128 



THE AMERICAN BREEDS OF POULTRY 



It is, therefore, absurd to speak of the light and dark matings in 

 Barred Rocks as representing two separate and distinct varieties. 

 There is only one variety, the Barred Plymouth Rock, but because 

 of the tendency for the males to run lighter in color than the females, 

 two matings are made so as to produce Standard cockerels on the 

 one hand, and on the other hand. Standard colored pullets that will 

 match the Standard cockerels when placed in a show pen. 



As a general proposition the two lines should be bred separately, 

 and when an experimenter introduces cockerels or dark blood into 

 the pullet line by using a cockerelbred female to a pulletbred male, 

 he should then use the progeny of the cross and not continue further 

 crossing, and go along on the double mating system. Without these 

 experimenters we would not have new and better types, but the begin- 

 ner should leave such an undertaking severely alone, and breed stock 

 strictly to his cockerel and pullet lines as separate units. 



Under no circumstances should he mate an exhibition cockerel to 

 an exhibition pullet with the hope of leveling up the color in their 

 progeny. Such an attempt would be to resort back to the old dis- 

 carded system of single or Standard matings. 



The future. Today we find Barred Plymouth Rocks of grand 

 quality; birds of true Plymouth Rock shape, with strong heads, broad 

 shoulders, full breasts, good length and width of back, full tails car- 

 ried at their proper angle, and 



the entire body well balanced j 

 on strong, well placed legs; 

 birds of one even shade of 

 bright, sharp, contrasting color 

 from end to end, cleanly bar- 

 red tails and wings, saddle 

 feathers of the same color as 

 tail coverts and each section 

 blending and matching the 

 other sections. But, still the 

 work to be done on Barred 

 Plymouth Rocks remains un- 

 finished, the opportunities and 

 possibilities are great, and the 

 breed offers today a wonder- 

 ful repast for thought and 

 study. 



The old school of breeders 

 have done much, have accom- 

 plished much, of which we 

 may avail ourselves to the - 



fullest extent. It is for us to E B Thompson , s lst Prize Barred 

 get the right quality of birds, Plymouth Rock hen at Madison Square 



have them mated light, give ,9 ar , den ,- Ne ^Y York - I 919 - This is the 



kind of female to use in mating No. 2. 



