FOWLS 



57 



The modern Barred Plymouth Rock. Shortly after our Civil 

 War two poultrymen in Connecticut one a fancier, the other a 

 farmer engaged in a joint effort to produce the business type of 

 fowl that would meet the favor of American farmers. A male 

 of the old Dominique type was crossed with some Black Cochin 

 hens. This mating produced some chickens having the color of 

 the sire, but larger and more robust. Another and more skillful 

 fancier saw these 

 chickens and per- 

 suaded the farmer 

 to sell him a few of 

 the best. A few 

 years later, when, 

 by careful breeding 

 and selection, he 

 had fixed the type 

 and had specimens 

 enough to supply 

 eggs to other fan- 

 ciers, he took some 

 of his new breed to a 

 show at Worcester, 



FIG. 46. Buff Plymouth Rock cock 



Massachusetts. Up 

 to this time he had 

 not thought of a name for them, but as people who saw them 

 would want to know what they were called, a name was now 

 necessary. It occurred to this man that the name " Plymouth 

 Rock," having once been given to a promising American 

 breed, would be appropriate. So the birds were exhibited as 

 Plymouth Rocks. 



This new breed caught the popular fancy at once, for it had 

 the color which throughout this country was supposed always 

 to be associated with exceptional vigor and productiveness, and 

 it had greater size than the Dominique. The fame of the new 



