3IO 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



Mrs. Wilkinson's notes above. Some American 

 breeders of repute have never abandoned that 

 method ; but the majority were not satisfied 

 with the results, especially in brightness of 

 colour and distinctness of barring, and hence 

 came in the system of double-mating described 

 above by Mr. E. B. Thompson. It will be 

 observed that this system is more complicated 

 than that formerly adopted by breeders of 

 using similar females in both pens, with a 

 rather dark cockerel to breed cockerels, and 



that only " handle well " continue to monopolise 

 the prize-money, the once deep-breasted, long- 

 keeled, broad-backed male and the long, 

 broad-bodied female which is such an excellent 

 layer, will become defunct. 



Commenting in a recent article* on the mat- 

 ing of barred Plymouth Rocks, Mr. A. C. 

 Hawkins, one of the most famous of American 

 breeders, says : — 



" Modern Barred Rocks are bred by the 

 double mating system, which requires a special 



F'g- 99- — Feathers from Americin Barred Rock Pullet, 1901. 



a rather light one to breed pullets ; the females 

 keeping the strain related or in union. 



In America at the present time there is a 

 tendency among some judges to give prefer- 

 ence in the show-pen to birds that have strong 

 under colour, type apparently being a second- 

 ary consideration with them. And it is not 

 infrequent that specimens of angular contour, 

 narrow bodies, shallow breasts, and by no 

 means brilliant top colour, are found high up 

 in the prize lists. To such an extent has this 

 been the case that some prominent breeders 

 have not hesitated to point out that if birds 



mating to produce exhibition cockerels, and a 

 special mating to produce exhibition pullets. 



"The cockerel mating should be headed by 

 a male as near the perfect type and colour as 

 possible. Select a bird with a medium-sized, 

 evenly serrated comb that sets firmly on the 

 head, a rich red eye and a deep full breast 

 with long keel. Have the body and back broad 

 with a concave rise from the hackle to the tail. 

 The tail should be well spread and not carried 

 above thirty-five degrees. He should have 

 strong yellow legs, set well apart. Select a 



* Reliable Poultry Journal, March, 191T. 



