268 AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 



males were almost black in hackle and saddle, and the females 

 inclined to open lacing. 



The Second Year. "How to overcome these defects was the 

 problem of the second year. In order to get brighter color, 

 Golden Wyandotte males were used, even in preference to Part- 

 ridge Wyandotte males, because the latter were then so dark 

 and devoid of bright color as to make them very undesirable to 

 use with fowls already too black. The majority of these were 

 good in eyes, legs and top color. They were mated principally 

 in pairs and trios, but one or two of the most desirable males 

 were given an extra female. Some of these cockerels had fairly 

 good combs, but most of them either had side sprigs or very 

 irregular combs with too many serrations. 



"The results from the second year's matings were surprising. 

 The cockerel line had been improved at the expense of the female 

 penciling. For the first time clay breasts appeared in plenty 

 among the females, but now fowls with even stubs were not 

 much in the majority, and shape as well as male color, except in 

 breast and body color, which were somewhat mottled in many 

 cases, was greatly improved. 



The Third Year. "Aside from color difficulties much trouble 

 was found in selecting enough breeding fowls with fairly good 

 combs for the third year's matings, for it was fully determined 

 to use only the foundation stock: For, while some of the mat- 

 ings of the past year had resulted in fairly good colored birds 

 of one sex, there were but few that improved the color in both 

 sexes (reader should note here the first inclination to single mat- 

 ings) and strange as it may seem, most were troubled with stubs 

 on shanks and toes. 



"The third year nine matings were made, but as all the 

 progeny of three pens were sent to market we have to do with 

 but six. It might be well to add that each subsequent year the 

 number of matings that figured in the production of the Part- 

 ridge Plymouth Rock fowl had a tendency to grow less, show- 

 ing conclusively the wisdom of carrying as many matings as 

 possible at the early stages of a new breed of parti-colored fowls. 

 For the originator must become more critical and may elimi- 

 nate the offspring of whole pens in order to advance rapidly. In 

 time it is wise to reject some of the parent fowls for breeders, 

 but not until the desired characteristics are somewhat estab- 

 lished, and only close observation can assist in determining when 

 to do this. 



