AGR1C. 

 LIBRARY 



INTRODUCTION 



TO THE 1915 REVISED EDITION OF THE 

 AMERICAN STANDARD OF PERFECTION 



THE organization of the American Poultry Association was 

 effected at Buffalo, New York, February, 1873, by delegates 

 from different state and county associations, prominent 

 breeders, fanciers, and other interested persons from different 

 sections of the United States and Canada. Mr. W. H. Church- 

 man of Wilmington, Delaware, was the first president and Mr. 

 J. M. Wade of Philadelphia, the first secretary. 



At that time the fundamental object of this organization was 

 to standardize the different varieties of domestic and ornamental 

 fowls, and to that end, a complete Standard of Excellence, for all 

 varieties then recognized, was formulated and adopted which 

 was recommended as the guide for judging at all poultry exhi- 

 bitions. The American Poultry Association has since broadened 

 its scope and annual conventions have visited nearly all of our 

 large industrial centers. 



The first edition of the Standard was issued in February, 

 1874. It has been followed by several revised editions, but the 

 work of the first. Standard makers was so thorough, accurate 

 and far-seeing that but few changes, and these of minor impor- 

 tance, have been necessary. Many new breeds and varieties, 

 nearly all of later origin, have been admitted. After a few 

 editions, the title "Standard of Excellence" was changed to read 

 "Standard of Perfection" as one, theoretically at least, more in 

 accord with its prescribed ideals. 



Until 1905, all editions contained text descriptions only, and 

 no attempt was made to delineate ideal fowls. The 1905 edition 

 contains this innovation. The illustrations were line drawings 

 by the best known poultry artists of that time. These were 

 received with approval, in sufficient measure so that the plan of 

 presenting outline illustrations of many of the leading varieties 

 were continued. The type of illustrations was, however, changed 



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