FOWLS 63 



The American idea in England ; the Orpington. At the time 

 that the Chinese fowls were attracting wide attention in America 

 and England some were taken to other countries of Europe. In 

 almost every country they had some influence upon the native 

 stock, but as each of the old countries had one or more improved 

 races that suited most of those giving special attention to poultry 

 culture, the influence of the Asiatics was less marked than in 

 our country. 



When the Plymouth Rock and the Wyandotte became popu- 

 lar in America, they were taken to England, where, in spite of 

 the preference for white skin and flesh-colored legs, they were 

 soon in such favor that a shrewd English breeder saw the ad- 

 vantage of making another breed of the same general type but 

 with skin and legs of the colors preferred in England. He 

 called his new breed the Orpington, giving it the name of the 

 town in which he lived. The first Orpingtons were black and 

 were made by crossing the black progeny of Plymouth Rocks 

 (which in America had been used to make the Black Java), 

 Black Minorcas, and Black Langshans. Then the originator of 

 the Orpingtons put out a buff variety, which he claimed was 

 made by another particular combination of crosses, but which 

 others said was only an improvement of a local breed known as 

 the Lincolnshire Buff. Later White Orpingtons and Spangled 

 Orpingtons appeared. 



Present distribution of improved races. Having briefly traced 

 the distribution of the fowl in ancient times, and the movements 

 which in modern times brought long-separated branches of the 

 species together, let us look at the present situation. 



The Plymouth Rocks, .Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, and 

 Orpingtons, which are essentially one type, the differences be- 

 tween them being superficial, constitute the greater part of the 

 improved fowls of Amercia and England and are favorites with 

 progressive poultry keepers in many other lands. In many parts 

 of this country one rarely sees a fowl that is not of this type, 



