40(> BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



fruitless search for fowls of the kind Ik; had decided he 

 Avanted, — cannot run across birds that suit him, — but in 

 the mean time does find birds of another variety that seem 

 to him to be just what he wants ; should he drop his first 

 choice and take the others? Supposing a case as stated, I 

 would say yes. The fowls which suited might not be the 

 best type of their kind, according to prevailing opinion, but 

 if they are Avhat is wanted, the name by which they are 

 called and their superficial points are of only minor impor- 

 tance. Wliile I have used the White Plymouth Rock in the 

 illustration above, any other Plymouth Rock is the same in 

 everything but color. The Wyandottes and Rhode Island 

 Reds are in the same class, and difter practically from the 

 Plymouth Rock principally in size and shape, and not radi- 

 cally in either of these respects. Ordinarily, a Massachu- 

 setts or New England farmer would not want to go outside 

 of these three breeds to look for stock. Indeed, this is the 

 class of stock best adapted to the wants of most poultry 

 keepers everywhere ; and, as a rule, the preference of a 

 poultry keeper for an}^ particular variety of this class is 

 due to his having happened to get stock of that variety 

 which suited him. 



A brief comparison of the three breeds and their varieties 

 will indicate how like they are in essential qualities, and 

 also show the superficial difierences Avhich would sometimes 

 be considered in making a choice, and Avhich in a few cases 

 do have a marked influence in determining the popularity 

 of the variety. 



All are medium-sized foAvls, the Plymouth Rocks as a 

 class a little larger than the others, and a little longer in 

 coming to maturity. 



Of Plymouth Rocks there are three varieties, — Barred, 

 White and Bufi". Unless he had a color preference, a taste 

 for appearance to satisfy, it Avould make no difl'erence to 

 the poultry keeper who Avanted a foAvl of the Plymouth 

 Rock type which of the three varieties he took. 



In Wyandottes the number of varieties is greater, and 

 most of them are more difficult to produce in such uniform- 

 ity of color as will satisfy even a moderately critical taste. 



