64 AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 



The Popularity of the Asiatic Fowls. The former, on ac- 

 count of their size, which in comparison with that of the com- 

 mon farm yard fowls of those days or in comparison with that 

 of fowls of European blood, appeared gigantic, and their mag- 

 nificent appearance, were extremely popular. At times this pop- 

 ularity was even sensational, and it may be said that fowls of 

 Asiatic blood were relied upon to supply the sensational features 

 for the early poultry shows the first at Boston in 1849, the 

 several subsequent shows in the same city, as well as the one held 

 in Barnum's Museum in 1854. For years these Asiatic fowls 

 were the most sought and brought the highest prices ; but even 

 at that they did not afford general satisfaction. 



This Popularity Wanes, They were large, but it required 

 a greater length of time to grow a large fowl to maturity than a 

 small one. It required too long a time to grow these extremely 

 large specimens. They did not lay as well for most poultry 

 keepers as the smaller birds. Mediterranean breeds had been 

 imported from Italy, Spain and England and these were acknowl- 

 edged the superior of all others as "egg-machines." Compared 

 with the Asiatic or even most of the mongrel stock, these were 

 very small and fell materially short of the weight desired of a 

 good market fowl. 



A General Purpose Fowl Demanded. The failures of these 

 different classes of fowls to meet both requirements became more 

 and more apparent as time elapsed, and the more apparent the 

 failures became the stronger became the desire to find or create 

 a fowl that, while it could be depended upon for a liberal produc- 

 tion of eggs, would also meet the demands for a superior table 

 fowl. Many attempts were made before success was achieved. 

 Some dated back prior to the middle of the century. Of these 

 we have the best account of one by a Dr. Bennett of Plymouth. 

 Massachusetts, of which we find a very good description in The 

 Poultry Book (1850), of which the same Dr. Bennett was the 

 author. 



"THE PLYMOUTH ROCK FOWL" 



"I have given this name to a very extra breed of fowls which 

 I produced by crossing a cockerel of Baylies' importation of 

 Cochin China with a hen, a cross between the fawn-colored 

 Dorking, the Great Malay and the Wild Indian ; having five 

 primitive bloods Shanghae, Malay, Game, Turkish and Indian 

 traceable by referring to the history of those breeds and their 

 crosses respectively. There are several of this breed in 



