This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...as possible to mate with cocks or cockerels having good wing markings. I look to the female for shape and to the male for size and stamina and also expect to produce rich red color through the male. B. M. Billings Ohio I try to mate my very best birds, that is, those nearest my ideal in both shape and color, as it gives a better chance of getting what one wants in their offspring. These birds, both male and female, must have long bodies and long straight backs with tails carried well back, but not too high and they must have the best colored combs and eyes that V. S. Harris, Massachusetts As an all-round fowl, I believe the Rhode Island Red stands first. In their veins flows the blood of the best breeds, thus giving them all that could be desired--good size, vigor and beauty and the ability to lay a large number of nicely colored eggs. Their hardiness, their evenness in feathering while growing, and the fertility of their eggs make them a good, practical as well as a fancy fowl. Their vigor and laying ability should not be allowed to deteriorate when breeding them for fancy points. Shape is essential and must not be overlooked. It is the long backed fowls that are the great egg producing ones. Some of the successful show room breeders of Reds prefer some smut in the under-color of the male or much black in the wings when breeding, as they are sure to get a larger per cent of show room birds. J. Alvah Scott, New Jersey The mating of Rhode Island Reds is not merely a question of mating a good male to good females, but it must be done more on the compensating mating principle. The strong or weak points of the birds mated, or of the parents of those birds have a very decided effect upon the offspring. For example, I will mention a case where I mated a moderatel...