PLYMOUTH POCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 107 



to get more bars, or finer barring, as it is called. Even now cer- 

 tain specimens have overstepped in this, as it is possible to do 

 because fine barring becomes indistinct when too fine. 



The tendency of the modern breeders is toward more regular 

 barring. The straight-across-the-feather bar, and as many of 

 them as possible, is the ambition of many breeders nowadays. 

 The effect is certainly very pretty, but how far shall we sacrifice 

 shape, color of legs and beaks for perfection in barring, is the 

 question which will shortly come up. It must be granted that 

 to obtain fine and regular barring and strong undercolor, many 

 have bred the females too dark in surface color. This is not de- 

 crying straight* bars and strong undercolor. They have their 

 value and efforts must be made to acquire these qualities, but it 

 is better to acquire them slowly and retain other good features 

 than to produce them in haste and lose other virtues. 



After a careful survey of the accomplishments of a little 

 over fifty years, breeders of this variety can look at their birds 

 and their records with pride. Not for a moment of that time 

 has the breed stood still. Its progress has been one continued 

 ascent in public esteem, for improvement has been the watch- 

 word, and perfection the motto of those who have had its best 

 interest at heart. 



The great endeavor of the breeders of the present is and of 

 the breeders of the future will be to maintain an even shade of 

 color of the individual specimen, and of both sexes, with sharply 

 defined edges and sharply contrasting colors, with underbarring 

 extending to the skin and as many bars to the feather as can be 

 produced thereon and still maintain the aforementioned qualities. 

 Needless to say that rapid growth and large egg yield will be 

 attributes which the breeders will insist upon more even in the 

 future than in the past ; otherwise, the Plymouth Rock would 

 lose its well merited popularity ; which Heaven forbid. 



The early histories of the Plymouth Rock and the Barred 

 Plymouth Rock are identical, inasmuch as the latter were the sole 

 member of the family until 1888. when we find the White Plym- 

 outh Rock a member of the family with official acknowledgment 

 of its parentage. 



