34 Barred and White Plymouth Rocks. 



enclosure. On the whole, our experience with them has been so 

 favorable, that we cannot but believe they are bound to be the 

 'coming fowls' of America." 



" This new breed, which has but lately been brought into gen- 

 eral notice," says an experienced breeder, "is becoming immensely 

 popular. The first account we have of their origin dates back 

 to 1878, when a gentleman in Maine, who was breeding the Essex 

 strain of Plymouth Rocks, observed that some white ' sports ' had 

 resulted from his hatchings. He did not consider them of any value, 

 but a neighbor, Mr. Oscar Frost, obtained the first pair of them, 

 and conceived the idea of trying to work on this foundation to estab- 

 lish a White Rock. The first year or two he met with rather poor 

 success, and, as Dr. Twitchell said in the Maine Farmer at the time 

 they were a 'sorry-looking lot.' But Brother Frost was not discour- 

 aged and patiently worked on, breeding them on the principle of the 

 'survival of the fittest,' and in about five years he was the owner of 

 a very fine flock of pure White Rocks, which bred very true to color. 

 About this time the writer procured a setting of eggs from Mr. 

 Frost, from which he obtained ten fine, pure-white chickens, and we 

 have been breeding, them ever since with uniform success — not an 

 ' off-color ' chick ever appearing in our flock. 



"We can now speak from experience of this breed, and also 

 from the experience of hundreds of patrons who have been breeding 

 them from Mr. Frost's, Dr. Twitchell's and our own yards. We 

 must certainly admit that they inherit some of the faults of their 

 progenitors, viz., in leg markings and twisted combs — that is, to 

 some extent; but they have the great virtue of always breeding true 

 to color of plumage, which could not be affirmed of the speckled 

 Rock. The irregularity of leg coloring and shape of comb, alluded 

 to above, which occurs in some specimens, can, by careful selection, 

 be bred out, and then we will have a most perfect breeding fowl. 



" For market purposes the White Rock will take its place at the 

 ' head of the table,' as its' pure white plumage and yellow skin and 

 succulent flesh make it the epicure's sine qua non. But just at pres- 

 ent, with the living carcass worth about two dollars per pound, it 

 would not be a matter of economy to pot it. 



" Now, we wish to speak of its laying qualities — ^knd here we are 

 afraid many will impugn our veracity, when we state from our own 

 and the experience of others, that the White Rock is one of the 

 greatest ■ layers in the world, and we will not even except the Leg- 

 horn family. Mr, I. K. Felch, Mr. Frost, Dr. Twitchell, and all who 



