3o8 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



round, size included, we are certainly not up to 

 brother Jonathan in under-barring. ' Fashions 

 are said to rule the world, including the poultry 

 world, and none can say that in a year or two 

 we may not be searching energetically for those 

 barrings which are hidden, and therefore add 

 nothing of beauty to a fowl, but which may 

 probably aid us to breed them truer to type on 

 the surface. This I would rather welcome. 



" I appreciate the American Barred Rock, 

 but they lack the lustre in colour ; if only they 

 had a green lustrous black barring I feel sure 

 it would add to their beauty, particularly if 



with five points, and perfectly straight and firm 

 on head, and with lobes and wattles a bright 

 red, beak to correspond with legs." 



The American Barred Rock differs from the 

 English type perceptibly in shape. The tail of 

 the cock is larger and carried a little higher, 

 though not nearly vertical ; the legs upon an 

 average are rather shorter ; the body perceptibly 

 longer and more Dorking-like in shape, with less 

 fluff about the thighs than in average English 

 birds, and rather less cushion in the females. 

 All these points tend towards a better layer and 

 better table fowl, with finer skin. The size of 



^1^ 



^ 



Breast. Wins. 



Fig. gS.— Feathers of Barred Rock Hen, 1S72 : Broad and Crescentic Marking. 



ir 



coupled with longer legs on both males and 

 females. I believe that then both England 

 and America would soon adopt the same 

 standard, which would be very beneficial to 

 both countries, for as it is at present very little 

 trade is done between us and our fancier 

 friends across the Atlantic in Barred Rocks. 



" I have not said much about shape, and so 

 will give just a brief outline of my ideas in 

 this respect. A Rock must be on the large side 

 to be a specimen of much value, not only tall, 

 but broad with good deep body and a long, 

 straight breastbone, and full chest. It should 

 stand straight on good stout legs of rich orange 

 colour ; the tail small, compact, and not 

 carried too high. The head should be of good 

 length, surmounted by a comb of medium size, 



the American bird is also smaller, by an average 

 of about 2 lbs. per bird : this is no doubt greatly 

 due to that demand for " broiler " chickens so 

 often alluded to, but American breeders con- 

 sider that the Rock when bred very large has a 

 tendency to coarseness both of bone and skin, 

 which they dislike. 



The plumage has already been described 

 as perceptibly lighter and brighter in colour ; 

 the total effect being often that of an almost 

 bright and lightish blue shade. Some years 

 ago it might also have been described as finer 

 or more numerous in the bars ; but in' this respect 

 English breeders have now adopted American 

 views, as also in preference for straight bar- 

 ring and " ringlet " effect, over the older and 

 coarser crescentic form. In all but lighter colour. 



