270 AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 



for the first time encouragement was received from expert au- 

 thority. This year inquiries came for the new variety, and 

 some nice specimens were mated and sold at good prices. Dur- 

 ing the year Partridge Plymouth Rock fowls were shipped to 

 five different states. 



Quality Is Established. "Eight matings of quite respect- 

 able quality were made for 1906. The breeders were actually 

 selected for standard requirements and in several of the pens 

 as many as five females were used. Even this number indicated 

 great progress. Those now chosen were of good shape and color, 

 and had good bay eyes, as a rule. Owing to the foundation 

 stock used, no difficulty had been experienced with leg color, 

 so the chicks showed on the whole by far more improvement 

 than at any previous year and were quite even in quality. Breed- 

 ing fowls for next year were selected from all these pens. In- 

 terest in the new fowls was growing rapidly, sales increased 

 proportionately and show birds began to sell. 



"For 1907 ten pens were mated, using sixty females, and 

 the new breed made the greatest progress in its history. This 

 was natural, however, as several of the matings were headed 

 by males richer in color than the Wyandottes, and the females 

 were the equal of the other breeds in this respect, while in 

 eyes and legs the new breed was better than either Partridge 

 Cochins or Partridge Wyandottes. From these matings many 

 fine specimens were produced. 



"In one flock of youngsters, hatched from April first to 

 April fourteenth, 1906, there were just twenty-four pullets, the 

 quality of which was such that every pullet was used for breed- 

 ing purposes. 



"For 1908 fourteen matings were made. These pens pro- 

 duced over a hundred choice show fowls, besides numerous win- 

 ners for minor shows, and a number of fine show birds won in 

 the hands of fanciers at America's leading exhibitions. Judges 

 unhesitatingly approved of them. There might have been a 

 shorter road to success. It may be that the Partridge Plymouth 

 Rock could have been produced in less time, by simply taking 

 the American Partridge Cochin and breeding the feathers from 

 the shanks, selecting from time to time the specimens with 

 least feathers on legs for the breeders. It is noticeable that 

 as the feathers disappear from the legs of fowls there is a 

 tendency of the cushions and the depth of breast to go with 

 them so that it would have been comparatively easy to have 

 perfected Plymouth Rock shape in this way. Or, at the start. 



