For a half century the fanciers and poultrymen generally have
devoted their attention to the showroom in the development of shape
and color. No opportunity has been offered or anything specially
done to encourage the farmer and poultryman to develop the natural
resources of the hen—her ability to lay eggs. A few of our best experi-
ment stations have made some investigations along this line and done
some very valuable work indeed. Here and there an occasional poultry-
breeder has given some thought and attention to breeding for egg-pro-
duction; but certainly, as a whole, the attention of breeders generally
has not been along this line, and it seems that this important matter has
been too much neglected. ;

Haphazard methods of mating and breeding don’t pay, and in-
discriminate methods cannot prove successful in building up a flock of
laying hens. There never was a time in the history of this country
when poultry and eggs were in greater demand; the price at which
poultry and eggs sell has increased much more in proportion than has
the price of feeds necessary to produce these products; but because the
industry is flourishing today more than ever before does not justify
us in continuing indiscriminate or foolhardy methods. The opportunity
is ours to insure greater profits, if we will but carefully and systematically
solve the problem which is facing us: ‘How can we insure a reasonably
high average egg-production?”

The interests of the fancier are served through the showroom. If
a breeder enters birds in a showroom and is beaten, he tries to improve
his flock and perfect it by introducing new blood or by improved methods
of breeding and careful selection. If he wins, he tries to keep his flock
in that high state of perfection. It is just as important, and even more
so that he know just what his flock can do in the matter of production,
and he ought to use the same care in trying to perfect his strain of layers.
