograph of the cockerel is fine and shows his black breast, tail and lower body color, striped saddle and hackle, white wing bow, black wing bar and white triangular wing bay. His sister shows an en- tirely different marking. a \" ™e Oy A Pan-American Winner—Silver Penciled Wyandotte Cockerel. Bred and Owned by Ezra Cornell. By close inspection you can see the distinct triple pen- ciled markings, whichareso distinct that nearly all who have seen the original photograph thought it was taken from a drawing rather than from a living bird. It is the same pul- let in the hand with wing spread, showing the neat penciled edging of the wing flights. The breeze disturbed the feath- A Pan-American Winner—Silver Penciled Wyandotte Pullet. Bred and Owned by Ezra Cornell. ers on the shoulders and back, somewhat blurring the mark- ings, but to the right of the head, where the wind did not strike, you will notice the sharp, clean-cut markings, which should delight the eye of every true fancier, A number of prominent poultry experts have expressed themselves as believing that the Silver Penciled Wyandottes possess the combination of qualities which will eventually make them the most popular variety in America. If this belief is to be realized the standard must be made to fit the variety instead of the variety being made to fit some unnat- ural and arbitrary standard, as is unfortunately the case with some of the older varieties. Do not demand a clean black fiuif on the male or a well penciled fluff on the female, or rich yellow legs. Develop the plumage to its greatest perfection from single matings and let the shanks come Whatever color they will. Then make the standard to fit the birds and we will have a variety to bank on. [Since the above article was written both varieties of Wyandottes under discussion have been admitted ito the American Standard of Perfection, one under the name of Partridge Wyandottes, the other being named Silver Pen- ciled Wyandottes.—Ed. ] Ezra Cornell. PENCILED WYAINIDOT has One Variety Admitted to the Standard, the Other Knocking at the Door—Origin, Characteristics and Merits—They are Destined to Become General Favorites. BY THEODORE HEWES. | Nore,--Since this article was written the Silver variety has been admitted to the Standard under the name of Silver Penciled Wyandottes.—Ep. | E know almost nothing of the origin of more than half the varieties of poultry which we to-day class as standard-bred. We know but little of the origin of even our American fav- it its origin claimed the orites. From almost the has been that the Barred Rock Black Java and the American Dom i- nique. Up to within a few years this was accepted almost 2s a fact, but now some of the _ foremost poultrymen are claiming that neith- er of these breeds is entitled to credit as a part of the basis beginning had in a cross of mated to even the Silver Laced Wyandotte took away all the Wyandotte shape. In my own experience in breeding Silver Laced Wyan- doites, covering the period from 1881 to the present time, there has not been a year when some specimen has not given positive evidence of the presence of Brahma blood. The Sil- ver Laced Wyan- dotte, no matter how well bred, if al- lowed to mate at will for two generae tions, will, to some extent, revert to the Dark Brahma char- Th je Brahma penciling will come to the sur- face on the females, acteristics, of our foremost va- while the lacing on riety, a few even as- the breasts of the serting that the males will begin to Barred Rocks were darken. This shows bred and exhibited how strong in any before either the breed is the tenden- Javas or Dominiques cy toward reversion. were known. ‘This This tendency is due shows how little to the fact that in- positive knowledge stead of allowing na- we have of the ori- eae: hoy WARIS a) SDI gin of breeds and dard for poultry, we varieties. lose patience and at- The same uncer- tempt to improve Lar ap 0 prevails upon her. The Silver concerning the ori- Laced Wyandottes, gin of the Wyan- though the oldest of dotte. While it is the family, are, held that a cross of however, the most the Dark Brahma difficult to Duce: ne a ms The addition of out- and Silver Spangled side blood, to pro- Hamburg produced duce. the Golden the Silver Laced Laced variety, at Wyandotte, there is once overcame the no evidence to sub- "ELM youd KING preponderance ot stantiate ‘this. At DSVSEDLEY Asiatic blood, The the time of their in- result of this Was troduction the ap- ‘ ; 7. , that we soon had It is now nearly ten years since the originator first disclosed to me his secret of “Golden the Goldens well 10 pearance of the va- penciled Wyandottes” and sent me a number of feathers from some of the first production of his 5 af experimental crosses. We were then just bidding good-bye to our friends on this side for an ex- advance of the Sil- riety led one to be- tended trip among English fanciers the types we look to see it become widely popular lieve that cross in question made the new-comer. The speculation in regard to this was such that to test this claim, a cross of the two breeds was made. This cross, while producing nothing which could be called a Wy- andotte, proved one point to my satisfaction, namely, that there 3rahma the Silvers. If Hamburg blood was used it had been modified previously is Dark blood in by some cross. What the cross was I am not prepared to say, but it was undoubtedly some fowl with a short back, deep breast ana compact body, inasmuch as the pure Hamburg when 78 Now that the variety has taken its place among standard The above specimen owned by Mr. T. F illustrates the perfect shape already attained by this variety.—F. L vers in markings McGrew a s McGrew, .nd'fixedness of type. SEWELL The Golden Penciled or Partridge Wyandottes. Recently breeders of the Goldens added the Penciled or Partridge variety. Already the females of this late creation of the fanciers’ art have a fine mahogany color to a degree better than that found on any other of our standard varie- The per cent of strictly well marked fowls in this va- riety is in excess of that from the best mated strains of Sil- This shows conclusively that the latter crosses have taken away the greater part of the Brahma blood, and left ties. vers. THE WYANDOTTES. 79 with the fancier 1 variety that is pliable, so to speak; one that responds quickly to intelligent mating. When the new Wyandotte had met the requirements for admission to the standard a controversy arose over the name of the new candidate for popular favor. Numerous ar- dent discussions appeared in the poultry press, and the claims of breeders for priority as the ‘‘originator’ were in- teresting to the fancy at large. The breeders of the west favored the name of ‘“‘Partridge’’ Wyandotte, laying stress on the similarity of the penciling to that of the Partridge Cochin. The eastern breeders favor the name of ‘“Penciled,”’ basing their claim on the ground that the birds have not the true partridge markings of our wild birds, but have pen- ciled feathers. At the Chicago meeting of the American Poultry Aszo- ciation, January, 1901, this variety was admitted to the BRED AND OWNED BY - = - TF MCGREW a _ The Partridge Penciled Wyandottes have enjoyed a growing popularity in England; the first silver penciled birds we have heard of being exhib- ited this year. It is expected that the Silver Penciled variety, which is fully as old as the Goldens, will be admitted to the standard when the American Poultry Association convenes at Charleston this winter. The above specimen is a grand Silver pullet owned by Mr. T. F. McGrew.—PF. Ll. SEWELL. standard under the name of “Partridge Wyandottes.” The admission of the variety under this name did not satisfy the eastern breeders, and even now they refuse to exhibit their stock as ‘Partridge’? Wyandottes. Several of the foremost fanciers to-day advertise them as “Penciled,’’ and declare that they always will despite the of the Poultry Association. action American THE ORIGIN OF SILVER PENCILED WYAN- POTRMML§ES: Mr. Cornell, not being satisfied with the Golden Pen- ciled, or Partridge Wyandotte, and seeing the tendency of the Silver Laced variety to revert to the original cross, con- ceived tne idea of establishing a new variety with silver penciling similar to that of the Dark Brahma. plish this he had to rely not upon good luck in experiment- To accom- ing, but upon careful, intelligent mating. Three distinct varieties were used and judiciously crossed. One was among the oldest in the American standard, another has been rec- ognized and bred for twenty years. The result of such a cross was a fowl whose origin none could question, a fowl whose inherited merits none could disregard. We do not know what success attended the first two crosses of these established varieties, but we do know that success was dependent upon care and forethought. With carelessness and guess work the result would have been dif- ferent. Mr. Cornell’s method was to select from each cross the fowls showing most strongly the characteristics of the desired variety, and then mate these for another season. For three years he pursued this course, with the result that he now has a Silver Penciled Wyandotte which far out- Dark Brahma in color and is almost equal to any of the staudard Wyandottes in shape. The females of no other variety of Wyandottes approach even, closely in beauty those of the Silver Penciled. Especially is this true of other Wyandottes when compared with Mr. Cornell's birds. The neat, steel gray penciling, the compact, clean cut, symmetrical form, the rose comb and yellow legs, com- bine to make the new hen a marvel of beauty. The male, too, must not be passed by, as he equals in appearance any other Wyandotte. Mr. Cornell prepared a standard for it, and asked the American Poultry Association to accept this handsome fowl Wyandotte. We are confident the will favorably on this application, the varieties admitted to the standard within the last fifteen years we know of none which has a better foundation, nor of one which can point with more pride to its origin. Theo. Hewes. ranks the as the Silver Penciled Association for of all pass Note.—Mr. Hewes, in the course of the preceding article, states that “Mr. Cornell, not being satisfied with the Golden Penciled Wyandotte, * * * and seeing the ten- dency of the Silver Laced variety to revert to the original cross, conceived the idea of establishing a variety with silver penciling.’ Mr. Hewes has been somewhat misled in this. From the first I have been well satisfied with the Goldens, and I have not had any experience with the Silver Laced Wvyandottes, therefore am not informed as to a tendency on their part to revert to the foundation stock. I was induced to take up the work of making a Silver Penciled Wyandotte because I liked the Goldens. ‘The first cross made between a Silver Laced Wyandotte male, having a plumage approach- ing that of the Dark Brahma, and a Dark Brahma hen as strong in penciling as could be had, failed to produce pullets with even a fairly good penciling. The Silver Laced Wyan- dotte undoubtedly has a tendency to degenerate from the clean-centered laced feather, but it is doubtful if the ten- dency to a penciled feather. Certainly the tendeney is not strong. It is also a question whether or not Mr. Hewes is correct in thinking that the Laced Wyandottes were ad- vanced to a greater state of perfection than the Silver Laced on account of their having less of the Asiatic blood (penciled blood). It will be found that it is easier to get a clean-cut penciling on a Partridge Cochin or a Golden Penciled Wyandotte than on a Dark Brahma or Silver Laced Wyandotte. There seems to be a much stronger tendency for black and white to run together than for brown and black. The writer is not prepared to give any reason for this, but experience has clearly demonstrated it to be a fact that clearly defined markings, no matter what the pattern, can be more easily gotten in the brown and black than in the white and black. Ezra Cornell. is to revert Golden THE PARTRIDGE WYAN DOG: So Called From the Resemblance of Their Plumage to That of the Partridge Cochins—They are Wyandotte in Shape with the Plumage of the Partridge Cochin—Origin—Description. BY W. A. DOOLITTLE. HE latest addition to the Wyandotte family ig the Partridge Wyandottes. The western strain was originated, as were the Goldens, by that true and honest fancier, Joseph McKeen, of Omro, Wiscon- sin, and his co-worker was E. O. Thiem, of Deni- son, Iowa. They were first introduced by an article and illustration in the October, 1894, number of the Poultry Monthly, in which Mr. McKeen stated that he had been breeding with this object in view for a number of years, they making the first cross with this point in view in 1888. I had for some years bred the Golden and Buff varieties, getting eggs and stock from Mr. Mc- Keen from time to time, as I believed his to be the best and the original strain of the Gold- en. He did not orig- inate any strain of Buffs, but as an hon- est fancier he en- deavored to breed the best, and with his strain I man- aged to win a lion’s share of prizes at the leading western Partridge Wyandotte Cock, “Kansas Boy.”’ . shows. First at Chicago and St. Louis, 1900. Owned and bred by W. A. Doolittle. Soon after Mr. Mc- Keen’s death, in 1896, I bought from his widow some of his choicest Goldens and Buffs, including the cock, Major McKeen, which won first for me at the great Mid-Continental and twice at Kan- sas and Nebraska state shows. I also took up the breeding of his strain of Partridge Wyandottes, obtaining them from Mrs. McKeen, and I now have in my yards a male and female of this variety that came direct from his yards. The female was one of his own raising. In my opinion this beautiful variety has a great future, as the Partridge Wyandottes now breed as true as any of their sister varieties, and in fact are better in symmetry, have larger and better bone, are free’ from feathers on shanks and toes, and all of them have the true Wyandotte comb, bright red ear-lobes and yellow legs. I speak of the McKeen strain. In selecting breeding stock, either male or female, you should first see that they have the true Wyandotte shape, clean yellow legs and bright bay eyes. The ear-lobes and wattles should be bright red, free from white, and above all do not permit in your breeding yards of any variety of Wy- andottes, excepting the white, a bird having white in its plumage, for it will be more abundant in the offspring and 1%) once it is introduced it is almost impossible to breed it out. As so much depends on the male bird, great care should be taken in his selection. After satisfying yourself that he has the proper symmetry and that he has a good, full saddle rising with a con- cave sweep to the tail, which should not be too large or earried too high— then see that he has a broad, deep, well- rounded breast, in ecolor_ greenish- black, free from brown or red, with a slate under-color. If there is red or brown in the breast of the male bird he will throw pullets in color and markings similar to a Brown Leghorn pullet and brown will predomi- nate in the breast color of his male birds. If possible choose a bird which as a chick had a well-penciled breast like that of the females and which had richly laced coverts. Such a male will produce well-laced females, and if his breast as a matured bird is glossy black free from red or brown, his males will also be properly marked. In this way good males and females are obtained from a single mating. First Prize Partridge Wyandotte Cockerel at Kansas City Mo., January, 1901. Bred, owned and exhibited by W. A. Doolittle. Luciel won first as pullet at Chicago, 1901, and first as hen at the same show in 1902. ,,Owned by_W. A. Doolittle. a > THE WYANDOTTES. 81 His neck should be short and well-arched with a large flowing hackle, in color red or orange red, with a distinct black stripe extending down each feather and tapering to a point near its extremity. His back should be short, broad and flat at the shoulders—in color dark red. The saddle This half tone illustration is of the first prize Partridge Wyandotte pullet at Chicago last season and shows by the feathers taken from her, the most excellent markings of plumage, She was bred and is owned by W. A. Doolittle. should be red or orange red with a black, stripe down the center of each feather. The fluff should be slightly black; the primaries black on the inner web with a bay edge on the outer web; the secondaries black on the inner web and rich bay on the outer web, terminating with a black end on each feather. The wing coverts should be greenish black with a well-defined bar across the wing when folded. The tail should be black, the sickles being of medium length and glossy black, the tail coverts being a glossy, greenish black and they may be tinged with red. The comb should be of good Wyandotte shape, and I should not sacrifice other good points merely for the sake of the comb so long as it is rose. The best Golden Wyandotte cock as a breeder that I ever saw had a very bad comb. It was large and laid over to one side, but this defect was never transmitted to his off- spring. The females should be as well laced as possible, with a bright red or an orange red hackle having a broad black stripe extending down each feather and tapering to a point near the extremity. The black stripe in the lower neck feathers should be penciled with reddish brown. The plum- age of the back should be abundant, under-color slate and the web of the feathers reddish brown, distinctly penciled with reddish black, the lines of penciling in all parts of the body conforming as nearly as possible to the shape of the feathers. The breast and body feathers should be marked the same as those of the back except they should be penciled wiih black, the lacing to come well up to the throat. The fluff should be reddish brown in color, irregularly penciled with dark brown. The wings should be of the same color as those of the male, excepting the coverts, which should be the same color and have the same markings as the feathers of the breast. The tail should be well spread at the base and black in color, except two or more of the highest main tail feathers, which should be penciled. The tail coverts should be well penciled, similarly to those of the breast. The standard weights are the same for all Wyandotte varieties: Cockerel, seven and one-half pounds; cock, eight and one-half pounds; pullet, five and one-half pounds; hen, six and one-half pounds. I exhibited the Partridge Wyan- dottes at Washington, D. C.; Chicago, Ill.; Davenport, Iowa; Kansas and Nebraska state and other shows. As early as 1898 they were a new variety of Wyandottes and I wished to give fanciers an opportunity to see them, and it was my pleasure to be one to assist in getting them admitted to the standard at the Chicago meeting of the A. P. A. in 1901 as Partridge Wyandottes. We present herewith an illustration of a group of Partridge Wyandotte feathers from birds of this variety bred by W, A. Doolittle and F. O, Thiem, DIRECTORY (@F— ae RELIABLE WYANDOTTE BREEDERS ARTHUR F. HARTMAN, Nappanee, Ind. White Wyandotte Specialist. Always write to a specialist in the breed you want. I breed the of prize-winning stock; practical and faney. “Business Hen” strain Stock and eggs for sale. T. E. ORR, Beaver, Pa. Proprietor of Beaver Hill Marm, the home of Orr's Silver Wyandottes, line bred since 1881. breeder of Greatest egg machines and prize winners. Pioneer Partridge Wyan- dottes; also of White Wyandottes. ROSS C. H. HALLOCK, St. Louis, Mo. “Quality” White Wyandottes. Winners at the Great Chi- cago Show, January 1902, Ist and 4th pullets, 2nd cock and Znd pen. Also specials for best shaped female, best colored male, best White Wyandotte pullet, and silver cup for largest and best display of White Wyandottes. This in competition with 243 White Wyandottes in single entries and 17 pens. Stock is all farm raised, strong and vigorous, JULIUS BACHMAN, Kausas City, Mo. Silver Wyandottes, up-to-date. Fine stock for sale. Eggs in season, $8 per 15. ARTHUR G. DUSTON, Box 29, Marlboro, Mass. Rose Lawn Poultry Farm. Tor years recognized as the fountain from which the best flocks of White Wyandottes sreed- in the country ave built up. Show birds a specialty. ers for sale the year round. Eggs for hatching. RELIABLE INCUBATOR & BROODER CO., Box A 104, Quincy, Ill. Reliable Strain of Silver White Wyandottes. Ten pens of each variety; lowest score Silver Laced Wyan- White Wyandottes, 95 Laced and dottes, mated, 90 points; points. Stock und eggs for sale. EDGAR BRIGGS, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Proprietor Hudsen River Poultry arn, ers of White Wyandottes exclusively. None better. New York. all times. Catalogue free, Specialty breed- Originators and breeders of the Yankee strain. Largest breeders of high class stock in Wees a spe- cialty. Stock for sale at OTTO O. WILD, Benton Harbor, Mich. Breeds White Wyandottes of exceptional merit, and guar- antees them to please purchasers. FRED E. PILE POULTRY FARM CO., Cleveland, Ohio. White Wyandottes. We have 12 acres devoted to White Wyandottes. We breed for the show room, but never lose sight of their practical qualities. Our birds are noted for correct size and shape, whiteness of plumage and fine yellow legs. Pile’s White Wyandottes are among the rich- est prize-winner producing lines in the country. Corre- spondence a pleasure. I. K. FELCH & SON, Natick, Mass. Their White Wyandottes are above standard weight. Lay dark shelled eggs and win prizes for their patrons. Eggs, $4 for 15, $8 for 45, $15 per 105. celled by no other strain, Yowls or eggs are ex- ORIOLE SPRINGS FARM, Twin Lakes, Kenosha Co., Wis. The leading Partridge Wyandotte farm of the world. We lead; others follow. Make no mistake in placing your orders Write for free illustrated circular, for stock and eggs. JOHN COOLIDGE, Galesburg, Il. White Wyandottes. records at the leading shows. “Phe best in the west,’ proven by our Single birds, $2 up; pairs, $8.50 up: trios, $5 up. Satisfaction or money back less express. A. C. HAWKINS, Lancaster, Mass. sreeds the winners at America’s greatest shows. Barred, White and Buff P. Rocks. Silver, White and Buff Wyan- dottes. For 25 years we have been breeding the very best. A. & E. TARBOX, Box 1, Yorkville, Ill. North Side Poultry Yards. Silver, Buff and White Wyan- dottes. Choice stock for sale. No eggs for hatching. Agents for Spratt’s patent poultry food and meat. Send for circular giving winnings and prices. L. R. HODGES, Pittsfield, Mass. Paddock Farm. Partridge Wyandottes exclusively. Won 9 blue ribbons and 25 other prizes, 1901-1902, New York, Boston, and Pan-American exhibitions, on only 87 entries. All line-bred from prize winners, and pedigree of each bird Judges Atherton, Drevenstedt and MaGrew. recorded. Show and breeding birds for sale singly or in pairs or trios. A. FAMARISS, Beverly, N. J. Breeder of White Wyan- Silver Laced—splendidly pen- Wyandottes of highest type. dottes that are snow white. ciled, True to standard, vigorous fowls. Prize winners. Eggs and stock for sale. THAYER & HIGGINS, Barnstable, Mass. White Wyandottes that to back their breeding. 1902. White, Stock and eggs for sale. are winners, and have pedigrees Second best hen and three specials, Boston, blocky, strong in eye and comb. ROWLAND G. BUFFINTON, Fall River, Mass. Buff Wyandottes. Eggs in season. Send for cireular. Breeder of and Partridge Stock for sale. MAHASKI POULTRY COMPANY, St. Louis, Mo. Breeders of Viking strain of White Wyandottes. Eggs $2. Farm at Bourbon, Mo. We solicit correspondence. Is a book of 112 3,9 x 1Zinches in sive, that contains, we SUCCESS WITH POULTRY believe MORE oad BETTER ‘practical, reliable iaformation on the subject of *’ Poultry for Profit ** than any other book published. Gives the creant of estah- lished Written and compiled by the editor of the ReLiaste Pouttay Jougwat, who has given many years of careful study to the poultry business, Price 4 foley oe : e ‘ARTIFICIAL INCUBATING AND BROODING bj. It is contributed to bythe leading authorities of this country, It has88 pages. cach 12x9 inches, with many illustrations, including a aumber of designs of modern brooder houses, laying houses, a incubator cellars. Complete instructions on the,use and abuse.of incubators. 50 How to start right and goright in raising chickens by artificial means. Price A BARRED, WHITE and BUFF PLYMOUTH ROCKS 7Mstook consists of 144 50s.< elegant color pace of Barred, White and Buff Plymouth Rocks, shown in their naturai colora, repro duced from oil paintings made by the world’s greatest poultry ertist. Franklane L, Sewell, Amon the contributors are the following: A.C, Hawkins, 8. B, Thompson, vat thats A. C. Smith, 1. K. Felch, D. J. Lambert, U.R. Fishel, Robt. H. Essex, C..H, Latham, F, W. Richardson, Theo. Hewes, F. W. Hitchcock, W, S. Russell, C, A, Emry,S, S: Noble aud others, «= Price 50c Sliver, Gotdon, White, Butt and Partridge. A new publication THE WYANDOTTES treating extensively upon this breed. The trentisplece is sy handsome teproduction from Mr. Sewell's oil printing of * White Wyandottes to date,” representing the win- ning cockerel and pullet at Boston, in January, 1898) We have hid made especially for this book {ull-page drawings of Silver, Golden, White and Buff Wyandottes, Eighty pages fully illustrated; = OEE RUIN SIR et ne 1c OO ERG wr) ORAS Price 50c "AN Varlatios. This publication will delight fauciers of that widely bred THE, LEGHORNS and favorite fowl—the Le ns. No et can afford to be withent the Information writtes by such judges as I, K. Belch, T. J, Marshall, H. S. Babcock, #. H. Shellabarger, Theo. Hewes, D.-T, Heimlich, C. A, Emry, Chas, McClave, Ezra Cornell, W. S: Ruseell, P, B. Zitcamer, Wm, Ellery Brightand others... Twelve iull-page illustrations aad many others, Price S0e EGGS AND EGG FARMS !: made up of contributions from experienced, and successful an nnns orecders. It gives their methods of housing, breeding, rearing and feeding fowls with a view to increasing egz etna The eomshy. chapters on Pedigree Breeding will be found invaluable to breeders of exhibition or utility fow As P a] §0-page book, fully illustrated. + es ee le ee MCE SOG DUCKS AND GEESE Tells how the most successful breeders of the day manage their enor- mous flocks and derive handsome profits; gives detatled instructions for breeding, rearing and feeding. and presents the best and most reliable information relating to details of management ahd profits on Ducks and Geese. It is felly ilustrated with up-to-date cuts of the tie farms and their stock, = * 2) # oe. Price S0e TURKEYS ‘Their Care and. Management. The most complete book written upon turkey culture, H SUAS treats of every branch of the subject. Among the prominent breeders who have epent time and effort in preparing articles for this book are. Mrs, Mackey, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Hargrave, Mrs, Singleton, S.B. Johuston, J. F. Crangte, W. J. Bell, B. FP, Uirey, B, F. His W.A. Moon, Ed Isley, J. A. Leland and S, T. Jones. The colored reproduction of aq oil painting by Sewell sided by numerous P I 50 pall-tones makes this the very best turkey book published, .« «..0 2 © + © PIGG ¢ b 2 5 Consists of 32 i , 9x12 Inches, and tal; POULTRY HOUSES AND FIXTURES the -apscet desigasotprestical poultry oulidings for the city lot, the village acre and the farm; also complete and comvenient houses for the P i 25 ;fancier and plans for bitilding extensive poultry farms, <== #9) ie rice G os « r - a The most complete and fully iMustrated Bantam book published in this coun- THE BANTAM FOWL try. Mr. T. F Mocrew, judge and breeder, Speak eres months collectiag @nd@ writing the matter, and over sixty.copyrighted illustrations were made expressly for this book, Evety Pp. { 60 person interested in Bantams as pets or for profit will: wantacopy, 2° = ** ¢ 8 = = rice S Consists of 4 es, each Sx6 inches, points out the causes, describes the symp- RELIABLE POULTRY REMEDIES toms and gives tried Sede fe. roup. colds Matic gael fadigestion, con- stipation, dysentery; congestion of liver, gapes, chicken pox, black rot, crop-bound, scaly legs, bumbie- tuk othey diseases of fowis. Contains full insteuctions on care of poultry to prevent diseases, = © +» Price 28c¢ These books are sold ON APPROVAL. — If not satisfactory, they-can be immediately returned in good o will be promptly returned. “The aboye prices include payment of postage to any addreas in United States or Canada, RELIABLE. POULTRY JOURNAL PUB. 6O., QUINCY, ILLINOIS. rder and the purchase money Address ali orders to