ORIGIN AND DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS 41 



Barred variety about 1880. The White is fully the equal 

 of the Barred in economic qualities. It has not been sub- 

 jected to the same degree' of intense inbreeding as many 

 strains of the Barred Rock have been for barring, and on 

 that account there may be excuse for the claim that it has 

 better maintained its original utility value. However, 

 there are strains of the Barred variety that by good 

 breeding have preserved their utility value to a high 

 degree. 



The Buff Plymouth Rock. This variety of Eock is an 

 independent creation. It is not related to the Barred or 

 White varieties, but breeders have so moulded it and shaped 

 it that in size and type and general external characteristics 

 it is a duplicate of the others. The Buff Leghorn, Buff 

 Cochin and Light Brahma were used in producing the Buff 

 Rock. Some strains, it is claimed, have originated from the 

 Rhode Island Red. While it is a fowl of much merit, the 

 Buff Rock is not a popular breed on the general farms, or 

 on special poultry farms, and it has never been demon- 

 strated that it has any useful qualities not possessed by the 

 Barred or White variety. From an economic point of view 

 there can be little excuse for the Buff variety. 



Columbian Plymouth Rock and Partridge Plymouth 

 Rock. These newer .varieties of the breed, vary only in 

 plumage color. They have been established, as other varie- 

 ties have been, by a system of cross and inbreeding and ad- 

 mitted to the "Standard" as a new breed because they have 

 a distinctive color, not because of any difference in real 

 practical value. 



The Wyandottes. The Wyandotte was the second pro- 

 duction of American breeders. As a breed, the Wyandotte 

 has a type of its own. In size and shape it meets the require- 

 ments of a general-purpose fowl probably better than any 

 other American breed. In size it is a little smaller than the 



