PLYMOUTH ROCK STANDARD AND BUUKD HOOK 40 



order to produce our best females, we need a slightly different 

 female with this sire, or we need a little different male with 

 the dam. 



If the original pair produces the best females, but not the 

 best males, the same fundamental change must be made in the 

 mating to produce the best males. A different male with the 

 dam, or another and different female must be mated with the sire. 



But when two females that differ in either color or markings 

 are used with the same male, one intended to produce the females 

 nearest approaching our ideal, and another to produce the male 

 nearest the ideal, so radical a departure from the principles of 

 single mating is incorporated that an admission of the necessity 

 of a special mating to produce the best ideals of either sex 

 becomes most pronounced. 



To pursue this line of thought a step further how often 

 would a mating consisting of the best male and the best female 

 produce the best males and best females to comply with any 

 fixed standard of color or markings in parti-colored fowls? 

 How often would such a mating produce either the best males or 

 females and how often would it produce neither? Much more 

 often by far than not, it will produce neither the best males nor 

 the best females, make the Standard read as you like. 



On the other hand, under the present Standard by using spe- 

 cial matings for each sex, it is known to be more than possible 

 to produce the best males by breeding such to their own daugh- 

 ters or daughters of other high quality males. Results of this 

 kind have been accomplished for years and are being accom- 

 plished continually. Like results are being accomplished in 

 breeding the best exhibition females by mating such to their sons 

 or the sons of other females of high exhibition quality. 



If the Standard is fundamentally wrong because special 

 matings for each sex are necessary to meet its requirements, the 

 problem for solution is not how may we change the Standard 

 to make these special matings unnecessary, but how may we 

 make a Standard so that its requirements will not place a handi- 

 cap on standard matings, and a premium upon special matings 

 for each sex. The problem has been before us since the first 

 Standard was made, and as yet no one has offered a solution 

 that seemed theoretically plausible, let alone being practically 

 possible. Special matings have been producing the best speci- 

 mens all these years. From either standpoint, performance or 



