The journal of Hereditv 



SILVER GRAY DORKING HEN— MOTHER OF THE NEW BREED 

 This is the hen, presented to the l)e])artnienl of Agriculture by Mr. Jacobus, which was bred to a 

 White Plymouth Rock male in the original mating in 1912. The Dorking gave the rectangular 

 body shape, long breast bone and good thick llesh; and it has a red ear lobe and single comb. 

 The characters of the Dorking which had to be eliminated were color, the fifth toe, the white 

 legs and the brown shelled egg. The fifth toe is a useless appendage, and therefore desired out. 

 It is shown well in F"igs. 6 and 9. (l-'ig. 1.) 



in our present poultry population for a 

 breed havinji; the larger size and some 

 of the other characteristics of our gen- 

 eral purpf)se breeds, and at the same 

 time laying white-shelled eggs. 



THK PROHLKMS OF .\ NKW HRKKD 



With this situation e.xisting, the 

 problem became one of attempting to 

 establish a new breed which should re- 

 combine some t)f the qualities of the 

 general j)uriiose and the egg breeds, and 

 which should produce a fowl better 

 suited for the general farm tlock in 

 those sections of the country where a 

 white egg has the preference. What 

 was desired in such a bird and what was 

 contemplated therefore in the experi- 

 ment described here, was to secure a 

 fowl ha\iiig white plumage, yellow skin, 

 yellow beak and k-gs, but at the same 

 time having a largt-r body than the Leg- 

 horn, and of such a t>pe as to be a bet- 

 ter meat fowl. Later I decided to fix 

 on this fowl a red ear lobe so that it 

 would be readily ditTerentiated from 

 any of the larger type Leghorns. How- 



e\er, my desire was to produce a l)reed 

 which should lay a white egg. 



At this point I wish to make acknowl- 

 edgment of the assistance of Mr. Rob 

 R. .Slocum. Poultryman of the Animal 

 Husbandrx' Dixision, I'. -S. Department 

 of Agriculture, who has assisted me 

 in keeping the records and compiling 

 various data. 



TMK OKK.IN.M, PKOJIX T 



Objects: To produce a breed of fowls 

 of two varieties having the shape, size 

 and market qualities of the Dorking, 

 with a yellow skin, white plumage, and 

 four toes, and that will lay a large, 

 white egg. 



Method of Procedure: 



1st Year: A low-stationed, close- 

 feathered While PKiiiouth Rock male 

 and a Silver (iray Dorking female that 

 la\s a large, white-shelled egg will be 

 mated. 



.A SiiigU- ("i)ml) W'liiti' l.rgliorii male 

 ha\ ing a rather small, low comb, and a 

 Sil\er dray Dorking female that la\s 

 a large, white-shelled egg will be mated. 



