!>4 AMU!</('A\ J'Ol'l/rifY ASSOCIATION 



Iii the foregoing, Bement cither accepts the English writer's 

 viewpoint or from his own observations has come to the same 

 conclusions. The similarity to the Dorkings is brought to the 

 reader's attention and the possibi ities of a Spanish-Dorking 

 cross as the possible source of origin is intimated. 



The Rev. D. D. Bishop, whose work is heretofore several 

 times referred to, and is very thoughtful throughout, presents a 

 theory of origin that is not merely possible, but quite probable. 

 On pages 5 and 6 we find related a seemingly natural method of 

 origin, the truth of which is not at all unlikely, hence we reprint: 



"That the bird known by the name of Plymouth Rock should 

 have made its appearance about that time, 1866 to 1870, was 

 inevitable. 



"The conditions were favorable. It was at the time of re- 

 action from the furore for simply big birds, when farmer folk 

 were discussing among themselves the failure of the mammoth 

 Asiatics to fill the bill for both eggs and marketing. They con- 

 sumed both too much time and feed in their growth. They 

 failed as foragers for want of activity. They were the reverse 

 of precocious in their development. The old-fashioned dung- 

 hill was too small. There was equal dissatisfaction with both. 



"The first result was the throwing of whatever Asiatic came 

 to hand Shanghaes, Brahmas, Cochins what not at random 

 into the barnyard flocks, to mix indiscriminately with a lot of 

 birds that had suffered that kind cf breeding, if that could be 

 called breeding, for a generation or more. 



"The next step in the process was that the more thoughtful 

 or fanciful began to pick out the colors that suited their indi- 

 vidual notions. Various farmers had local reputations for the 

 excellence of their white hens, or red hens, or whatever color 

 they might have chosen. 



"Perhaps the most widely diffused of what might have been 

 called a native stock was even then known as 'old-fashioned,' 

 'hawk-colored' fowls. Their dispersion over a wide extent of 

 country was brought about by two causes. First, their mark- 

 ings were much more distinct and uniform than any of the mixed 

 colors, so that by original vital strength the color was carried 

 wherever a drop of the blood found its way. Secondly, they 

 proved to be hardy, matured rapidly and so came quickly to use- 

 fulness as broilers, egg producers or for marketing purposes. 



