Barred Plymouth Rocks — Improvement. n 



wing tips. The black on wings shows an inch or two until displaced 

 by bars of a light color, and as each successive line of bars appear, 

 they become more distinct. 



Skilled Plymouth Rock breeders do not like to see either 

 cockerels or pullets develop too early, that is, not to show the distinc- 

 tive shape and prominence of their adult plumage before they are, 

 at least, four months old. They say, if they show the adult feathers 

 at a much earlier age, the tail is apt to grow too long and gives the 

 bird too much of a Dominique appearance, or it will be carried too 

 upright. An early tail in the female portends excessive leginess, 

 spareness and narrow breast. 



The bright yellow on legs and beak so much desired, does not 

 always come with the chick. By far the greater number of the 

 females show a tawny, dusky, or very dark color, and the males that 

 show a clear bright yellow, usually have flesh colored or pale yellow 

 legs and beak when fully matured, and the plumage will be lacking 

 in pronounced distinctiveness in both the hue of ground color and 

 barring. But those that show brownish yellow or tawny on the sur- 

 face, with dark yellow plainly visible underneath, will, as a rule, 

 come at maturity to the desired color, and the same signs may be 

 taken for the development of a bright yellow beak. However, 

 faulty colored legs and beak seem to persist in the females, particu- 

 larly if their plumage tends to dark in color. 



IMPROVEMENT. 



The improvement in Plymouth Rocks, the past decade, has been 

 slow but sure. Leading breeders have greatly improved their stock 

 in type and color, the sexes show more uniformity, and the bright 

 yellow on legs and beak is not so much a bugbear as formerly, to the 

 average breeder. However, there are yet some obstacles to be over- 

 come in breeding Plymouth Rocks to insure further possible perfec- 

 tion, and the great problem is, how to get females that are not too 

 dark in plumage, legs and beak, and males that approach, or nearly 

 approach them in uniformity of plumage, that do not show brassy or 

 yellow feathers in hackle and saddle, and white flights and sickles, 

 or so light that they show very few Plymouth Rock markings. 



Many beginners wonder why they cannot breed Plymouth 

 Rock cocks to average as dark as the hens. The strong Indian 

 blood in the original Black Java, must have a share in determining 

 the shade of plumage and color of legs and beak. The tendency to 

 reversion comes, usually, through the weaker sex, and tends to per- 



