PLYMOUTH ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 203 



The Standard requires that the web, fluff and quill of the 

 feathers in all sections shall be a pure white. Another statement 

 to the same effect would be that the surface, undercolor and quill 

 of all sections should be pure white. 



Defects of White Plumage. Very often the quills will be 

 slightly creamy, even when the web and fluff are pure white. 

 Yellow and creamy tinges seem to cling most tenaciously to the 

 largest quills and will appear in the quills of the flights and 

 secondaries of the wing if they appear in any section of the 

 plumage; thus the quills of the primaries may be taken in a 

 measure as an index of the color of the bird, relatively as be- 

 tween pure white and creamy white ; that is, if these quills are 

 white the entire plumage is usually pure white. 



Black plumage is apt to come in the whitest fowls. This 

 cannot always be avoided, nor is a small quantity of black con- 

 sidered a breeding defect. What is known as ticking, small 

 specks of grey, slate or black, occurs to a certain extent in white 

 specimens. 



The Breeders' Problem. The problem for correctly mating 

 for color would then seem to be solved by mating the whitest 

 birds together. This problem would then, if color alone were to 

 be considered, be very easily and quickly mastered. However, 

 because of the requirements in shape, color of legs, eyes, comb 

 as well as consideration of size and vigor, which must be taken 

 into account, the problem becomes more intricate than it at first 

 appears. (T. F. McG.) 



CHAPTER III. 



MATING WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCKS 



On the above subject we quote the following from U. R. 

 Fishel, an experienced and successful breeder of this variety. 



Mating White Plymouth Rocks. "The greatest pleasure to 

 be obtained in breeding fancy poultry is to produce by careful 

 mating of your fowls some exceptionally fine specimen or speci- 

 mens. We are never satisfied with the results obtained, but each 

 breeding season an effort must be and is made to so mate our 

 fowls that we may expect better results from the breeding yards. 

 We know one must produce better specimens each season or fall 

 behind the great army of successful breeders. 



