Excerpt from The Leghorns: Brown, White, Black Buff and Duckwing; An Illustrated Leghorn Standard, With a Treatise on Judging Leghorns, and Complete Instructions on Breeding, Mating and Exhibiting

In recent years fanciers in trying to get away from this low set, blocky, long bodied type of bird have produced a much smaller Buff Leghorn, which is no larger nor longer on the legs than the older varieties. With the foundation of the large body which we have mentioned there was a grand opportunity to keep the size in the Buffs, especially as the color advanced so quickly. We believe the length of leg and the reduction in size of comb could be obtained upon those strains which. Have not been hurriedly reduced in size, and this, with particular attention to type, would result in a Leghorn that would have an especial advantage over its sister varieties in point of size. We would impress upon the breeder, however, the importance of maintaining the shape and style of the Leghorn even if it is done at the ex pense of size.

The exact shade of the Buff Leghorn has been a point of contention for some years. It has had, however, in this particular, the advantage of being grouped with several other Buff breeds, and the argument has, been carried on generally with all these breeds in the field. It has been a. Question of what shade governs, and we think the Leghorn has taken the lead in fixing the color during the few years it has been exhibited. Perhaps the closer feathering of the breed gives it a different appearance to that of other buff breeds. Be it what it may, there is no doubt the Buff Leg horn has approached nearer the correct shade of buff and has produced a greater percentage of chicks true to color than any other buff breed has done in the same time, even includ ing the Buff Cochin of long standing.

We think the question of which is the proper shade need not bother the fancier much. It is like gold mining - there is often a doubt as to whether the metal turned up by the prospector is, or is not really gold, but once let the real thing come to the surface and no doubt remains. When the correct shade of buff is once seen there is no doubt as to its genuineness, and when judged without bias, neither cinna mon nor a mealy washed out shade has any standing be side it.

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