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Show ARE OUR CHICKEN8 TOO HANDSOME? Herbert Quick, editor of Farm and I Fireside, writes an artlclo in tho cur-K cur-K rent Issue of that publication In which j ho says that many American chicken m fanciers have beon brooding on the I theory that flno feathers mttke fine I birds, which Is not tho truth. Now they are confronted by the fact that the utility hreedors of Australia and England have boon brooding for lay- Ing and have beaten them. Mr. Quick 9 goes on to say: H "No work of a higher scientific H character or of moro general utility has ever been ilonp In poultry than M that of Dr. Ttnymond Pearl of tho Maine station. He has taught tho world how extraordinary laying qual-W qual-W Itles nro Inherited, Ho has g'yen iw working plans for improving the infra inf-ra Ing nualitleR of our poultry. Nothing that has ever been dc&o In g. a!n breeding, or hny other plant Imptove- j rut Is more Important economically. In a few years the breeders who st 11 j breed for feathers niic" r.'tape will be I outclassed by those vj breed for only one thing eggs. There will bo record books as closely kept as those of the horse aid other live stock breeders. "Of course this will set up new conditions con-ditions which the present broaders will have to face. Malny of them are already facing It. The most of them are trying to keep their birds up to exhibition standard as to outward appearance ap-pearance and at the same time breed for eggs from extraordinary laying strains, and with Individual pcdigres. I Maybe they can succeed. If they do, they will have done a flno thing In breeding. But I think It Is safs to , predict that out of tho laying contests and cut of tho principles of heredity established by Doctor Pearl and oth- I ers, will come breeds of laying hens, I the breeders of which will pay no more attention to color and conformation conform-ation than do tho breeders of the Pit Games. But they will lay. "The farmers aro Interested In better bet-ter laying whether tho hens doing lit have any feathers at all or not." |